The Large Honey Jar Gift Box from Black Bee Honey

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

Roberts Dorset Gift Boxes

Valentine’s Day is on the horizon and whilst there are plenty of gifts available for women it can prove a little more difficult finding the perfect gift for the special man in your life. In my experience alcohol and food always go down a treat and if your husband/boyfriend loves snacking – especially on pork crackling, nuts and cider then Roberts Dorset is the place to go!

With products suitable for those following a Keto or Vegan lifestyle they have a fantastic selection of gift boxes that can be customised to suit the recipient.

Robert’s Dorset began back in 2011 in the family kitchen, initially selling their products at their local Dorset markets.  They quickly discovered that their snacks were incredibly popular and worked hard to create new flavours, now supplying their tasty snacks all over the country.

I have always liked pork crackling but never realised there was a choice of flavour beyond “pork”. I was therefore intrigued to discover that Roberts Dorset produce a variety of flavours – Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, Extreme Naga Chilli, BBQ, Salt & Pepper, Sage & Onion and Garlic and have enjoyed sampling them all.

These delicious savoury bites are incredibly moreish and I haven’t been able to stop myself dipping into the pots for my crackling fix. The crackling is crunchy and crisp with the slightly pork fat taste, that I remember so well from Friday nights at the local pub!  

As well as the crackling the Scrumptious Combination gift box also included a couple of tubs of  peanuts (sea salt and sweet chilli) along with a couple of cans of St Austell Brewery “Proper Job” IPA.

I enjoyed all the flavours but be warned the Naga Chilli flavour is incredibly hot and not for the faint hearted. I would say that all the flavours are suitable snacks to have alongside drinks as a change to the more traditional crisps and peanuts. The tubs are recyclable but have a good fitting lid which makes them very useful if kept. Eaten in conjunction with the excellent St Austell Brewery “Proper Job” IPA’s they make a perfect Valentine’s treat.

So soon after the indulgence of Christmas some might wonder about the healthiness of pork crackling but as they are gluten free, high in protein and MSG free, surely they can count as a health food!?

The many different options that Roberts Dorset offer mean that there is something for everyone. They make a superb gift idea – something that little bit different and a nice change from the standard box of chocolate or smellies.

Take a look at the fantastic selection of Gift boxes here, prices start at £17.50