Raw · British Midlands · Spreadable
British Soft Set Honey
Raw, unpasteurised British Soft Set Honey from the Midlands. Churned to a smooth, spreadable consistency that coats like butter. The texture of great toast. Honey the way it was always meant to be eaten.
Tasting Notes
The Honey That Spreads Like Butter
Soft set honey is honey in its most usable, most satisfying form. The texture is smooth and spreadable, the flavour gentle, warm, and naturally sweet with a quiet floral depth. It is the honey most people picture when they imagine honey on toast. And it is the one that delivers exactly that.
Flavour
Mild, warm, and gently sweet with a light floral background and a clean finish. Never sharp, never bitter
Aroma
Soft blossom and warm honey notes. Less intense than single-origin varieties, making it the most food-friendly honey in the range
Texture
Smooth, creamy, and spreadable. Holds its form without being stiff. Spreads evenly from jar to bread without warming
Colour
Pale golden-cream, lighter than runny honey because of the fine crystal structure that scatters light
Why is soft set honey different from runny honey?
Same Honey. Different Crystal Structure.
Soft set honey starts life as the same raw polyfloral honey as our wildflower variety. The difference is in what happens after extraction. Raw honey crystallises naturally as the glucose molecules organise themselves into a lattice structure. In soft set honey, this process is controlled: small, fine "seed" crystals are introduced into the honey while it is slowly churned. The seed crystals cause the entire batch to crystallise uniformly into thousands of tiny, smooth crystals, rather than the large, gritty ones that form when honey crystallises unaided. The result is the smooth, spreadable consistency that makes soft set honey a genuinely different product from runny honey, not just aesthetically but in texture on the palate. Learn more about why raw honey crystallises and the different types of raw honey.
What Makes It Spreadable
What Is Soft Set Honey and How Is It Made?
Soft set honey, sometimes called creamed honey or whipped honey, is raw honey that has been crystallised under controlled conditions to produce a consistently smooth, spreadable texture. The process was first systematised by Elton Dyce at Cornell University in the 1930s and has been used by quality honey producers ever since.
Step 1: Start with raw honey
The honey is cold-extracted and never heated above hive temperature. This preserves every enzyme, pollen grain, and antioxidant compound intact.
Step 2: Introduce seed crystals
A small quantity of finely crystallised honey (the "seed") is mixed through the liquid honey. These seed crystals act as templates, causing the rest of the honey to crystallise around them.
Step 3: Controlled, slow crystallisation
The seeded honey is kept at around 14 degrees Celsius, the optimal temperature for rapid, fine-crystal formation. Gentle churning at intervals ensures the crystals remain small and uniform throughout.
The result
A honey with a smooth, buttery texture that holds its form at room temperature, spreads cleanly without dripping, and stays soft indefinitely without heating or artificial processing.
Soft set vs crystallised honey: Regular crystallised honey sets unaided and often produces large, gritty crystals that feel sandy on the tongue. Soft set honey is intentionally crystallised with fine seed crystals to produce a smooth, uniform texture. The underlying honey is identical; the crystal structure is entirely different.
The British Midlands, where every jar of our Soft Set Honey begins.
Origin & Provenance
From the British Midlands. Certified at Source.
Our Soft Set Honey is produced by an independent Midlands beekeeper we have worked with for years. The British Midlands supports a rich diversity of flowering crops and wildflowers, including oilseed rape, white clover, borage, phacelia, and bramble, which together give our soft set its characteristic gentle, well-rounded flavour. Our British honey supplier holds SALSA certification, the nationally recognised food safety standard for small UK producers, overseen by the Institute of Food Science and Technology.
The honey is cold-extracted, never heated above hive temperature, and seeded and churned without any additional ingredients or additives. No glucose syrup, no flavourings, nothing artificial. The pale, creamy colour comes entirely from the fine crystal structure, not from processing. For the full story of our British supply chain, read about our British honey range or visit our About page.
UK
British Midlands, single source
Raw
Never heated, never pasteurised
SALSA
British supplier certified
280g
Glass jar, eco-conscious packaging
Buy More, Save More
Stock Up or Build a Morning Ritual
Save 5% and get free UK delivery on every multi-jar bundle.
Looking for a gift? Browse all 20 honey gift sets →
Why Soft Set
Three Reasons Soft Set Outperforms Runny Honey on the Breakfast Table
It Spreads, Not Drips
Runny honey slides off a knife and pools at the edges of toast. Soft set honey holds its form, coats evenly, and stays exactly where you put it. No drips, no mess, no wasted honey. This is the practical reason why most professional bakers and chefs prefer set honey for spreading applications.
Stays Smooth Without Heating
Runny honey that has crystallised unaided becomes gritty and hard, requiring warming to restore. Soft set honey crystallised with the Dyce method stays smooth and spreadable at room temperature indefinitely. No warm water bath, no microwave, no waiting. Open the jar and spread directly.
The Same Raw Honey Inside
Soft set honey is not processed, blended, or altered. It is the same raw British wildflower honey as our runny variety, crystallised under controlled conditions. Every enzyme, pollen grain, and natural compound is intact. The texture has changed. The honey has not. Read our guide to the types of raw honey and what makes each different.
Natural Properties
The Natural Properties of Raw Soft Set Honey
Raw soft set honey retains its full natural composition because the seeding and churning process involves no heat above hive temperature. These properties are present in all raw honey and are destroyed by pasteurisation.
Natural Enzymes
Raw honey contains naturally occurring enzymes including glucose oxidase, invertase, and diastase, which are preserved intact through cold extraction and seeded crystallisation. Pasteurisation at temperatures above 40°C destroys these enzymes, which is why processed honey lacks the same complexity on the palate. Our soft set honey retains every enzyme the bees produced.
Antioxidant Activity
Raw polyfloral honey contains naturally occurring flavonoids and phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. The concentration varies by floral source. Research has shown that darker, more complex honeys such as heather tend to have higher antioxidant activity, while lighter polyfloral varieties retain meaningful levels when raw. Source: NCBI ↗
Soothing Properties
Raw honey has long been used to soothe sore throats and mild coughs. The coating texture of soft set honey, which clings to the throat rather than dripping through, makes it particularly effective when used this way. Stir a spoonful into warm water with lemon. Add it after the water has cooled slightly to protect the enzymes. NHS guidance ↗
Natural Pollen Presence
Our raw soft set honey retains its naturally occurring pollen, which is removed from most supermarket honeys through ultra-filtration. Pollen provides trace minerals and protein and is used in pollen analysis to verify honey origin and floral source. Ultra-filtered honey cannot be origin-verified in this way. Ours can. Read about local honey and hayfever.
The information above is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Raw honey is not recommended for children under 12 months. Consult your GP before making dietary changes if you have a medical condition or are pregnant.
How to Use It
Six Ways to Make the Most of Soft Set Honey
Soft set honey does everything runny honey does, and several things it cannot. Its spreadable, coating texture opens up uses that liquid honey cannot manage. See our full honey recipe collection.
On Toast and Crumpets
The classic and the best. Soft set honey spreads directly from the jar onto warm toast without dripping. It coats every crumb evenly, melts gently into warm bread, and delivers a clean, uncomplicated honey flavour. The original reason people buy soft set honey and still the most compelling one.
Best with: sourdough, crumpets, English muffinsStirred Into Porridge
Soft set honey dissolves readily into hot porridge, releasing its flavour without the clumping that can occur with fully set or gritty crystallised honey. A spoonful stirred into oats with a splash of whole milk is one of the simplest and most satisfying breakfasts. Works equally well in overnight oats as a natural sweetener.
Best with: rolled oats, granola, overnight oatsIn Baking
Soft set honey behaves excellently in baked goods because its fine crystal structure disperses evenly through batters and doughs. Use it in shortbread, scones, flapjacks, and honey cakes where you want sweetness and moisture. Its mild, clean flavour does not overwhelm other ingredients. See our flapjack and honey cake recipes.
Best for: scones, shortbread, flapjacks, banana breadAs a Cheese Board Condiment
Soft set honey holds its shape on a cheese board plate in a way that runny honey does not. Spoon a small mound alongside mature cheddar, brie, or wensleydale. The mild, clean sweetness complements cheese without competing. Our Cheese Board Selection features soft set alongside wildflower and heather.
Best with: cheddar, brie, wensleydaleAs a Glaze or Marinade
Soft set honey dissolves readily when warmed and makes an excellent glaze for roasting. Mix with Dijon mustard and a squeeze of lemon for a simple glaze for chicken, pork loin, or roasted root vegetables. The natural sugars caramelise at oven temperatures, producing a deep, golden finish.
Best for: chicken, pork, roasted carrotsStraight from the Jar
A spoonful straight from the jar is the simplest test of a good soft set honey. The texture should be smooth and slightly resistance-free, with no grittiness. The flavour should be warm, genuinely sweet, and faintly floral without artificial notes. If it tastes like anything other than real honey, it probably is not.
The purist's testCustomer Reviews
4.9★ Rated by 53 Customers
Across all honeys in our range on Google.
Read all reviews on Google →"The texture is incredible, like smooth buttercream but honey. Spreads perfectly on toast every morning without dripping. Nothing like supermarket soft set. We buy three jars at a time now."
Verified customer — Google Review
"I use this every day in my porridge. It dissolves beautifully and the flavour is genuinely different from anything you get in a supermarket. You can taste that it is real honey."
Verified customer — Google Review
"Bought as a gift for my mother who eats honey every day. She said it was the best soft set honey she has ever tasted and has been a customer for two years since. Now we both subscribe."
Verified customer — Google Review
Founder & Provenance
Sourced to the Standard of a Six-Generation Beekeeper
Dragos Nistor, Founder
Six-Generation Beekeeper · Guest Lecturer, University of Greenwich · LinkedIn Top Voice 2024
"Soft set honey is the honey that converted most of our regular customers. People who thought they did not like honey discovered that what they did not like was the texture of supermarket honey, not honey itself. Ours has a completely different texture, because it is a completely different product."
Featured in Vogue's Summer Hot List across three consecutive editions in summer 2024. Our British honey supplier holds SALSA certification. NHS 15% Discount available for all NHS staff. GS1-barcoded for full traceability on every jar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything You Need to Know About Soft Set Honey
What exactly is soft set honey?+
Soft set honey is raw honey that has been crystallised under controlled conditions to produce a smooth, spreadable, buttery texture. It starts as the same raw polyfloral honey as runny varieties. The difference is the process: a small quantity of finely crystallised "seed" honey is mixed through the liquid honey, then the batch is gently churned and held at around 14 degrees Celsius. The seed crystals cause the honey to crystallise uniformly into thousands of tiny smooth crystals, giving it the creamy, spreadable consistency. Nothing is added. The honey is simply guided into a different crystal structure.
Is soft set honey the same as creamed honey?+
Yes. Soft set honey, creamed honey, whipped honey, spun honey, and churned honey are all names for the same thing: honey that has been crystallised using the seeded crystallisation (Dyce) method to produce a smooth, spreadable texture. The name varies by country and producer. In the UK, "soft set" is the most common term. In North America, "creamed honey" is standard. There is no cream in creamed honey.
What is the difference between soft set honey and runny honey?+
Both start as the same honey. The difference is entirely in the crystal structure. Runny honey has not crystallised, or has been heated to dissolve any crystals. Soft set honey has been crystallised with fine seed crystals to produce a smooth, spreadable texture. Nutritionally, they are identical if both are raw. Practically, soft set spreads without dripping, holds its shape on a spoon or knife, and stays in the state it was put in rather than pooling or running.
Does soft set honey go hard?+
Properly seeded soft set honey stays smooth and spreadable at room temperature indefinitely because the fine crystal structure is stable. If stored in a cold environment (a fridge or cold pantry), it may firm up slightly. Moving it somewhere warmer, around 18 to 20 degrees Celsius, and leaving it for a few hours will restore the original texture. Do not microwave and do not exceed 40 degrees Celsius, as this will begin to degrade the enzymes that make raw honey nutritionally distinct.
Is soft set honey still raw?+
Yes. The seeding and churning process used to make soft set honey does not require heat and does not alter the honey's raw status. Our Soft Set Honey is never heated above hive temperature at any stage of extraction, seeding, or jarring. It retains all its naturally occurring enzymes, pollen, and antioxidant compounds. It is the same raw honey as our Wildflower variety, just in a different crystal structure.
Where does your soft set honey come from?+
Our Soft Set Honey comes from a single SALSA-certified beekeeper in the British Midlands. The Midlands supports a diverse range of flowering crops and native wildflowers including white clover, oilseed rape, borage, and bramble, which together contribute to the honey's well-rounded, mild flavour. We do not blend it with honey from other regions or seasons. Every jar traces to a single named source.
How should I store my soft set honey?+
At room temperature, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Keep the lid firmly closed between uses. Do not refrigerate, as cold temperatures can cause the honey to firm up beyond its ideal spreading consistency. Raw honey has an indefinite shelf life when stored correctly, as the sugar concentration, low pH, and natural antimicrobial compounds prevent spoilage.
Is this the same honey as in your bundles and subscription?+
Yes. The single jar, the 3-jar stock-up, and the subscription all contain identical honey from the same source and season. The subscription saves 20% on every delivery (£8.79/mo vs £10.99 per jar) and can be paused or cancelled at any time. The 3-jar bundle saves 5% with free UK delivery included.
Can I use soft set honey in baking and cooking?+
Yes. Soft set honey dissolves readily when heated and works well in baked goods including shortbread, scones, flapjacks, and honey cakes. Its mild flavour does not dominate other ingredients. For cooking, it melts into glazes and marinades cleanly. Note that heating honey above 40 degrees Celsius begins to break down the enzymes, so if you are using it specifically for its raw properties (on a sore throat, for example), consume it unheated.
Is soft set honey good for children?+
Suitable for anyone over 12 months old. As with all raw honey, do not give to infants under one year due to the rare risk of infant botulism. For children over one year, soft set is one of the most child-friendly honey presentations because it spreads easily onto toast without dripping and the mild flavour is broadly appealing. It is a straightforward, clean alternative to jam or processed spreads.
