"When hot honey started popping up on restaurant menus about five years ago drizzled over pizza perhaps, or used as a glaze for meat or halloumi it seemed novel; something unusual and exciting to try. Word soon got out, particularly among gen Z, about its swicy (sweet and spicy) appeal, and the product has gone a bit crazy over the last couple of years, according to Laurence Edwards, owner of Black Mountain Honey, which has seen its hot honey sales shoot up."
"Are we reaching peak hot honey? Maybe we are, he says. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me slightly nervous when I see larger businesses and corporations using hot honey. He's concerned that the market will become flooded with lower-quality versions of hot honey, which could put people off it. When anything becomes popular, people will make the product and try to cut corners to get a better margin, he says."
Hot honey moved from a novel restaurant garnish to a mainstream flavor, embraced especially by younger consumers for its sweet-and-spicy appeal. Supermarkets and large brands launched hot honey variants and novelty products, including snacks and cereals, increasing demand and visibility. Small beekeepers report strong sales, but independent producers worry that mass-market adoption will bring lower-quality imitations and margin-driven shortcuts. Honey production carries high raw costs, which pressures prices and makes profitability difficult for artisanal makers. The trend risks both benefiting beekeepers through exposure and harming product reputation through commodification and quality dilution.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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