ABOUT LYON RAW
Where the rubber hits the road, and her passion hits the product-line; Lyon Raw is the culmination of Natasha’s vision for and investment into the bees and beekeepers of South Africa.
We source and sell premium artisanal honeys and guide guests through luxury honey experiences.
Our Values
RAW
We preserve and promote our honeys the way the bees make it: Raw. We express this same care and consideration to every person we deal with, appreciating them for who they are. Unique, Real, Raw.
HONEST
Like the strong natural qualities of our honeys, our strength lies in our unwavering commitment to ethical beekeeping and honest products. True and unadulterated. We value integrity above all else.
RELATIONAL
To hand-select our honeys, we need to be in person, hands on and in relationship with our bees and beekeepers. We value relationships, and invest in them so that everyone benefits - bee, beekeeper and brand.
SUSTAINABLE
If it is not sustainable, it is not an option. We are here first for the conservation of our bees and the ecosystems and environments they live in. We only support beekeepers and sell honey from suppliers who are aligned to this value.
GUARDIANS
We are conservationists, for both the bee and the beekeeper. Our brand exists to promote both of their interests - to protect and promote their wellbeing.
ONE OF A KIND
The market for honey in South Africa has no formal regulatory bodies or accreditations that can confer an acceptable minimum quality standard. This means that consumers have no way of knowing the true origin, honey extraction procedures, or content of the honey they buy. The honey market worldwide is flooded with cheap adulterated and/or man-made "versions" of honey purporting to be the real deal, and South Africa is no different. On the other hand...livelihoods.
Lyon Raw is distinguished in the market through the following Unique Selling Points:
- Our honeys are hand-selected by South Africa’s first internationally trained Honey Sommelier, Natasha Lyon, the pioneer on honey sensory analysis in the country.
- Our honeys are sourced directly from a handful of trusted beekeepers, which ensures the product is pure, honest and of the highest quality.
- We pay fair prices to our beekeepers for their carefully produced honey.
- Each honey harvest is a truly unique yield of sensory splendour. This means that each batch of these once-in-a-lifetime honeys are in limited supply only. Every honey is as rare as it is spectacular.
LYON RAW HONEY SERVES A DIVERSE AUDIENCE.
The every day honey lover
The visionary chef
The gustatory extraordinaire
The epicurean
The supporter of sustainable slow food
If it is not sustainable, it is not an option.
OUR STORY
Lyon Raw's story is intertwined with that of our founder, Natasha Lyon, a passionate beekeeper and South Africa's first internationally trained Honey Sommelier. Her mission is to sustainably promote and protect the livelihoods of bees and beekeepers.
To celebrate the friendship between honey bees and beekeepers, we created LYON RAW Artisan Honey. Our honeys are raw, unaltered, and unpasteurised, bursting with texture, taste, and natural health-supporting properties. They are responsibly sourced from the best artisanal, small scale beekeepers in South Africa, preserving the purest form of their bees' produce. Our collection showcases some of South Africa's most unique, delicious, and rare honey varietals, creating unforgettable tasting experiences.
Lyon Raw Artisan Honeys: Raw. Honest. Authentic.
OUR MANIFESTO
Lyon Raw celebrates our bees and their sacred honey by serving honest, unaltered honeys, as nature intended. Our raw honeys are not filtered and therefore contain raw pollen.
We do not heat our honeys in any way, allowing the delicate flavour and aroma profile to be truly appreciated. We allow our honey varietals to granulate naturally, adding another layer of textural sensory experience which we believe is part of the mysterious magic of raw honey.
Lyon Raw offers premium artisanal honeys and expertly guided luxury honey experiences across South Africa. Each harvest is hand-selected from small-scale artisanal beekeepers by South Africa's first internationally trained Honey Sommelier Natasha Lyon.
