Must be a name from this list:

  • “baker’s honey” – honey that is suitable for industrial use or as an ingredient in another foodstuff which is then processed;
  • “blossom honey” and “nectar honey” – honeys obtained from the nectar of plants;
  • “chunk honey” and “cut comb in honey” – honeys which contain one or more pieces of comb honey;
  • “comb honey” – honey stored by bees in the cells of freshly built broodless combs or thin comb foundation sheets made solely of beeswax and sold in sealed whole combs or sections of such combs;
  • “drained honey” – honey obtained by draining de-capped broodless combs;
  • “extracted honey” – honey obtained by centrifuging de-capped broodless combs;
  • “filtered honey” – honey obtained by removing foreign inorganic or organic matters in such a way as to result in the significant removal of pollen;
  • “honeydew honey” – honey obtained mainly from excretions of plant sucking insects (Hemiptera) on the living part of plants or secretions of living parts of plants;
  • “pressed honey” – honey obtained by pressing broodless combs with or without the application of moderate heat not exceeding 45° Celsius.

Descriptions must be accurate. “Blossom Honey”, “Nectar Honey’”, “Honeydew Honey”, “Drained Honey” and “Pressed Honey” may be either given the appropriate reserved description or simply “Honey”.

Additional clarifying words may be applied to the name e.g. ‘clear’, ‘natural’, ‘pure’ provided they do not mislead.

Locality information. “The product name of a relevant honey may be supplemented by information relating to its regional, territorial or topographical origin but no person may trade in a relevant honey for which such supplemental information is provided unless the product comes entirely from the indicated origin.” The Honey (England) Regulations 2015 (Part 4, (4))

You can call therefore call it ‘HEREFORDSHIRE HONEY’, or ‘DUMFRIESSHIRE CUT COMB’ provided the product comes from these regions.  How local you can be is a question for Trading Standards – but using the name or a village, parish or town would seem to be valid providing that’s where the hives are.  Or does this apply to where the nectar came from – who can say?

Forage information.  To quote the act “The product name of a relevant honey may be supplemented by information relating to its floral or vegetable origin but no person may trade in a relevant honey for which such supplemental information is provided unless the product comes wholly or mainly from the indicated source and possesses the organoleptic, physico-chemical and microscopic characteristics of the source.” You can only specify a floral source, e.g. ‘HAWTHORN HONEY’, ‘WILD FLOWER HONEY’ if the honey is derived wholly or mainly from the indicated source. ‘HEATHER HONEY’ is usually easy to define given that bees are taken to the heather and there is little to no other forage around.

Images – Although reference to the use of pictorial images is now no longer specifically covered within the new regulations, this is still covered by the FLR and Trades Descriptions Act which would make it an offence, for example, to use identifiable flowers on labels if honey is not derived wholly or mainly from that flower.

Next – Quantity marking

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