Artisan Greek Rare Vanilla Fir Raw Honey

What makes Vanilla Fir special?

  • Vanilla Fir only comes from the region of Mount Mainalo in the Peleponnese in Greece, no where else in the world.
  • It also has a much lower level of sugars than other honeys, being particularly low in glucose meaning it usually never crystallises.
  • It isn't produced every year. often there is little or none available.
  • This honey is exceptionally low in moisture - just over 14% (we had our batch analysed).
  • It is the only Greek honey with Protected Designation of Origin - this is the only place in the world you will find this honey.

This is a honey that I thought we would never find - it is very rare and very highly valued and stock is normally snapped up in advance.  However, this year has been a good year for honey (so there is more available) and Thomas has persuaded his cousin/friend Giotis (never quite sure of the distinction in Greece, Thomas seems to have a lot of cousins!).

Giotis lives close to Mount Mainlo and has agreed to supply some Vanilla Fir via Thomas. So that is how we are able to introduce Vanilla Fir to you from the Black Fir tree that grows on Mount Mainalo in the Peleponnese in Greece. I wouldn't normally sell honey from a beekeeper I haven't met but Thomas has vouched for him and I have had the honey analysed (and that's all good, no heating and it has all the key characteristics of a Vanilla Fir). This honey has been granted Protected Designation of Origin, because of its uniqueness and rarity. It comes from no where else in the world apart from the area around Mount Mainalo. 

Flavour: Thomas' Raw Greek Vanilla Fir honey Vanilla fir is a thick, earthy, creamy honeydew honey which has a flavour with hints of vanilla and caramel. 

Colour: When runny, the colour of this honey is quite light, with shades of pearl or caramel. 

Where it comes from: This honey only comes from the fir forests of Mount Mainalon in the Peloponnese in the region of Arcadia, no where else in the world. This is where the rare Black Fir tree grows.

More on honeydew honey: Fir tree honey is known as a honeydew, because it is from the sap and resin of the tree not from flower nectar. Honeydews are high in oligosaccharides, which are known for their prebiotic qualities- aiding digestion.

About the beekeeper: It was brought to us by Thomas and his cousin, who has the hives for the Vanilla Fir honey. Thomas is 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. 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 Greek Rare Vanilla Fir Raw Honey

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Artisan Greek Rare Vanilla Fir Raw Honey

What makes Vanilla Fir special?

  • Vanilla Fir only comes from the region of Mount Mainalo in the Peleponnese in Greece, no where else in the world.
  • It also has a much lower level of sugars than other honeys, being particularly low in glucose meaning it usually never crystallises.
  • It isn't produced every year. often there is little or none available.
  • This honey is exceptionally low in moisture - just over 14% (we had our batch analysed).
  • It is the only Greek honey with Protected Designation of Origin - this is the only place in the world you will find this honey.

This is a honey that I thought we would never find - it is very rare and very highly valued and stock is normally snapped up in advance.  However, this year has been a good year for honey (so there is more available) and Thomas has persuaded his cousin/friend Giotis (never quite sure of the distinction in Greece, Thomas seems to have a lot of cousins!).

Giotis lives close to Mount Mainlo and has agreed to supply some Vanilla Fir via Thomas. So that is how we are able to introduce Vanilla Fir to you from the Black Fir tree that grows on Mount Mainalo in the Peleponnese in Greece. I wouldn't normally sell honey from a beekeeper I haven't met but Thomas has vouched for him and I have had the honey analysed (and that's all good, no heating and it has all the key characteristics of a Vanilla Fir). This honey has been granted Protected Designation of Origin, because of its uniqueness and rarity. It comes from no where else in the world apart from the area around Mount Mainalo. 

Flavour: Thomas' Raw Greek Vanilla Fir honey Vanilla fir is a thick, earthy, creamy honeydew honey which has a flavour with hints of vanilla and caramel. 

Colour: When runny, the colour of this honey is quite light, with shades of pearl or caramel. 

Where it comes from: This honey only comes from the fir forests of Mount Mainalon in the Peloponnese in the region of Arcadia, no where else in the world. This is where the rare Black Fir tree grows.

More on honeydew honey: Fir tree honey is known as a honeydew, because it is from the sap and resin of the tree not from flower nectar. Honeydews are high in oligosaccharides, which are known for their prebiotic qualities- aiding digestion.

About the beekeeper: It was brought to us by Thomas and his cousin, who has the hives for the Vanilla Fir honey. Thomas is 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. 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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