Customers swarm to buy jars of £2,000 New Zealand honey from luxury department store Harrods

Published: 00:41, 19 April 2026 | Updated: 00:57, 19 April 2026 It's enough to leave the average shopper feeling badly stung. But at Harrods, consumers with deeper pockets are swarming to buy one of the world's rarest honeys – which comes with a £2,000 price tag. Two years after an Australian honey was sold at London's luxury department store for £750, the latest product, from New Zealand producer Manuka South, has generated a resounding buzz. That's because it comes from bees who feast almost exclusively on native manuka bushes in remote areas of the nation's South Island, making it unusually pure. It is harvested only when the environmental conditions are just right – which happens only 'once every few years', according to the manufacturer.  Matured for 1,400 days, it is rigorously tested to guarantee its quality and potency before being sold. And all that means jars of the honey, known officially as Limited Reserve UMP 35+ MGO 2190 – which will mean little unless you're a connoisseur – are limited, and therefore highly prized. The premium product is presented to Harrods' clientele in an ornate case, featuring a handcrafted American black walnut exterior, Italian leather lining and 18-carat antique gold detailing. At Harrods, consumers with deeper pockets are swarming to buy one of the world's rarest honeys – which comes with a £2,000 price tag Sarina Mughal, Harrods' head pharmacist, says 'it's been one of our best-selling honeys'. Pictured: Harrods department store in London YouTuber Carmie Sellitto bought the product from Harrods last month and drizzled it on the £1.45 high-street pastry for a taste test And despite the cost, sources told The Mail on Sunday that demand for the honey – which is available from the Harrods pharmacy because of the reputed health benefits of manuka – has been high, particularly among Middle Eastern shoppers. Sarina Mughal, Harrods' head pharmacist, said: 'It's been one of our best-selling honeys.  'We've had weeks where we've sold between six and ten jars, and these are all repeat customers.' Manuka honey has been renowned for its healing properties for thousands of years, with some NHS wound dressings containing the product, purified to a medical grade. Honey sommelier Helen Rogers, of the Honey Guild of the United Kingdom, said the Manuka South product contains 'extreme' levels of MGO, or methylglyoxal, a key antibacterial compound.  Anything above 500 MGO is classed as medical grade, and this is 2190,' she said. Manuka South said the 'beauty' of its product is its versatility, as it boasts a flavour that complements 'both sweet and savoury dishes'. 'You can enjoy it straight from the spoon, drizzle it over your favourite foods, add it to drinks or incorporate it into your culinary creations,' the company says. However, Ms Rogers notes: 'I'm not convinced manuka is particularly superior to honey from the UK when you ingest it. 'It definitely is superior on wounds... Most people probably wouldn't enjoy it. It's got quite a medicinal flavour.' Yes, he really is drizzling it on a £1.45 Greggs sausage roll!   When Manuka South said its £2,000 honey was versatile, the company had perhaps not anticipated it might be paired with something as humble as a Greggs sausage roll. But, curious about its unusual flavour profile, YouTuber Carmie Sellitto bought the product from Harrods last month and drizzled it on the £1.45 high-street pastry for a taste test.  Mr Sellitto, 27, who reviews luxury food items in his videos, told The Mail on Sunday that the honey tasted 'a bit like grass', but that the combination had made his snack 'the most expensive sausage roll in the world'. He said the pairing 'surprisingly, really worked', but added: 'Either that or I was just convincing myself because I spent so much money on it.'  Mr Sellitto rated the honey 'ten out of ten'. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.