Bruce tried supermarket Manuka honey – and it nearly ruined his fitness routine
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Bruce thought Manuka honey would give him more energy – but the supermarket jar he bought left him disappointed. Then he found a certified brand that actually worked.
Bruce Lloyd had always been active. A regular runner and keen climber, the 36-year-old data analyst from Brighton was used to pushing himself hard. But earlier this year, he hit a wall.
“I just couldn’t find the energy,” he says. “I’d drag myself out for a run, but I was slower, tired, and I wasn’t enjoying it. I even gave up climbing for a few weeks. I tried everything – energy bars, juice cleanses, cutting caffeine – but nothing made much difference.”
Then Bruce came across Manuka honey. He’d read that it provides a slow, steady energy release and is packed with natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It seemed like the perfect clean boost to help get his routine back on track.
But his first try didn’t go to plan.
“I picked up a jar from the supermarket that said Manuka honey on the front. I thought I was making a good choice – but nothing changed. I still felt sluggish and flat,” Bruce says. “At first I assumed it was just another wellness fad.”
What he didn’t realise at the time was that most of the so-called Manuka honey on UK shelves isn’t the real thing. A recent EU report found that 46% of honeys tested were adulterated – and every UK sample failed the purity test. With Manuka honey selling for four or five times the price of regular honey, it’s become a major target for food fraud.
“The more I read, the more I realised I’d been conned,” Bruce says. “Unless it’s from New Zealand, with an official MGO rating and traceability back to the hive, it might not even be Manuka at all.”
After digging a little deeper, Bruce discovered Manuka Doctor, a New Zealand-based producer with over 100,000 five-star reviews and full certification on every jar. He switched brands – and this time, the difference was immediate.
“Within a few days, I felt like my old self,” he says. “My mood lifted, my energy came back, and I started actually looking forward to runs again. I take a spoonful every morning with my breakfast – sometimes in yogurt or porridge, sometimes just on its own. I even carry the squeeze bottle in my gym bag now.”
Packed and tested in New Zealand, Manuka Doctor honey comes with full traceability and verified MGO ratings. It’s also the only brand endorsed by TV’s Dr Hilary Jones.
For Bruce, the change has been worth it. “It’s now just part of my routine. I feel stronger, more focused – and I won’t waste my money on dodgy supermarket jars again.”
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