Checked October 22, 2026
NorCal Nectar vs the big raw honey brands
Nate’s Honey, Local Hive and Savannah Bee side by side with NorCal Nectar: where the honey comes from, whether it is filtered or heated, organic status and price per ounce. Every competitor fact links to that brand’s own page.
The short answer
If price per ounce matters most, Nate’s Honey and Local Hive cost less, and you can find them in most grocery stores. NorCal Nectar is a small family operation selling raw Northern California wildflower honey direct. It is coarse-strained, never heated above 95°F and shipped from Northern California. Of the four brands, only NorCal Nectar states a processing temperature. Savannah Bee says its liquid honey is filtered to remove pollen.
Side by side
Origin, processing and price
Competitor facts are quoted from each brand’s own website and were checked October 22, 2026. “Not stated” means we could not find it on their site.
| NorCal Nectar | Nate’s Honey (Nature Nate’s) | Local Hive | Savannah Bee Company | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Raw Unfiltered Honey (wildflower) | 100% Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey | Nor Cal | Wildflower Honey |
| Where the honey is from | Northern California. The family keeps its bees in Mendocino County. | “high-quality U.S. and international varietals”, blended source | “made entirely by California bees and beekeepers” source | “Origin USA”. Polyfloral: white holly, gallberry, sawtooth palmetto, tulip poplar. source |
| Filtering | Strained once through a coarse mesh to remove wax and hive debris. Never fine-filtered, so the natural pollen stays in. | “We don’t filter it. We only strain it to get the bee parts and wax out.” source | “strained with a simple cheesecloth” source | “Our liquid and whipped honeys are filtered to remove pollen.” source |
| Heat | Never heated above 95°F. | “gently warm … to the minimum temperature necessary”. No temperature given. source | Not stated | Not stated |
| Organic | Not USDA certified organic. | Classic honey is not organic. A separate USDA Organic line is sourced from international partners. source | U.S. honey is not organic. A separate Organic Hive line comes from a co-op in Ceará, Brazil. source | Not stated |
| Bottled / ships from | Ships from Northern California. | Not stated | “Bottled at Local Hive HQ in Greeley, Colorado” source | Not stated |
| Price per ounce | $24.99 for 16 oz ($1.56/oz) | $7.97 for 16 oz ($0.50/oz), Amazon, sold by Amazon.com source | $11.99 for 16 oz ($0.75/oz) source | $18.00 for 12 oz ($1.50/oz) source |
| Where to buy | norcalnectar.com, shipped across the US | Amazon and grocery stores (store finder on its site) source | Its own store, Walmart, Amazon, Target, Kroger, Whole Foods and others source | Its own site, its retail stores in the Southeast, and wholesale partners source |
Price per ounce
What each ounce costs
Flagship size for each brand. Our prices are live from the store; competitor prices were checked on the date above and exclude shipping.
- Nate’s Honey, 16 oz$0.50/oz
- Local Hive, 16 oz$0.75/oz
- NorCal Nectar, 64 oz$0.86/oz
- Savannah Bee Company, 12 oz$1.50/oz
- NorCal Nectar, 16 oz$1.56/oz
Shipping is a flat $4.90, or free over $50. Every size and its price per ounce is on our raw honey buying page.
Which to buy
When each one makes sense
Lowest price, any grocery store
Nate’s Honey or Local Hive. Both are strained rather than filtered, sold nationally, and cheaper per ounce than we are.
Whipped honey or a shop to visit
Savannah Bee Company sells whipped honeys and has retail stores across the Southeast. Its own FAQ says its liquid honey is filtered to remove pollen, so it is not the pick if you want unfiltered.
Raw honey from a family beekeeper
NorCal Nectar. Northern California wildflower honey, coarse-strained, never heated above 95°F, and shipped direct from Northern California.
Questions
Comparison FAQ
- Is NorCal Nectar cheaper than Nature Nate’s or Local Hive?
- No. Per ounce, Nate’s Honey ($7.97 for 16 oz on Amazon) and Local Hive ($11.99 for 16 oz) cost less than NorCal Nectar ($24.99 for 16 oz ($1.56/oz)). Our 64 oz jar narrows the gap. Prices checked October 22, 2026.
- Which of these honeys are unfiltered?
- NorCal Nectar, Nate’s Honey and Local Hive all describe their raw honey as strained rather than filtered. Savannah Bee Company’s FAQ says its liquid and whipped honeys are filtered to remove pollen.
- Which brand states a processing temperature?
- NorCal Nectar: Raw and unfiltered. Never heated above 95°F. Nate’s Honey says it warms honey “to the minimum temperature necessary” without giving a number. Local Hive and Savannah Bee do not state one.
- Are any of them organic?
- NorCal Nectar is not USDA certified organic, and neither are the U.S. honeys from Nate’s or Local Hive. Both of those brands sell a separate USDA Organic line made from imported honey. Savannah Bee does not state an organic status.
- Local Hive sells a Nor Cal honey. How is NorCal Nectar different?
- Local Hive’s Nor Cal honey is made by California beekeepers and bottled in Greeley, Colorado, and it is sold in national grocery chains. NorCal Nectar is a family operation. Family beekeepers since 1892. The family keeps its bees in Mendocino County, and orders ship direct from Northern California.
How we made this page: we read each brand’s product pages, FAQ and about pages on October 22, 2026 and quoted them directly. Nate’s Honey does not list prices on its own site, so its price is from Amazon. Spot something out of date? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. See also our editorial policy.
