It's the sweet, sticky stuff that's delicious on pancakes (and crumpets, our personal favourite!), but if you're eating honey because you also believe it's good for you then please read on...
Honey is an incredible substance. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, as well as enzymes and probiotics that aid digestion and support a healthy gut. It can even help with seasonal allergies as it contains pollen that can support immunity from local allergens that cause hayfever symptoms. If you're eating honey for these healthful benefits then it is vital that you buy honey from the right sources.
Commercial honey is problematic, and in some cases downright ugly for a number of reasons...
- Purity - commercial honey is sometimes adulterated with sugar syrups such as high fructose corn syrup to increase volume and profit.
- Loss of nutrients - commercial honey is required to be pasturised at a high heat. Pasturisation and ultra-filtering can destroy beneficial enzymes, vitamins and antioxidants.
- Lack of traceability - it can be challenging to trace the origin of honey sold in the supermarket and it's therefore impossible to know the conditions in which the honey is made. Most supermarket and other brand honey comes from China.
- Pesticides - commercial honey production can involve the use of chemicals to prevent pests and diseases in hives which can leave residues in the honey and harm bee populations.
- Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) - commercial beekeeping practices have been linked to CCD, where entire bee colonies die off due to stress, poor nutrition and disease.
- Exploitation of beekeepers - larger corporations can exploit smaller scale bee keepers with low prices for honey, leading to economic hardship.
- Market manipulation - the commercial honey industry is dominated by a few large corporation which keep prices low and make it difficult for smaller, often more ethical producers to compete.
Local, raw honey is an excellent solution to ensure you are buying a honey that is as good for you as it is delicious. Plus your purchase supports your local economy rather than profiting the industry giants.
We stock Dower House honey because they produce their honey from hives that are local to us in and around Swallowfield, Arborfield and Farley Hill in Berkshire. We love that they produce both clear and set honey, the difference depending on the seasonal flowers that the bees feast on. The honey is taken straight from the hive into jars. No pasturising. No filtering. Raw and natural, exactly as it should be.
Both clear and set honey are available here for local delivery or collection.