Honey in the United

Kingdom
Up until the economic crisis in 2008, the honey sector in the UK
experienced a premiumisation. Higher incomes, increased interest
in nutrition and media attention, such as cooking programmes on
television, aroused the interest of a relatively large group of
consumers in honeys with distinctive properties.

Major shifts in supplies

 The United Kingdom is a leading honey market in the EU, accounting for 11% of total
EU apparent consumption in 2008. Between 2004 and 2008, apparent consumption
increased by 5.3% annually on average in terms of volume to 36 thousand tonnes. Per
capita consumption of 0.59 kg is somewhat below the EU average.
 In the past decade, honey production normally amounted to around 7 thousand
tonnes per annum. In 2005 and 2008, honey production experienced dips, due to
weather conditions and widespread bee diseases. These problems and financial
problems prevent growth of the professional beekeeping sector in the UK.
 The UK is the second largest EU importer of honey, accounting for 13% of the volume
of total EU imports in 2009. Between 2005 and 2009, the volume of UK honey imports
increased by 1.7% annually to 30 thousand tonnes / € 74 million.
 The UK imports 44% of the honey directly from DCs. China is by far the leading DC
supplier of honey to the UK, accounting for 26% of total imports. Mexico (11%),
Argentina (7.8%), Brazil (7.5%), Chile (2.9%), India (2.8%) and Guatemala (1.3%) also
supply significant amounts of honey.
 Between 2005 and 2009, the volume of imports from Argentina decreased by 26%
annually on average. Production in Argentina was affected by drought and Colony
Collapse Disorder. Imports from Brazil were banned in 2007 and had not yet fully
recovered in 2009. In the period 2005-2009, the net decrease amounted to 43%.
 Other countries benefited from the problems in Argentina and Brazil, especially
China. Supplies from China increased by 61% annually on average. The rapid increase
is partly explained by the recovery of supplies from the EU ban on Chinese honey
between 2002 and 2004.
 Buyer requirements, such as EU approval of honey exports from your country, are
provided in the module on compliance with EU buyer requirements.

Understanding the market

More room for premium products
The most prominent development in the honey market of the UK is the strong emergence
of Manuka honey from New Zealand. Manuka honey is produced by bees which feed on the
Manuka bush and generally has strong anti-bacterial properties. Average prices of Manuka
honey are 130% higher than other imported honeys. Between 2001 and 2009, imports of
honey from New Zealand have increased steadily at an average annual rate of 19% annually.
In 2009, Manuka honey and other New Zealand honeys accounted for around 8% of the
total honey market in the UK. The share in the total EU honey market is, however, only 1%.
Honey in the United Kingdom

Tropical honeys are difficult to market in the EU, including the UK, as consumers generally
prefer light honeys, while tropical honeys are often dark. According to a honey importer in
the UK, Tropical Forest, the situation in the UK is even more difficult, as domestic
beekeepers do not produce forest honey. In some other EU countries, sales of forest honey,
which is often dark, have helped to establish a wider acceptance of honeys with a distinct
appearance.

Despite the difficult market situation for tropical honeys, several importers in the UK show
interest in tropical honeys from Africa. African honey is still hardly available in the UK. In
recent years, Zambia was the only significant supplier of honey from Africa to the UK.
Moreover, the sole supplier of Zambian honey to the UK, North West Bee Products, stopped
exporting honey to the UK in 2008. Therefore, African honey remains a speciality product,
which receives particular attention from consumers who have an interest in new products.

Interest in Fairtrade certified honey is also particularly high. The UK is the second largest
market for Fairtrade certified honey in the EU, behind Germany. Sales of Fairtrade honey by
the Fair Trade Labelling Organization (FLO) amounted to 322 tonnes in 2006, representing a
steady increase since 2003, when the sales amounted to only 101 tonnes. A further growth
of 40% was reported for 2008. Industry sources indicate that the financial crisis does not
seem to affect sales of Fair Trade honey.

The UK is a leading EU market for organic honey, accounting for approximately a fifth of
the total EU market. The product assortments of nearly all major brands contain organic
honey. In 2008, Rowse Honey Ltd, a major honey importer, expected the organic honey
market in the United Kingdom to continue to grow in the coming year. The organic market
report by the Soil Association for 2009 also indicated that demand for organic products
remained strong, despite the economic crisis.

Chinese price fighters regain market share

In the past decade, importers in the UK experienced many quality problems with Chinese
honey. Adulteration and contamination were frequent. These problems led to the EU-wide
ban on Chinese honey between 2002 and 2004. After 2004, importers in the UK remained
reluctant to import honey from China. However, since 2009, importers are picking up trade
with Chinese honey exporters again. Although the revival of honey trade between the UK
and China threatens suppliers of low-priced honey, the trade in other price segments will
not be affected.

Market entry
Importers of table honeys are the most interesting trade channels for exporters of honey to
the United Kingdom. Several importers have specialised in sourcing honey in developing
countries. They focus primarily on Fair Trade products and other niche products. The
conventional importers primarily import low-priced honey from countries like China and
Argentina, but also source in other EU countries.

Similar to other EU markets, speciality shops, such as health food shops, Fair Trade shops
and delicatessen shops, account for a small share of the total UK honey market.
Nonetheless, these retailers still offer a significant market. Most of them are small chains or
independent shops and mainly supply niche products, such as organic, monofloral and
local honeys.

The retail honey market consists of many different brands. Rowse Honey is the major
brand, accounting for 34% of the market. Other major brands on the UK market are Gale’s
of the company Premier Foods and private labels of the leading supermarkets, such as
Tesco, Waitrose, Morrison’s and ASDA.
Honey in the United Kingdom

The most common ways for developing country exporters to approach customers in the
United Kingdom are through direct (e-)mail, personal visits (as follow-up), inviting
potential customers to visit them in their country, building a network and visiting
international trade fairs.

Some interesting importers in the UK honey market:

 Rowse Honey - http://www.rowsehoney.co.uk – Importer, packer and wholesaler.
 Tropical Forest Products - http://www.tropicalforest.com - Importer, packer and
wholesaler. Focus on monofloral and African honeys.
 Fuerst Day Lawson - http://www.fdl.co.uk – Importer. Targets packers and industrial
users. FLO certified.
 Kimptons - http://www.kimpton.co.uk – Importer.
 Etco International commodities - http://www.etco.co.uk – sales agent.

The UK does not host many relevant trade fairs. Most importers visit trade fairs in Germany
and France to find trading partners:
 IFE - http://www.ife.co.uk - food and drink exhibition held in London.
 BioFach – http://www.biofach.de - fair for organic and natural products in Germany.