Tāwari: Totally An Award Winning Honey
Along with two of our other honeys, our Tāwari Honey won the Creamed Category Winner at the Black Jar International Honey Tasting Contest held in Asheville, USA in 2025, making it a Top 10 finisher. A testament to its journey from being a Top 30 finalist in previous years.
In 2021, this exquisite honey also won Gold Medals, in both the London Honey Awards and the New Zealand’s Outstanding Food Producers Awards
Tāwari: What’s So Special About This Honey?
Tāwari (Ixerba brexinoides) is unique: unique to New Zealand; the only species within its genus; and only found in a few parts of the North Island. We find great groves of tāwari deep within Te Urewera, our vast pristine native forest.
Here, tāwari grows to over 10 metres high, and has been described by botanists as one of the most beautiful of New Zealand’s native plants, striking in the beauty of both its flowers and foliage. So much so that the delicate white flowers of the tāwari were one of the few used by our ancestors for necklaces and garlands to be worn on festive occasions.
The tāwari flower is usually pollinated by bats and moths attracted at night to the white flower. Plentiful nectar is produced at the base of the flower, and it is from these divine pools of nectar that the honey bee, during the day, produces one of the finest honeys of New Zealand.
Tāwari: How to Use This Honey
Tāwari is a light honey to use in desserts and with cheeses. Match tāwari honey with poached or roasted fruits such as pears, or use it to sweeten up your favourite roasted nuts – walnuts or cashews. Drizzle over your best soft cheeses, especially camembert or brie, that you’re serving with tart fruit cheese such as quince or omega plum.
A straight sweetener in drinks, as it enhances and won’t interfere with the taste of your tea or smoothie.
