Trend Watch: Hot honey

Everyone who’s anyone is cashing in on the ‘swicy’ trend this season, and hot honey is the perfect example of sweet and spicy worlds colliding to create something super tasty and versatile. It’s something that oh-so-trendy Korean cuisine has mastered, and is all over the UK snacking scene in 2024, so is becoming an increasingly familiar taste profile to British palates.

What is hot honey?

Hot honey is simple blend of honey with heat from chillies. There are quite a few on the market these days, so be sure to pick one with the quality and provenance that your customers seek out.

Where did hot honey come from?

“In terms of history, while it appears across the world, from Medieval Egypt and ancient China to Medieval Europe, I think the most relevant historical link to using it on pizza comes from the centuries’ old tradition of infusing honey with pepperoncini peppers in Italy,” says Tris Revill, founding food tour guide at Eat Like The French.

Tracklements, renowned for its pioneering attitude to fine food, was first on the scene in the UK. “Like all good things in this world hot honey is having a renaissance and I’d like to say that Tracklements spotted the trend first because, true to our nature as pioneers of the condiment scene, it was back in 1986 that we first launched our Spiced Honey Mustard,” explains Becky Vale, marketing director. “It quickly established its popularity and its bestseller status hasn’t wavered since. Sweet and heat have always made happy bedfellows.”

As with a lot of trends in the food and drink sphere, the current popularity for hot honey is thought to originate from the US. “The trend for hot honey stems from the US back in the 2010s – probably before UK consumers were ready to put sweet toppings on their food,” explains Jade Buller, founder of JD’s - a brand of hot honeys which was launched after a lot of experimentation with pizza toppings during Covid lockdowns.

How to use hot honey

The general consensus is that hot honey originated from experimentations with pizza toppings, so that’s a great place to start. It’s a particularly delicious partner for pepperoni, but equally as tasty with goats’ cheese for a veggie option. If you’re feeling daring, try serving it in place of truffle honey on a cheeseboard, and it’s also tasty with barbecued foods, fried chicken and in marinades and cocktails. “We genuinely haven’t found anything it doesn’t work with yet!” says Laurence from Black Mountain Honey. “Once you’ve tried it, eating a pizza without it feels like going to work without your trousers on. Incomplete and a bit chilly.”

Exactly how hot is hot honey?

Our advice: don’t be fooled by its sweetness. Hot honey can have a real sting in its tail. Some hot honeys pack a real punch in just a drop or two, while others can be liberally drizzled for the optimum chilli kick. That’s why JD’s has three heat levels in its range. “we recognise that spice tolerance varies widely among individuals, and we wanted to ensure that everyone – from those who enjoy a mild kick to the heat aficionados – can find a product they love,” says Jade.

Will hot honey sell in speciality retail?

According to Mintel, 53% of consumers are willing to pay more for products with new and innovative flavours, and if you consider the timing of the hot honey movement - ‘swicy’ is huge and growing by the day, and DIY pizza is booming – it’s sure to make waves. “It’s by far the most popular item on our website,” says Laurence, 

Who’s cashing in already?

The mainstream food industry has well and truly invested in hot honey. Starbucks in America has released a Hot Honey Espresso Martini in some of its stores, while back on UK shores Nandos has released a hot honey with Dr Sting’s. “Not everyone is familiar with honey just yet, but there isn’t a supermarket out there without some presence of hot honey in its ranges, so by the end of the year I predict it will be part of our vocabulary here in the UK,” explains James Kerslake, founder of Tom Savano and co-creator of the UK’s first canned hot honey margherita in collaboration with JD’s.

Are there artisan hot honey brands?

If you’re looking for hot honey with provenance, there’s a few options for you to choose from. Our pick is Black Mountain Honey’s Hot Fire Honey, a two-star Great Taste Award-winning multifloral Welsh honey blended with Welsh raw apple cider vinegar and slow-grown Welsh Scotch Bonnet chillies. Be sure to check out WilderBee’s Sriracha Hot Honey too, an ethically-produced honey from WilderKitchen – the brainchild of chef and food truck owner Dan Shearman.