The London Honey Show, at the Lancaster Hotel, saw London's oldest botanic garden clear the board with its exquisite floral tasting honey. Fitting for a Garden dedicated (since the 1670s) to growing plants beneficial to health. It was the place apprentice apothecaries learned how plants (and their extracts) could be used as medicines.
The Chelsea bees certainly have one of the most exotic diets of all their rivals with nearly 5,000 different named plants to choose from. The hives, nestled in the Garden a bare 3.5 acres site on the south bank of the Thames, seem to be the ideal homes for producing one of nature's purest foods.
Following blind tastings the judges agreed that the Chelsea Physic Garden golden bee nectar was the Capital's finest in five of the main categories including 'Best all round honey'
The Garden's volunteer bee keeper Peter James was delighted that the Physic Garden bees came out tops, especially as all the honeys were judged 'blind'”. A bee keeper for 12 years, Peter, who also teaches very popular basic beekeeping courses at the Garden, explained why he thought the honey is so special:
"With over 5,000 plants to choose from, bees at the Physic Garden have something to forage on all year round. From small and delicate winter flowers like snowdrops to an abundance of nectar laden blooms when the temperature rise later in the year,.'
Since taking up beekeeping, self confessed foodie Peter admitted it had changed his philosophy and understanding of food processes and agricultural practice. It seems that looking more closely at bees could teach us all to value the delicate balance of our most amazing natural world
Chelsea Physic Garden honey won best in class for:-
Best colour
Best all round honey
Honey from the most unusual location
Best honey from an Educational Establishment
Best Packaging
Image: © Copyright Peter James 2011
