Holiday Honey Specials 15% OFF

Greece is famous for its Thyme honey, and there is a truly amazing diversity of Thyme honey produced. Most of the Thyme honey tends to multifloral, that is to say it is quite obviously Thyme honey but with the presence of enough Wildflowers to change the character of it significantly from place to place. 

Some of the Greek islands can be rugged, rocky and sparsely vegetated, and it is on these islands there may be little else flowering at the same time so the bees forage on the Thyme almost exclusively and produce Thyme honeys which are extremely Thyme rich and highly monofloral. 

Kalymnos is a small island in the eastern Aegean close to Turkey which produces such a Thyme honey, it is rich golden and HIGHLY aromatic and prized for its medicinal qualities. This year a Kalymnos Thyme honey won 3 stars at the Great Taste Awards. It also goes without saying that Thyme honey is traditionally prized for its medicinal qualities especially for lung conditions, colds and respiratory health. 

Our Raw Greek Kalymnos Thyme honey is produced by Isabella who wrote this beautiful letter about her relationship to beekeeping. It is produced in full below.

 The process until the honey is produced in the hive and reaches consumption was more difficult than I initially imagined. It is a job that requires a lot of physical strength and a lot of patience. The hours you have to devote are too many and the fatigue is indescribable. But the result rewards you. As soon as you bond with the bees and this work, you can understand that the way of life of the bee and how a bee works is admirable.

So every year since then, many times with losses and difficulties, I try with love, patience and persistence, to make this precious gift of nature called thyme honey known to the younger generation, because it should be allowed to be enjoyed in every home. It is a wonder of nature. A miracle, which we are all entitled to have."

Arbutus Unedo "bitter honey", an highly medicinal honey, also known as Strawberry Tree honey, comes from only a few places, southern Portugal, Sardinia/Corsica and Greece. it has a truly unusual bitter/sweet complex multi layered taste and is not for the unadventurous! The closest way to describe it might be a bitter caramel. ( though some have used adjectives like "psychedelic".). To be honest we were a little doubtful when we introduced Arbutus honey to the UK, we wondered whether the bitterness might be too much, but so far you've proved our doubts baseless.

Arbutus honey contains Homogentisic acid, a powerful phenolic acid.The antioxidant and antibacterial qualities of this honey are truly exceptional and it is one of the most antioxidant as well as antibacterial honeys in the world. Studies we have seen suggest that this is possibly the most antioxidant rich honey available much more so than Buckwheat or Chestnut honey.

Anecdotal evidence we have heard also suggests this honey does not cause blood sugar to spike and is often used locally by diabetics.(This is not a medical claim- please consult your doctor if you are diabetic). It is also known to be beneficial for lung health.

Arbutus honey is extremely rare and made in limited quantities and not necessarily every year, we source our Arbutus honey from 3 different sources each of which are quite distinct in character. This year Fernando one of very best beekeepers produced all our Arbutus honey.and it is superb. Not too bitter, Very palatable.

The Arbutus honey you buy can vary in flavour and texture over time depending on which source it came from. Some are very bitter and some are sweeter with a small percentage of Portuguese heather or Eucalyptus. They are all wonderful and beneficial. Arbutus honey is typically very expensive, but we try to bring it to you at a reasonable price so it remains accessible and not exclusive or prohibitive like active Manuka honey.

The bees forage on the Arbutus Bush, an evergreen that has many medicinal properties and flowers in winter. 

 

 

Our current batch of Arbutus is the creamy pure Arbutus from Monchique and the vicinity.

This is pure highly active honey with astonishing antibacterial properties. Like an highly active Manuka without the price tag.

This is quite simply the best tasting and purest Arbutus honey available.

Honey and Crystallization. Crystallization is a completely natural process and occurs with all raw honey. The speed and size of the crystallization depends on variations in the balance of sugars, ambient temperature and to some extent water content  If your honey is set hard, you can loosen it up by placing it in a pan of hand hot water, (and repeat as necessary) using a spoon placed in hot water first and of course storing it in a sunny/warm place in the house. 

BULK DISCOUNTS

please call or email us if you require any help making a bulk purchase. Thanks