Vallentine's Honey: The Byron Bay Family Behind a Rare Australian Raw Honey

Last Updated: June 16, 2026

Most honey on supermarket shelves in Australia is blended. Bulk-pooled from multiple apiaries, sometimes from multiple countries, filtered until it's clear and shelf-stable, and pasteurised to extend its life. The result is consistent, predictable, and almost entirely interchangeable from one jar to the next.

Vallentine's is the opposite of that.

A small Byron Bay family has been keeping bees in the Northern Rivers for years, producing a hand-jarred raw honey from their own hives that has quietly built a cult following among people who take honey seriously. The latest batch has been independently certified at NPA 32.8+, a rating that puts it among the most concentrated naturally-occurring honeys produced anywhere in Australia.

It's not the cheapest honey on the shelf. It's not pretending to be. This is the story behind it, and what makes it worth knowing about.

The family behind the jars

Vallentine's is the work of a Byron Bay family who have been beekeeping in the Northern Rivers for years. Like most small Australian apiarists, they're not running an industrial operation. The bees are kept in carefully sited apiaries across the region, the honey is harvested when it's ready rather than on a fixed commercial schedule, and every batch reflects the specific flora the bees have been working through that season.

That's why every batch of Vallentine's is slightly different from the last. The flavour, the colour, even the texture shifts depending on what's flowering in the Northern Rivers at the time. The current batch, the one Santos is stocking, is darker than usual, with a deep, complex flavour and a slightly herbaceous note. It pours slowly. You can feel the density of it on a spoon.

That's the kind of honey that doesn't get made at scale, because it can't.

What NPA 32.8+ actually means

NPA stands for Non-Peroxide Activity. It's an independently lab-tested measure of certain naturally-occurring compounds in some Australian and New Zealand honeys, and it's used as a quality and authenticity marker in the honey industry. The higher the number, the more concentrated those compounds are in the honey.

For context: most commercial Australian honey is not NPA-rated at all because it doesn't contain enough of these compounds to register meaningfully. Honeys that do rate begin around NPA 5+. NPA 10+ is common in mid-range raw honey. NPA 20+ is uncommon. NPA 30+ is rare.

Vallentine's most recent batch tested at NPA 32.8+, which is genuinely high by Australian standards. It's also been independently tested by an accredited laboratory rather than rated in-house, meaning the number on the label has been verified by a third party with no commercial interest in the result.

For comparison purposes, the label notes that NPA 32.8+ is equivalent to approximately 1884 MGO (methylglyoxal), which is the rating system used for Manuka honey from New Zealand. The two ratings measure slightly different things but both are used as concentration markers in the high-end honey category.

What it tastes like

The flavour is deep, complex, and slightly herbaceous. The texture is thick and slow-pouring, properly raw, properly unfiltered, with the kind of density that tells you you're holding something that hasn't been processed. The first spoonful is noticeably different from supermarket honey: more layered, more aromatic, with a finish that lingers.

A small amount goes a long way. A teaspoon stirred into a mug of hot water with fresh lemon, or drizzled across thick Greek yoghurt with stone fruit, or eaten straight off the spoon. This is honey to be used carefully rather than poured. The flavour is strong enough to carry a whole dish.

How to use it

Vallentine's is the kind of honey that's wasted in baking, where the heat and the surrounding ingredients drown out everything that makes it distinctive. It's best showcased in applications where you can actually taste it:

• A teaspoon stirred into hot water with fresh lemon and a slice of fresh ginger
• Drizzled across Greek yoghurt with seasonal fruit and toasted nuts
• Spread thinly on warm sourdough with good butter
• Paired with strong, aged cheeses on a cheese board
• Stirred through porridge or chia pudding at the end, after cooking, never during
• Straight off the spoon as an occasional treat

The one thing not to do is heat it above 40°C. Like all raw honey, the natural enzymes that make it what it is are damaged by heat. Hot drinks should be warm rather than boiling. Microwaving is the worst possible thing you can do to a jar of raw honey.

Why raw, unfiltered, and unpasteurised actually matters

Three terms get used interchangeably in honey marketing, but they mean different things.

Raw means the honey hasn't been heated beyond what's required to extract it from the comb. Most commercial honey is heated significantly higher to make it pour faster through filtration equipment.

Unfiltered means the natural pollen, propolis, and beeswax particles haven't been strained out. These are what make raw honey slightly cloudy and what carry much of its complexity of flavour and aroma.

Unpasteurised means the honey hasn't been heat-treated to extend shelf life. Pasteurisation is what gives supermarket honey its clear, consistent look, but it strips out the enzymes and aromatic compounds that distinguish raw honey from a sweetener.

Vallentine's is all three. It pours slowly. It will eventually crystallise in the jar. The texture and colour vary slightly from batch to batch. These are signs of authenticity, not quality issues.

How to store it (and what to do if it crystallises)

Raw honey is naturally stable and doesn't require refrigeration. Store it at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, with the lid firmly closed between uses.

Crystallisation is normal and a sign of authentic raw honey. Over time, anywhere from a few months to a year or two depending on the specific composition, the sugars in raw honey form natural crystals, turning the honey from a smooth liquid to a thicker, granular consistency. This is not spoilage. The honey is still perfectly good.

To return crystallised honey to a liquid state, stand the sealed jar in a bowl of warm water (40°C maximum) until the crystals dissolve. Never microwave raw honey and never heat it directly on a stovetop, both of which damage the natural enzymes and aromatic compounds that make raw honey worth buying in the first place.

Why Santos stocks Vallentine's

Santos Organics has been a Byron Bay business since 1978. Over those decades we've watched a real local food economy form around the Northern Rivers: small producers, family operations, makers who take genuine pride in what they put their name on. Vallentine's is exactly that.

We stock it because it's the kind of small-batch local product that defines what makes this region special. Every jar that sells supports a local family running a sustainable beekeeping operation in the Northern Rivers, and contributes to the broader Santos mission of supporting Northern Rivers producers wherever we can.

Santos is 100% not-for-profit. Every purchase supports the same community of growers, makers, and producers that gives this region its character.

Where to buy Vallentine's Honey in Australia

Vallentine's is sold in limited quantities at Santos Organics due to the small-batch nature of the production. Available as single 250g jars or in a 4-jar saving pack.

Shop Vallentine's Raw Honey 250g at Santos Organics →

Available online for delivery Australia-wide and in our Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, and Banksia stores.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NPA in honey?
NPA stands for Non-Peroxide Activity, an independently lab-tested measure of certain naturally-occurring compounds in some Australian and New Zealand honeys. It's used as a concentration and authenticity marker. Higher numbers indicate more concentrated compounds.

How does NPA compare to MGO?
NPA and MGO (methylglyoxal) are two different rating systems used in the high-end raw honey category. They measure slightly different things but both serve as concentration markers. As a general reference, NPA 32.8+ is approximately equivalent to MGO 1884.

Is Vallentine's Honey raw?
Yes. Vallentine's is raw, unfiltered, and unpasteurised, which means it retains the natural enzymes, pollen, and aromatic compounds that distinguish raw honey from commercially processed honey.

Why has my Vallentine's Honey crystallised?
Crystallisation is a natural process in raw honey and a sign of authenticity, not spoilage. Stand the sealed jar in a bowl of warm water (40°C maximum) to return it to liquid. Avoid microwaving or heating above 40°C, which damages the natural enzymes in raw honey.

Is this honey suitable for children?
Vallentine's is not suitable for children under 12 months of age. This is the standard advisory for all honey due to the risk of infant botulism, not a comment on this specific product.

Where is Vallentine's Honey made?
Vallentine's is made by a small family in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, specifically the Byron Bay area. The bees forage on local Northern Rivers flora and the honey is hand-jarred in small batches.

Where can I buy Vallentine's Honey in Australia?
Santos Organics stocks Vallentine's Raw Honey 250g, available online with delivery Australia-wide and in our Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, and Banksia stores. Stock is limited due to the small-batch nature of production.