Labelled glass jar containing 490g of dark raw organic Greek red fir honey.
Large labelled glass jar containing 1kg of dark raw Greek red fir honey
video of metal spoon dripping into an open jar of raw organic Greek red fir honey.
Honey bee on fir tree
Beekeeper Thomas sitting in courtyard with flowers holding jar of raw honey.
Mount Karvounis with fir trees in foreground.
Certificate of Analysis from Minerva Scientific Lab. Shows the honey has an active rating of 19.5
open cardboard box with wrapped jar of honey and biodegradable loosefill made from potato starch inside
    Labelled glass jar containing 490g of dark raw organic Greek red fir honey.
    Large labelled glass jar containing 1kg of dark raw Greek red fir honey
    video of metal spoon dripping into an open jar of raw organic Greek red fir honey.
    Honey bee on fir tree
    Beekeeper Thomas sitting in courtyard with flowers holding jar of raw honey.
    Mount Karvounis with fir trees in foreground.
    Certificate of Analysis from Minerva Scientific Lab. Shows the honey has an active rating of 19.5
    open cardboard box with wrapped jar of honey and biodegradable loosefill made from potato starch inside
Labelled glass jar containing 490g of dark raw organic Greek red fir honey.
Large labelled glass jar containing 1kg of dark raw Greek red fir honey
video of metal spoon dripping into an open jar of raw organic Greek red fir honey.
Honey bee on fir tree
Beekeeper Thomas sitting in courtyard with flowers holding jar of raw honey.
Mount Karvounis with fir trees in foreground.
Certificate of Analysis from Minerva Scientific Lab. Shows the honey has an active rating of 19.5
open cardboard box with wrapped jar of honey and biodegradable loosefill made from potato starch inside

Discovering this Active Red Fir was an adventure.

The place where this honey comes from is one of the most stunning I have ever visited - and is a new place for Thomas' Fir. It was on my Summer honey expedition in June (2023) that I visited this divine mountain place.

One evening Thomas told me 'Tomorrow we are going to Mount Kaliakouda. You are going to love it there.'

So, this is the story......It was early one morning when Thomas and his Uncle Stefanos called for me from my hotel.  We headed from the plains of Thessaly towards some mountains.

Stefanos was driving in his pickup trick, which was full of the aromas of honey and beeswax. Soon we were crossing gorges on the edge of the plain and then the ascent started. Through little mountain villages, we passed with old guys sitting drinking coffee and watching the world pass by.

Higher and higher we went, twisting and turning through hairpin bends that sent me sliding from one side of the seat to the other. There were less and less signs of human habitation until there was just forest carpeting the mountain.

After about an hour we were so high that we passed through the clouds.

We stopped for a moment to take in an incredible view across the mountains with Fir trees stretching below us and in the distance a lake in a valley.

Then a few minutes later we arrived at the place for the Red Fir honey.

This was a real high mountain wilderness. 

On the road margins were a mass of wildflowers. Growing naturally, without any contamination from pesticides or herbicides. 

I could hear the bees busily working the Fir trees around us, flying backward and forward to the hives.

This was my idea of paradise. The air was so pure, you felt a kind of mental clarity and wellness you only experience in really remote mountain places.

Whilst I took photos Thomas and Stefanos checked the hives and erected a fence to keep the bears out, who of course like nothing better than a meal of bee grubs and Red Fir Honey. 

Then, finally after packing up their beekeeping equipment in the back of the pickup Stefanos passed me a chunk of honeycomb. It was truly superb. The most delicious honeycomb I had ever tasted. I knew at that moment that I had been presented with a real gem of a honey that Raw Honey People are going to love. Not only was it truly delicious but Fir honey tends to stay runny longer than most other honeys.

  • Here are the product details: You will see that this honey is a deep red colour with a rich, fruity flavour and very smooth consistency.
  • The hives are on Mount Kaliakouda in central Greece where the honey is harvested at an altitude of over 1500 metres.
  • We had this batch of Red Fir honey tested at the lab and it came back with a high active rating of 19.5. 
  • What does "Active" mean?  We send some of our honeys to a lab for a "Total Activity test". This test measures the total antimicrobial activity of a honey. This is done by testing a solution of a honey on a lab plate against the Staph Aureus bacteria. the honey is graded according to the amount of bacteria that the honey solution kills. Generally, the range that we see will be between 10 and 25 plus. This type of test is similar to the test used to grade Manuka Honey.  The main antibacterial activity is caused by a bee enzyme that creates hydrogen peroxide in the honey. Please bear in mind that the Activity Level is at its highest when we test it and will decrease over time. This will happen faster if the honey is exposed to light and heat. Storing the honey in a dark cool place will help to slow down the rate at which the Activity Level decreases.
  • More on honeydew honey: This is a dark thick runny honey. It is known as a honeydew, because it originates from the sap of the tree not from flower nectar.  Honeydews are high in oligosaccharides, which are known for their prebiotic qualities - aiding the beneficial bacteria in the microbiome, the gut flora that scientists have found is crucial for good health.
  • About the beekeeper: It was brought to us by Thomas, a young Greek beekeeper, who is planning to take over his family's hives, which are in secluded forest glades in and around mountains of central Greece, like on Mount Kaliakouda. He has great enthusiasm for raw honey and natural hive products.

How Raw Honey is Different from Processed Honey

Raw honey is minimally processed, meaning it’s packed with natural enzymes, pollen, and nutrients that are often lost during processing. Most supermarket honeys are processed to create a uniform appearance, often being drained of pollen, heated, and blended. Raw honey changes in flavour, colour, and texture depending on the season and the flowers that bees feed on, making each batch unique.

Crystallisation in Raw Honey

Raw honey tends to crystallise over time due to its natural glucose content. This is a natural process and does not affect the quality of the honey. For more information on why honey crystallises, visit our blog or check Wikipedia for a more scientific explanation.

About Us

At The Raw Honey Shop, we believe that honey should be RAW, unpasteurised, and 100% natural. Since 2008, we've been introducing our customers to a world of pure, all-natural, unpasteurised honey. Our catalogue includes over 30 different varieties of raw and organic honeys, each with its own unique story and flavour.

Thank you for visiting our shop. We look forward to introducing you to a world of raw, pure, and truly wonderful honey—the way the bees intended it!

Note: The product photo is representative. The colour and texture of raw honey may vary depending on the season and level of crystallisation. Please check the product title and description for accurate contents.

Thomas

Artisan Raw Organic Greek Red Fir Honey - Active 19.5 Runny

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Discovering this Active Red Fir was an adventure.

The place where this honey comes from is one of the most stunning I have ever visited - and is a new place for Thomas' Fir. It was on my Summer honey expedition in June (2023) that I visited this divine mountain place.

One evening Thomas told me 'Tomorrow we are going to Mount Kaliakouda. You are going to love it there.'

So, this is the story......It was early one morning when Thomas and his Uncle Stefanos called for me from my hotel.  We headed from the plains of Thessaly towards some mountains.

Stefanos was driving in his pickup trick, which was full of the aromas of honey and beeswax. Soon we were crossing gorges on the edge of the plain and then the ascent started. Through little mountain villages, we passed with old guys sitting drinking coffee and watching the world pass by.

Higher and higher we went, twisting and turning through hairpin bends that sent me sliding from one side of the seat to the other. There were less and less signs of human habitation until there was just forest carpeting the mountain.

After about an hour we were so high that we passed through the clouds.

We stopped for a moment to take in an incredible view across the mountains with Fir trees stretching below us and in the distance a lake in a valley.

Then a few minutes later we arrived at the place for the Red Fir honey.

This was a real high mountain wilderness. 

On the road margins were a mass of wildflowers. Growing naturally, without any contamination from pesticides or herbicides. 

I could hear the bees busily working the Fir trees around us, flying backward and forward to the hives.

This was my idea of paradise. The air was so pure, you felt a kind of mental clarity and wellness you only experience in really remote mountain places.

Whilst I took photos Thomas and Stefanos checked the hives and erected a fence to keep the bears out, who of course like nothing better than a meal of bee grubs and Red Fir Honey. 

Then, finally after packing up their beekeeping equipment in the back of the pickup Stefanos passed me a chunk of honeycomb. It was truly superb. The most delicious honeycomb I had ever tasted. I knew at that moment that I had been presented with a real gem of a honey that Raw Honey People are going to love. Not only was it truly delicious but Fir honey tends to stay runny longer than most other honeys.

  • Here are the product details: You will see that this honey is a deep red colour with a rich, fruity flavour and very smooth consistency.
  • The hives are on Mount Kaliakouda in central Greece where the honey is harvested at an altitude of over 1500 metres.
  • We had this batch of Red Fir honey tested at the lab and it came back with a high active rating of 19.5. 
  • What does "Active" mean?  We send some of our honeys to a lab for a "Total Activity test". This test measures the total antimicrobial activity of a honey. This is done by testing a solution of a honey on a lab plate against the Staph Aureus bacteria. the honey is graded according to the amount of bacteria that the honey solution kills. Generally, the range that we see will be between 10 and 25 plus. This type of test is similar to the test used to grade Manuka Honey.  The main antibacterial activity is caused by a bee enzyme that creates hydrogen peroxide in the honey. Please bear in mind that the Activity Level is at its highest when we test it and will decrease over time. This will happen faster if the honey is exposed to light and heat. Storing the honey in a dark cool place will help to slow down the rate at which the Activity Level decreases.
  • More on honeydew honey: This is a dark thick runny honey. It is known as a honeydew, because it originates from the sap of the tree not from flower nectar.  Honeydews are high in oligosaccharides, which are known for their prebiotic qualities - aiding the beneficial bacteria in the microbiome, the gut flora that scientists have found is crucial for good health.
  • About the beekeeper: It was brought to us by Thomas, a young Greek beekeeper, who is planning to take over his family's hives, which are in secluded forest glades in and around mountains of central Greece, like on Mount Kaliakouda. He has great enthusiasm for raw honey and natural hive products.

How Raw Honey is Different from Processed Honey

Raw honey is minimally processed, meaning it’s packed with natural enzymes, pollen, and nutrients that are often lost during processing. Most supermarket honeys are processed to create a uniform appearance, often being drained of pollen, heated, and blended. Raw honey changes in flavour, colour, and texture depending on the season and the flowers that bees feed on, making each batch unique.

Crystallisation in Raw Honey

Raw honey tends to crystallise over time due to its natural glucose content. This is a natural process and does not affect the quality of the honey. For more information on why honey crystallises, visit our blog or check Wikipedia for a more scientific explanation.

About Us

At The Raw Honey Shop, we believe that honey should be RAW, unpasteurised, and 100% natural. Since 2008, we've been introducing our customers to a world of pure, all-natural, unpasteurised honey. Our catalogue includes over 30 different varieties of raw and organic honeys, each with its own unique story and flavour.

Thank you for visiting our shop. We look forward to introducing you to a world of raw, pure, and truly wonderful honey—the way the bees intended it!

Note: The product photo is representative. The colour and texture of raw honey may vary depending on the season and level of crystallisation. Please check the product title and description for accurate contents.

View Full Details
1
What is the story behind Thomas and his family beekeeping operation?
The first thing you should know about Thomas is that he is very warm hearted and very passionate. Although his family have been beekeeping for many generations his story with us starts one day back in 2016. Thomas and his girlfriend Christina turned up at our warehouse in Brighton. At the time he was studying at the University of Brighton. He came with samples of his family’s Greek honey. This was fortuitous because I had been seeking Greek honey for some time but had not been able to meet any producers who met our standards. Anyway, we were blown away by the quality of the honeys, particularly the dark ones, like Oak. We learnt that the family beekeeping operation consisted of Thomas, his sister Elena, his Dad Giorgios and his aunt Ana. They were a small operation at the time but Thomas was ambitious and determined to grow the business. Since then, we have worked closely with Thomas and encouraged him to get organic certification and to focus on providing honeys, which are most popular with our customers, like Oak, Fir and Orange Blossom. Now his business has grown substantially, and he has gained a big place in the hearts of our customers – particularly following the floods in September 2023, which destroyed 300 of his hives. He has since recovered, thanks in part to donations from customers. His business goes from strength to strength.
2
What is the status of Thomas’ honey?
His honey is 100% raw, meaning it’s never heated or filtered beyond coarse filtering to remove any debris from the hive. processed. This ensures it retains all its natural enzymes, pollen, and beneficial properties. In addition, he recently gained organic status. This means regular inspections and analysis of the honey. His bees forage in unpolluted areas free from pesticides and synthetic chemicals. Also, there are other requirements, such as no sugar feeding.
3
What types of honey does Thomas produce?
Thomas produces several honeydew honeys (honeys from tree sap and aphid activity). There is mountain oak, red fir, pine and vanilla fir. Then there is Chestnut, which is a mixture of honeydew and blossom honey. He has a few blossom honeys such as orange blossom and thyme. In addition, Thomas is developing some new products for us, including a mountain honey with propolis.
4
Where does Thomas keep his hives?
Thomas has most of his hives in the mountains of central Thessaly, where his Oak, Red Fir and Mountain honey come from. In lower areas of Thessaly his bees create Thyme honey. These are all very remote and wild places. On the island of Evia, he has hives for Pine honey. Thomas’ Chestnut honey comes from Mount Athos, which is in the Macedonian region of northern Greece. Then in the Peloponnese in the south of Greece he has hives for Orange Blossom honey. Specifically the hives are in the organic orangeries of the Laconia country. On Mount Mainlo, also in the Peloponnese, his bees create the famous Vanilla Fir honey, which can only be found in Greece, nowhere else in the world.
5
What else should I know about Thomas’ honey?
This is very much a family operation. His family oversees everything, from hive management to extraction and packaging, ensuring top quality in every jar. At busy times he will work with other family members, such as his Uncle Stefanos, who helps him with the Red Fir hives. In recent years, the honey has won awards in the Great Taste Awards and London Honey Awards. For instance, his Chestnut that comes via the Monks of Mount Athos won Gold in the London Honey Awards.
6
Any recommendations for ways to use Thomas’ honey?
Thomas’ honeys are very thick and strongly antibacterial. His Oak and Chestnut are ideal for easing the discomfort of sore throats and coughs. If you have a sore throat take a tea spoonful of his Oak honey and tip your head back and let the honey coat your entire throat. Do not drink anything for 10 minutes, so that the honey has a chance to properly work on the inflammation. You will find it eases any discomfort.
7
Why are Thomas’ honeys so thick and antibacterial?
The Greek climate helps to reduce moisture in honey making them especially thick. This means the natural enzymes are more concentrated than in honeys that have higher moisture content. This may be the reason why Thomas’ honey generally has a higher Activity level than other honeys.

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