An Aotearoa apiary directory
Mānuka honey, ranked by UMF — direct from the hive
Every apiary listed here is MPI-export-certified and ships UMF- or MGO-verified jars direct to your door. The directory makes the rating system legible and the pricing fair.
- UMF + MGO verified
- MPI export certified
- Direct-from-apiary
Reading the rating
The UMF scale, made legible
UMF 5+ vs UMF 25+ is not "five times stronger". It's about four hundred times the methylglyoxal. The scale below shows where each apiary's range sits — and what the rating means in actual use.
Outlined boxes mark the UMF range each listed apiary delivers across their batches.
The directory
Apiaries worth ordering from
A spread across NZ's mānuka regions — Northland, the East Cape, Wairarapa, the Coromandel and beyond. Browse by region for the full directory.
Northland (Te Tai Tokerau)
Whangaroa Honey Co
Whangaroa Harbour
$$$$
Family operation harvesting from the Whangaroa peninsula's untouched mānuka stands.
- UMF
- 15+ to 25+
- MGO
- 514–1200
- Per kg (NZD)
- $220–$480
- Hives
- 280
Northland (Te Tai Tokerau)
Te Rerenga Apiaries
Te Rerenga / Cape Reinga
$$$$
Cape Reinga producer specialising in high-MGO single-origin mānuka.
- UMF
- 20+ to 28+
- MGO
- 829–1700
- Per kg (NZD)
- $380–$720
- Hives
- 95
East Cape (Te Tairāwhiti)
Tairāwhiti Mountain Honey
Mount Hikurangi flank
$$$$
Remote East Cape harvest — high-UMF, clean-flavour, isolated mānuka stands.
- UMF
- 18+ to 26+
- MGO
- 696–1450
- Per kg (NZD)
- $320–$620
- Hives
- 140
Coromandel
Kuaotunu Bee Co
Kuaotunu
$$
Coromandel small-batch apiary — gentler mānuka with a touch of rewarewa.
- UMF
- 5+ to 15+
- MGO
- 83–514
- Per kg (NZD)
- $110–$280
- Hives
- 65
Hawke's Bay
Tukituki River Honey
Tukituki Valley
$$
Workhorse Hawke's Bay apiary — consistent UMF 10+ to 15+ at fair prices.
- UMF
- 8+ to 15+
- MGO
- 182–514
- Per kg (NZD)
- $90–$220
- Hives
- 420
Wairarapa
Tinui Hills Apiary
Tinui
$$$
Small-batch Wairarapa producer — sharp, dry-finish premium mānuka.
- UMF
- 16+ to 22+
- MGO
- 571–829
- Per kg (NZD)
- $280–$480
- Hives
- 80
By region
Mānuka, by where it's harvested
NZ's mānuka belt isn't uniform. Northland honey tastes nothing like Marlborough honey — different chemistry, different colour, different price band.
Why this directory
Because most of the world's "mānuka" isn't actually from here.
Global retail volume of "mānuka honey" is several times NZ's actual annual production. We point buyers at MPI-certified apiaries who can prove provenance — and explain the rating system that everyone else hides behind.
Plate 01
UMF + MGO verified
Every listing shows the UMF rating (independent lab) or MGO reading (ppm methylglyoxal). Numbers, not fake-leaf claims.
Plate 02
MPI export certified
Only honey that passes MPI's four-factor mānuka test and holds a valid NZ export certificate. No 'blended with mānuka' nonsense.
Plate 03
Direct-from-apiary pricing
Buying UMF 20+ from a supermarket means paying a distributor, retailer and import markup. Direct, you save 30–50% on the same rating.
Plate 04
Understand the ratings
UMF 5+ vs 20+ isn't four-times-better — it's four-hundred times more methylglyoxal. We make the scale legible before you pay for it.
Field notes
Reading before you buy
Practical writing on the things that matter — UMF vs MGO, what grade actually suits your use, how to spot the counterfeits flooding the global market.
Field note · 6 min · 26 April 2026
UMF vs MGO — what the numbers actually mean
Methylglyoxal, leptosperin, antibacterial activity. The two competing rating systems for NZ mānuka, what each measures, and which to look for.
Field note · 5 min · 26 April 2026
What grade of mānuka honey do you actually need
Throat support, wound care, gut health, just-eating-it. Matching UMF rating to use-case so you're not over- or under-paying.
Field note · 7 min · 26 April 2026
Spotting counterfeit mānuka honey
Annual global mānuka 'sales' exceed actual NZ production by ~5×. Here's how to tell whether the jar in your hand is real or relabelled imported honey.
Need a recommendation?
Tell us what you're looking for
UMF range, intended use, region preference, budget. The directory is matched to the apiary most likely to deliver it — and where expectations and budget don't align, that's flagged before any order is placed.
- Editorial directory — listings are not pay-to-place
- Vetted against MPI export certification and UMF licensing
- Apiculture NZ-registered apiaries, verified MGO numbers