If you’re a Costco member, you may have noticed that the Kirkland Signature honey has been pulled temporarily. The honey is being re labeled to ensure that it isn’t misleading to it’s members. I reviewed Kirkland Signature twice, the Texas “Local” blend and the Southeast ” Local” blend. And what I found mirror’s Costco’s statement regarding it’s Kirkland Signature Local Honey.
Why Did Costco Pull Their Kirkland Signature Local Honey?
Seems the Vendor which is either Local Hive or Honeytree lied about their manufacturing process. I critiqued Costco for labeling this Honey as local and buying into Local Hive. As part of their local sourcing efforts, I just didn’t get it.
It’s nice to see them trying to be accountable for the words they use that mislead customers and also hurt local beekeepers.
We need less Honey Packers.
This kind of transparency from Costco reinforces why they have such a strong following.
My other website MyWholesaleLife has over 50k Costco members that rave about Costco’s commitment to it’s members. I stated awhile back that this Honey wasn’t raw or local, and our readers went up in arms!
Customer Service Chat
I asked how they knew the honey was blended and not local? She told me that they have partnerships with beekeepers. By working together, they were able to verify that it wasn’t from a local source.
If Costco wanted to make the honey appear locally sourced they would need to partner with local beekeepers.
We’ll see how Costco decides to rebrand the Honey.
Christine says: “We take these issues very seriously and our members’ trust in Costco and the products we sell is extremely important to us. Upon learning of this issue, we removed all impacted product from our warehouses. We notified all members who purchased this product between January 2019 and August 2022 with instructions on how to get a full refund.”
As for who those beekeepers are, I’m not sure. But they’re doing their job in protecting actual local beekeepers and keeping Costco’s vendors accountable.
For further details and information about Kirkland Signature Local Honey recall click here.
If you’re a Costco member, you may have noticed that the Kirkland Signature honey has been pulled temporarily. The honey is being re labeled to ensure that it isn’t misleading to it’s members. I reviewed Kirkland Signature twice, the Texas “Local” blend and the Southeast ” Local” blend. And what I found mirror’s Costco’s statement
I purchased Honey from Costco Wholesale. Kirkland products are usually high quality, and this Honey is widely available for a terrific price. It claims to be sourced locally by the State with neighboring counties. This Kirkland Southeast Unfiltered Raw Honey is 100% U.S. Grade A, True Source Certified in a 3lb plastic bottle for $11.89.
Is this a Costco keeper? Members from MyWholesaleLife praised Costco’s available Honey products. Are they mislead?
Is this just another grocery store Honey in a bigger bottle? Read on for my review of Kirkland Southeast Unfiltered Raw Honey.
Honey: Likely heated, inaccurately raw. Heavily processed from USA.
Color: Standard Golden Amber.
Aroma: Nutty and classic Oaky scent.
Flavor: Typical Clover, or Wildflower taste.
Texture: Smooth, but thick and gel like. It has a gumminess to it, likely from being heated and over pasteurized.
Kirkland Southeast Unfiltered Raw Honey
If you’re a member of Costco you can benefit from bulk products like Honey, Olive Oil and Nuts for great prices. I picked up this Kirkland Southeast Unfiltered Raw Honey for $11.89 in a 3lb jar in Mooresville, North Carolina. Item #1294240
They couldn’t verify who the suppliers or beekeepers actually were, but I’ll take what I could get as to where it was sourced.
Misleading, but this is the world of Honey. Also notice the price sign is different than the label. Words matter. Here they list the product as Kirkland Signature Southeast “Blend” Raw Honey.
Diving Deeper – So, Who Produces It?
Honey sold at Costco is sourced from 2 vendors. Rice’s Honey ( Local Hive ) and Honeytree. They are US based, but does that even matter?
If you look into Rice’s Honey, you’ll soon discover its actually Local Hive which is based out of Colorado. It is likely they are still utilizing that contract with Rice’s Honey aka Local Hive and possibly Honeytree.
Costco’s vendors Honeytree & Rice’s claim that its a 51% blend with clover honey. If you think it’s actually unfiltered, it isn’t.
Costco cited the USDA’s grading standard for Grade A filtered honey. Which doesn’t tell us what we think it means.
“There is nothing about “U.S. Grade A” that implies that it’s produced in the U.S. (in whole or in part). It just means it met US FDA standards.
The Sticky Issue
Real honey is not a blended product. Real honey is not filtered to the point that most or all of the pollen is removed.
Commercially blended honey products do not build a market for real honey.
This is Costco’s way to sell “store bought” honey as equal as “beekeeper honey”. But they aren’t the same thing.
Basically what happened was Costco did an audit on one of their suppliers and found not all the honey was from where they said it was when they were last asked. That supplier likely got dropped and lost Costco’s business forever because they chose to lie.
What Did I Think?
The Honey itself is similar to Kelley’s Honey I just reviewed, and exactly the same as the Kirkland Texas Unfiltered Raw Honey. It’s more expensive than the Texas variant as well. This honey is a standard Clover or Wildflower Honey with no evident varietal source. Details on origin are convoluted with States and no context to season or pollen sources. You’re far too big of an entity to even consider local sourcing. That’s like saying the Chicago Bulls are Wisconsin’s Pro Basketball Team because it’s the team everyone knows in the Midwest.
Kirkland Raw Unfiltered Honey is not actually Raw, and if it was unfiltered there would be early signs of crystallization with the household temperature hitting below 65 this season.
What It Means
This means it’s been heat treated, and heavily filtered for Costco labeling and FDA standards.
Which means the “local” benefits have been processed out. I really dislike supporting this kind of honey and how its being marketed when everything that makes Honey beneficial is stripped out.
It’s still useful
I think if you’re using this to replace sugar content in recipes, or Teas its fine. Honey, I put into hot Tea is the “generic’ Honey. Where I’m just using it to sweeten something, and not really concerned about adding taste or getting the health benefits, since I’m going to kill it with scalding Hot Water.
I’ll likely use this for more Infused Honey ideas, or baked goods and breads. And with up to 65 servings at 1 tbsp each, that’s at least 60 cups of Tea. And you may think this is a value, and for some it is. But I can head to a local farm or apiary and get an entire quart for $10, which is a verified source with no misleading marketing, and I get to choose from varietal sources like Orange Blossom, or North Carolina’s exclusive Sourwood Honey.
Got to love Commercial branding, right?
I appreciate that Costco wanted to reach more markets with its Local Honey Program, but it’s just a marketing gimmick to pair up with Local Hive. The only thing the bottle is missing is the comb embossing on the side. And well, actual local honey.
The information I got from Customer Service, and the article in Costco Connection, and other sources, this isn’t actually what it’s being sold as.
Making this Kirkland Southeast Unfiltered Raw Honey just another generic grocery store Honey. Use it for Mead if you must.
Beekeepers associate these companies as Honey Packers and not actually Beekeepers. I wouldn’t buy this again, unless I needed this much in a bind. If you don’t have a Costco membership, you could purchase this Local Hive Southeast Honey on Amazon. It’s basically the same exact thing.
Kirkland Southeast Unfiltered Raw Honey
The Honey Review
Honey
Color
Aroma
Flavor
Texture
Summary
I’ve used this for occasional recipes, because it’s 3 lbs for $11. It’s nothing special, and it’s definitely not unfiltered and raw. It may be local by State or worse Regions. Words sell however, and even knowing this isn’t what is being sold as, I’ve still bought it. I don’t recommend it for those looking for Local Honey.
They are rebranding Local Hive blends and its all-hogwash marketing as usual. Stop saying local when its inaccurate, as well as using raw and unfiltered like we slap gluten-free on everything. 100%, Unfiltered, Raw, these are now just keywords to sell Honey.
Welcome to the Honey Review. If you’re new go ahead and subscribe for updates on all my future reviews. Today I was fortunate to try Firebee Spicy Honey out of Mulberry, Kansas. This is my first Hot Honey Review on the blog, and I’m super excited to share it.
Disclaimer:
This is not a sponsored post, I received this set from Firebee in exchange for my honest review.
Firebee has a variety of products in delicious flavors like Elderberry Honey, Peach and for those who like Hot Honey; Firebee’s Spicy Honey. The Spicy Honey is a new favorite for grilling burgers and chicken this summer.
Learn a little more about Firebee Honey and my thoughts on their Spicy Honey in my review below.
Firebee Honey Delivery
I Have a New Honey Reviewer
Hand Crafted Honey & Pup Approved
Quick Ratings
Honey: Midwest sourced Honey from Wildflower
Flavor: Spicy Pepper Blend with Ghost Pepper and Sweet Wildflower Honey
Aroma: A blend of pepper and spice and subtle musk from Honey
Color: Mahogany and Caramel like brown
Texture: Thin and loose with pepper flakes
About Firebee
Firebee is hand crafted Honey that started as a home passion project. It started as a way to get creative and bring the family together at the dinner table. Incorporating it further by expanding beyond their Steelmade Flat Tops.
The Steelmade Flat top converts a traditional oven into a flat top griddle. It was successful which helped them establish Firebee Honey.
Firebee Honey operates out of Mulberry, Kansas where Bees get great seasonal advantages. This benefits Firebee because Midwest honey yields are often high. Every yard is different, but I’d expect they source their Honey from some very busy bees! This is why they’re able to offer an expansive product line. With so many flavor varieties and enticing infusion blends, Firebee has plenty to go around.
Also Elderberry Honey, which I received in this set and the Spicy Honey.
Available in 19oz premium glass moonshine bottle, 38oz premium glass moonshine bottle, or 12.9 oz economical plastic squeeze bottle
Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, and Paleo Friendly
Contains no artificial sugar or preservatives
Made using raw honey from Midwestern Honey Bees
Handmade in Kansas
Best Pairings for Spicy Honey
There’s something about the smell of Honey that just makes your mouth water. Firebee’s Spicy Honey is my go to condiment for the Grill. Its great on Eggs and Burgers or both if you’re into that. It really elevates a Nashville style southern fried chicken breast and I highly recommend it.
Firebee Spicy Honey adds an extra kick without being too overpowering. Making it perfect in any dish and maybe even a Chai Tea. Add it to a Bloody Mary or even consider trying Me & the Bees Lemonade or Green Bee Honey Soda for a tasty beverage to go with it.
Firebee sells a viciously hot Inferno Honey that infuses Carolina Reaper, Ghost Pepper and Scorpion Peppers in a blend that is sure to make you sweat.
If they are a fan of Hot Sauces and haven’t tried Hot Honey, their Spicy Honey is a great start. Carefully consider this Inferno Honey to take it an entirely different level.
Available in a 7.5 oz glass bottle for $8.99.
Where To Buy
You can purchase Firebee Spicy Honey from Firebee directly. Free shipping is included for domestic orders over $100. They also have products available on Amazon and through Steelmade and ProudPyro.
Firebee Spicy Honey Review
The Honey Review
Honey
Color
Aroma
Flavor
Texture
Review Summary
I ordered a box of 3 Firebee Honey 12.9oz squeeze bottles from Firebee. The ship time was super fast, and the packing was very secure and safe. Out of the 3 I received, I tried and reviewed the Spicy Honey first.
Spicy Honey’s are a somewhat new thing for me. I don’t really do Hot Sauces. This is the 3rd Hot Honey I’ve tried other than Mike’s Hot Honey and my own Hot Honey.
At first taste, it swelled my taste buds at the tip of my tongue. I immediately knew it was habanero or ghost pepper. Sure enough, details confirmed they use dehydrated pepper and ghost pepper in their Spicy Honey.
As the heat wrapped its way off the tip of my tongue and down the sides, the honey slowly coated my throat with a slight tingle or itch. For me, it was a little too hot on its own. But, for free tasting, you can always add regular Honey to balance out the heat.
I had a couple of my friends who love Spicy and Hot foods. They liked the Pepper forwardness and noted the lingering effect of Honey as it fades off the palate. Other reviews on Amazon, give this Honey high praise and love the taste and versatility.
I knew I had to try this with Pizza, Burgers or Chicken. So, I decided to fry up some southern style chicken thighs. I drizzled a generous amount of Spicy Honey on the fried chicken. It paired and blended in with Tony C’s Cajun Seasoning really well.
I enjoy cooking and utilizing Honey with other unique ingredients. Firebee Spicy Honey is fun to incorporate into different dishes for other people to try. Especially if you’re into grilling for guests. I plan to use Firebee Honey for future grilled recipes.
I can’t wait to share my thoughts about the Elderberry Honey and Cinnamon Honey I received as well. So be sure to check back for those if you’re interested in those flavors.
