The honey bee is perhaps one of the most amazing creatures on this planet, not least because it produces one of nature’s most versatile substances – honey. Its remarkable properties are well documented – from the ancient times of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, to a more modern day profile where its antibacterial, antioxidant and antiseptic properties are highly praised. And for good reason… There is anecdotal evidence that this naturally low-fat sweetener prevents the growth of the MRSA bug prevalent in our hospitals. It has also been suggested that honey can increase antioxidant levels in our bloodstream, helping to prevent heart disease. Even arthritis suffers claim that a bee sting can relieve their pain as well as some MS sufferers.
On a more conventional note, hay fever may be calmed by eating locally produced honey made from local pollens, thus improving resistance. Historically, honey-based ointments were used to heal burns and sores by the Egyptians, and today’s cosmetics industry uses honey in cleansing, softening and moisturising products. A hot drink of honey and lemon has anti-inflammatory agents alleviating a sort throat as well as providing natural decongestants.
Honey’s aroma, flavour and colour is determined by the nectar of the flowers its made from. Bees must collect nectar from 2,000,000 flowers to make 1lb of honey – which means flying 90,000 miles – that’s 3 times round the globe. Yet one honey bee will only make 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. A colony of bees runs to tens of thousands of worker bees (female) with one queen and a few drones (male) who are killed by the worker bees at the end of a season to prevent the greedy drones from eating the honey in winter!
4,000 tonnes of honey is produced in Britain each year, although we consume more than 25,000 tonnes of worldwide varieties annually. Those particular to the UK include apple blossom, borage, cherry blossom, hawthorn and heather and some of Britain’s 35,000 beekeepers travel the length of the country with their bees helping to pollinate plants and trees that produce fruit for our supermarkets.
One hive can generate 20 to 40lbs of honey a year, enough to keep friends and family supplied for some time! So if the humble bumble has awoken your desire to become an apiarist, there are wide networks of support available to you. The British Beekeepers Association is the most helpful starting point, or their general secretary (Tel: 024 7669 6679) who can put you in touch with your local group. If, like me, you’d rather just eat the nectar of the gods, visit Real Food Direct (Tel: 0118 946 4706) for a good British honey.