Wild Cape UMF 20+ Manuka Honey: Our Review

When it comes to producing the purest, most potent manuka honey on the planet, the East Cape of New Zealand is the place to be.

One of these Easy Cape producers that has been surging in popularity recently is Wild Cape.

If you're thinking of buying a manuka honey, the last thing you want is to spend a big price tag on a sub par product.

In this Wild Cape manuka honey review, we'll delve into Wild Cape's flagship products, and whether they stand up to the reputation of eastern New Zealand manuka brands, and specifically take a close look at their UMF 20+ Manuka Honey. 

Who is wild cape?

Wild Cape is a manuka honey producer based in New Zealand.

They are the only manuka honey manufacturer in that country who exclusively harvest their honey from the East Cape region, which is recognized as the premium manuka producing area on the planet.

The company is owned by New Zealander Bill Savage. They operate more than 5,000 hives across 1,100 locations dotted around the East Cape. 

Wild Cape employs only local East Cape beekeepers under a profit-share arrangement that sees a portion of the profits from every jar of honey going back to the local East Cape community.

A key reason that Wild Cape are based in and exclusively harvest East Cape manuka honey is that the nectar produced in this region is extremely high in Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is the precursor to Methylglyoxal (MGO), the key compound responsible for the amazing medicinal benefits of manuka honey.

As a result, East Cape honey often produces the highest UMF rated honeys.

Manuka bushes have a very limited blossoming period of between two and six weeks.

In preparation for that period, Wild Cape relocate their hives from their winter locations deep into the Manuka forest rich areas of the East Cape between Te Arora and Mahia.

They are then transported to the Wild Cape factory in Gisborne in the lower north island for extraction. 

Samples are then sent to Analytica Laboratories to confirm the UMF rating before final packing and labeling takes place. 

Product overview:

Wild Cape UMF 20+ Manuka Honey is the only single source manuka honey that is exclusively harvested on New Zealand's East Cape.

While Comvita and Manukora also harvest from the manuka rich East Cape, they also source from other areas.

 A single source manuka honey is one that is sourced from bees that only pollinate mauka bushes.

This manuka honey product is UMF rated at 20+, which guarantees that it contains at least 830 mg/kg of methylglyoxal. 

Wild Cape UMF 20+ is a raw, unpasteurized honey.

This monofloral manuka comes in a PET BPA free jar that is tinted to prevent sunlight degradation.

All of the packaging adheres to the strict guidelines of the New Zealand Standards Association.

This is also an organic product, conforming to the strict beehive placement regulations that all honeys must abide by in order to be classified as organic. 

Wild Cape UMF 20+ features a milder taste than manuka honey that is sourced from other parts of New Zealand.

The honey is trained during processing to 400 microns.

This does not remove any of the pollen from the product. 

Each jar of Wild Cape UMF 20+ manuka honey provides you with a unique batch number. You are able to use this reference on the official Wild Cape website to verify the purity and authenticity of the product. 

Wild Cape also made the list of our top recommended brands of Manuka Honey this year. You can view the full list here.

Grading

Wild Cape UMF 20+ Manuka Honey is UMF certified.

This certification comes from the Honey Association of New Zealand and assesses the purity and quality of the honey. It does so by measuring the 3 key compounds of Leptosperin, Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) and Methylglyoxal (MGO).

The UMF labeling on all Wild Cape products guarantees that the jar of honey was produced, packed and labeled in New Zealand and that it has been tested and audited.

The MGO level of Wild Cape UMF 20+ manuka honey is 800+. MGO stands for methylglyoxal. This is considered by experts to be the magic ingredient that gives manuka honey its antibacterial properties. 

You can view all of Wild Cape's certifications here.

Taste

Wild Cape  UMF 20+ Manuka honey delivers a milder taste than many competing manuka honeys.

It is not as acrid and bitter as those other versions.

The texture of this manuka honey has a silky, creamy consistency.

The amber color of the manuka honey may vary from batch to batch.

Manuka honeys sourced from the east Cape generally have a lighter color than those found in other parts of New Zealand and in Australia.

value for money

Wild Cape manuka honey is priced competitively in the marketplace.

When you consider that it is exclusively sourced from the deepest manuka rich reaches of New Zealand’s East Cape, we would have to say that the prices are extremely reasonable.

They sit at about the midway point price wise of the New Zealand manuka honey landscape. 

It is, however, noticeably more expensive than the UMF 20 product from NZ Honey Co and Kiva.

We think Kiva and NZ Honey Co are both fantastic, reliable brands, so if you're looking to get the best value for money, we'd recommend one of those two products.

suggested uses and benefits:

With its UMF rating of 20+, Wild Cape UMF 20+ will provide a range of medicinal benefits in addition to its nutritional qualities.

While not as powerful as some other honeys, this product will still prove itself beneficial in terms of wound healing, the treatment of acne and other skin issues and throat infections.

It also has strong antibacterial properties and has shown to be beneficial in treating stomach ulcers, gastric problems and Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS). Manuka honey even helps to improve oral health. 

You can read more about the benefits of manuka honey here.

OVERALL SUMMARY:

faq

Is Wild Cape better than Comvita?

While we can't say Wild Cape honey itself is better than Comvita's, we can say that Wild Cape honey is certainly more affordable. 

Since both honeys are UMF tested and certified, it is likely the quality between them is similar. 

Therefore if you're on a tight budget, we would recommend Wild Cape.

Can you buy Wild Cape Manuka Honey in America?

Yes, you can buy Wild Cape Manuka Honey in America. We recommend purchasing it directly from their Amazon store.

Is Wild Cape Manuka Honey raw?

Yes, Wild Cape Manuka Honey is raw. Every jar of Wild Cape manuka honey contains nothing but pure, raw manuka honey. It is not pasteurized and the filtration system does not remove any of the pollen.  

Is Wild Cape Manuka Honey good quality?

Yes Wild Cape Manuka Honey is good quality. Every jar of Wild Cape manuka honey is single sourced from the East Cape of New Zealand. This is the best place in the entire world to source manuka honey. Wild Cape also sets itself apart by managing its entire production chain. The only outsourcing that takes place involves the quality testing of each batch that takes place at an independent laboratory. All Wild Cape manuka honeys abide by strict New Zealand manufacturing practices and are UMF and MGO certified.

WHERE TO BUY:

Wild Cape is based in New Zealand. If you are in New Zealand, we recommend buying it directly from their website.

From the USA and internationally, you will get much faster shipping times buying it from their official Amazon store.