Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
I love honey. Honey has had a bad reputation in the past few years with the scandal that so many brands are using sugar syrup instead of honey, and the real honey has become really expensive with climate change making honey harvesting more unpredictable. I am delighted to say that the British honey from Black Bee Honey is homegrown, available to buy in plenty and isn’t as expensive as you might think. Black Bee Honey sent us this completely unexpected gift box of honey.
The gift box contains 4 jars of honey which weigh 227 grams each, so yes, this is a heavy gift box! The honey is sourced from the 4 seasons of the year, which explains why each jar is a different colour and a different texture. For example, spring is light cream colour, and is harvested when rapeseed, hawthorn and plum blossom are in bloom in Somerset, Yorkshire and Northamptonshire. The honey is soft and opaque so suits being used in baking to add sweetness. The summer honey, even though it’s harvested just a few months later, is transparent and resembles more like what we think of as honey. It’s sourced from all over the country in the summer so could come from any source of blossoms and flowers.
I use honey for so many meals and dishes. I make salad dressings from it, use it as a substitute for sugar and even use it for medicinal purposes. I only ever buy British honey because I have ridiculously bad hay fever and I can’t take over the counter medicine without falling asleep at the drop of a hat. So I take British honey every morning in some form, even if it’s just a teaspoonful and it gets rid of 80% of my hay fever symptoms, but can be taken as often as needed throughout the day. With this in mind, I love having honey around and I know my honey flavours! The idea of having seasonal honey is unbelievably useful to someone with hay fever who needs to have the antihistamine properties available throughout the year, depending on what causes the allergy.
As for the taste of the honey – well, it’s real honey! Each jar has a slightly different taste to it above the sweetness, whether it be a slightly more floral, or a delicate blossom flavour. I love this gift as a great idea for anyone who loves honey, or who cooks, has a family of honey lovers or likes using British homegrown products.
Available for £32.95 at: https://www.blackbeehoney.com/collections/the-honey-shop/products/the-4-seasons-large-honey-jar-gift-box
