Vallentine’s Honey has always had its own story. Long before it sat alongside other Vallentine & Co creations, people knew the jar for its depth of flavour and its startling activity number. Behind both is ethnobotanist William Vallentine.
William’s interest was never confined to honey as a sweetener. He observed how bees protect the health of a hive and drew on his work with Indigenous people in South America as he developed his method. Plants, bees, knowledge and place met in a very practical question: what kind of honey could this approach make?
The answer emerged in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. This is a landscape with a changing procession of flowering plants. The honey that comes from it has a flavour you can recognise without looking at a label: deep, layered and slightly herbaceous, with a thick texture that lingers on the spoon.
A result people could talk about
A tested batch of Vallentine’s Honey recorded 32.8+ NPA, reported on the label as 1884 MGO equivalent. The number gave stockists a memorable way to introduce it. The honey earned its following one taste at a time.
That combination matters to us. A laboratory result is compelling. A distinctive food with a person, a place and a method behind it is what people form a relationship with. The honey has been described for years as the world’s strongest; we want visitors to understand the test behind that phrase and the human story behind the jar.
Its own place at Vallentine & Co
Vallentine & Co now gives the honey a home alongside newer products. Kevin and Elke bring years of hospitality and business experience to growing the brand, while William has room to keep developing interesting products with lesser-known ingredients. The Honey range retains its own character and its own space. That is exactly as it should be.
There is more to tell as the range grows. For now, start with the honey that brought people to the name: a Northern Rivers jar with a remarkable result and a flavour worth slowing down for. Explore Vallentine’s Honey and read NPA vs MGO vs UMF if you want to understand the number.