Hot honey seems to be everywhere right now. On TikTok, videos tagged #hothoney have amassed more than 100 million views over the past year. They depict foodies making their own ‘swicy’ (sweet and spicy) sauces, drizzling them over pizza, fried chicken and other savoury dishes.
That never-ending appetite for chilli-infused lines has added some heat to sales. In the same period, shoppers took home 2.5 million extra kilos of honey.
As such, top two players Rowse and Hilltop raked in an extra £4.8m combined. Hilltop’s Hot Honey, launched in February 2024, has “shown significant growth” in 2025, says the brand’s founder, Scott Davies.
The trend of consumers “looking for inspiration from recipes” online has also benefited nut butters, says Pip & Nut founder Pip Murray. Brits now add them to everything from “smoothies to pancakes to waffles”.
That behaviour has helped drive market volumes up 2.9%, while Pip & Nut has grown ahead of the pack with a meteoric 30.7% rise. Distribution wins in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, coupled with a “disruptive” campaign in January, helped the nut butter brand nick the number two spot from Meridian.
That’s not to say Meridian has underperformed. It’s registered volume growth of 7.6% thanks to the “shift towards natural, minimally processed foods,” claims Meridian brand manager Rachael Kelland.
ManiLife has also seen a preference for “natural, unstabilised, palm-oil-free nut butters”, notes founder Stu Macdonald. The brand has added £1.2m on the back of new Asda and Co-op listings.
“Health-conscious shoppers tend to prefer honey and peanut butter for their perceived nutritional benefits: honey as a natural sweetener and peanut butter as a source of protein and healthy fats,” says Jason Wooton, NIQ senior insight analyst. “In contrast, traditional preserves, often higher in sugar and less natural, have seen a decline.”
Indeed, Brits have bought 2.7 million fewer kilos of jam and the like. Mackays is the only top five brand to have sold additional kilos. Its 9.3% volume growth was down to offering “authentic, consistent quality at a fair price”, says MD Martin Grant.
Top Launch 2025
Hilltoppers | Hilltop Honey
Hilltop wants to make honey cool again. “Most honey products talk to traditional buyers, but they’re not attracting or recruiting younger shoppers,” explains founder Scott Davies. As such, the brand turned its attention to trendy flavours in the spring with the Hilltoppers lineup (rsp: £2.75/225g) . The “unique, creamy” Chai Spiced, Cocoa Honey and Pink – coloured with carrot and sweet potato concentrates – were created to “reignite” the honey market.
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Spreads & jams 2025: TikTok aids nut butter and honey
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