Terroir, the unique interplay of geography, climate, and agricultural practices, shapes the identity of local foods, yet consumer appreciation of terroir may depend on personal experience. This study examines how providing consumers with “the sense of being there” influences sensory perception and attitudes toward terroir-specific products. Honey was selected as the focus as its flavour profile is directly shaped by the fields visited by bees.

To create an immersive experience, VR footage was recorded at three beehive locations on an artisanal honey farm in South Ostrobothnia, Finland. A consumer study (N = 266) was then conducted at a regional food fair in South Ostrobothnia and the University of Turku. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three contextual conditions: a VR tour on hive locations, still images of the same locations, or abstract images (control). They then evaluated two honey samples, one from the featured farm and one commercial alternative from Central America, and completed sensory evaluations and purchase intention assessments.

Contrary to expectations, there was no direct effect of exposure condition on product evaluations. Across conditions, the local honey was rated higher than the foreign honey in liking, purchase intention, and willingness to pay. Although sense of presence did not differ between VR and image conditions, both presence and enjoyment were positively associated with liking and purchase intention. Mediation analyses indicated that enjoyment, rather than technological immersion per se, accounted for small indirect effects on evaluations. These findings suggest that emotional engagement and narrative framing may play a greater role in shaping consumer responses to local foods than the use of immersive technology alone.