It’s not every day that a judge quotes Winnie the Pooh. But this week, someone returned to the Hundred Acre Wood with a remarkable verdict on what “raw honey” is.

Judge Neville has been asked to resolve a dispute between a high-end Greek food company and a London council over whether it can call its products “Original” or “Artisan”.

The dispute between Waltham Forest Trading Standards and Odysea Company brought out the storyteller from Neville, who first recited author AA Milne in his written decision.

It read: “‘The things that make me special are the things that make me me,’” said Piglet, who must have seen a lot of honey eaten over the years. What difference would it make if he gave Pooh some ‘raw honey’ to drink? “

This isn’t the first time legal proceedings have raised questions about the definition of food, although it usually revolves around tax issues.

Earlier this year Walkers was ruled to have to pay VAT on its mini pancakes because they were actually more like crisps. Previous disputes over VAT have involved McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes, which the tax authorities unsuccessfully argued in the 1990s that they were biscuits.

Odysea, which has sold thousands of jars of honey proudly labeled “raw,” contends that their honey is not heated above natural temperatures and is far less processed.

However, Waltham Forest Trading Standards believes that all honey is raw honey as it is not cooked and claims this wording misleads consumers by suggesting Odysea’s products are different.

The company had to reprint its label to read “artisan honey”, but on appeal the tribunal was asked to rule on the decision.

In the end, the judge decided not to draw a conclusion on the definition of the term itself, refusing to agree with the Commission’s view that special characteristics are implied by referring to a product as “original”. He ruled in favor of Odysea on appeal.

The judge concluded that difficulties arose when the two parties asked the tribunal to rule between two different original definitions.

He said: “The definition of ‘uncooked’ proposed by Waltham Forest can be rejected. It would be difficult for the average consumer to even explain what ‘cooked honey’ might look like.”

But, he added, the rejection does not mean he accepts Odysea’s definition. “The evidence shows that consumer perceptions are consistent with common sense: in this context, raw means the everyday meaning of ‘unwrought’, ‘unprocessed’, ‘natural state’.

“But the precise definition of what separates honey into ‘raw’ and ‘non-raw’ is less obvious… To avoid going on about this, let me look at Odysea’s own honey. The “limited run, single origin” described in paragraph 20 above “Honey has something for just about everyone because it’s raw honey, although even then some may take issue with the centrifuge and pump.”

“Ultimately, however, the task of the court is not to legislate a precise definition of ‘raw’, as both parties tend to demand, but to decide whether this honey violates the law,” the judge concluded. “

He denied that Odysea’s use of the word “raw” suggested special characteristics “that are shared by virtually all similar foods” or was misleading in any other way.

He added: “To the best of my ability, the term accurately conveys the lack of processing Odysea honey has compared to many other honeys, including but not limited to heating. Until honey may no longer be described as raw honey, I refuse to describe it as processed. Where to draw any conclusions about where the lower limit lies, clearer guidance or regulation might be helpful to consumers and producers.”

Describing one of Odysea’s raw honey products, the Great Taste Awards judges praised “a honey with subtle pine and fir flavours, perfect sweetness, a hint of saltiness and pure sensuality”.

Responding to the ruling, Panos Manuelides, managing director of Odysea, said: “We are delighted with the court’s ruling. Honey is not a big economic business for us, our main business is olive oil and olives.

“But it’s an important part of our business and a fantastic product, made in a village that has been damaged by floods this year. It’s a great decision for them and we’ve been selling this honey for a long time time, and produced with minimal processing…so we’re happy to be able to continue to sell it as it is, which is raw.”

Waltham Forest Council has been contacted for comment.