packed with goodness: the true honey co. box takes out supreme packaging award

The True Honey Co. top notch Manuka honeys are now delivered to honey lovers as far away as the UK. To keep your honey safe, we had to put our thinking caps on to create packaging that’s easy on the eye and the planet, and super protective of its precious cargo.

But is it really that good? The judges of the Pride in Print Awards seem to think so, when they gave our packaging the Supreme Award on May 12 this year.

We’re conscious that Manuka honey’s had some bad press globally, through fakes and low purity product being peddled as the real deal. We have our Manuka honey independently tested, so honey lovers know it is what it says on the jar (or better).

But we also thought about what else we could do to ensure the honey couldn’t be opened, messed with or damaged on its way from hive to home. This meant making some pretty special packaging that would stand up to being couriered and avoid the need for bubble wrap or nasty old polystyrene.

The distinctive brand created by Emma Parnell, Kate Phillips and Marx Design also required an equally distinctive and unique box. This came in an ingenious cardboard design by Mat Bogust of Think Packaging, elegantly constructed by Finely Finished and printed by Auckland’s Logick Print & Graphics.

The box can only be opened by pulling on a cardboard tab. If the tab is unbroken, you know for sure the honey has never been touched. Tucked neatly within a beautiful black card outer box, lies a golden treasure. As the box is unzipped and rolls open, a glass jar of Manuka honey is revealed, held securely inside. The box can be refolded, and take pride of place on pantry shelves.

The clever box was entered by Logick Print & Graphics in the New Zealand Pride In Print Awards – the ‘Oscars’ of New Zealand print and packaging – and took out the Supreme Award!

Judge Steve Dowd said the packaging reinforces the product’s nature. “This box reflects the premium value that is put on New Zealand Manuka honey. The imaginative packaging is eye-catching. When you open this pack, it really gives off the wow factor in terms of how everything works together. The textures and the foiling work really well. The seal on the box emphasises the need for security for such a high-value product. It is a perfect piece of showcasing and adding value.”