Honey with moor flavour

A uniquely flavoured honey, produced by bees foraging on Exmoor’s ling heather, is revealing a few surprises, discovers CATHERINE COURTENAY

- CATHERINE COURTENAY

Honey has long been associated with health-boosting and healing properties. Historic medical accounts show it being used to treat sore throats, small wounds and minor burns. It’s been cited as improving digestive issues and even preventing tooth decay.

So when the producers of an Exmoor heather honey discovered that it scored top marks for its antimicrobial properties, they were over the moon.

“We were gobsmacked,” says beekeeper Paul Webb of Black Bee Honey.

Their Exmoor honey was tested by Minerva Scientific for its antimicrobial activity on a scale referred to as Total Activity. Any honey with a TA of greater than 10+ may have significant antimicrobial properties, which get more effective as the TA level increases. Their honey achieved a score of 21, putting it at the top of the scale and equivalent to a manuka honey rating. Manuka is highly-prized honey produced in New Zealand, which is famed for its health benefits.

Black Bee produces a range of honey, all of which achieved a score of 10 or more, but, despite this, Paul isn’t shouting about any possible health benefits of eating his honey; his real mission is to celebrate the richness and diversity of British honey and to encourage more of us to try them.

Sharing his outlook is co-founder Chris Barnes. The two friends set up Black Bee Honey after becoming hooked on beekeeping. Both graphic designers, working in London and sharing a love of the outdoors, they attended a beekeeping course run by the London Beekeeping Association. They loved it, but it was only after Chris had been to New Zealand and worked on a bee farm that they thought about setting up a business together.