Beekeepers across the UK are calling on consumers to discover for themselves the incredible array of benefits that come with buying a jar of honey from their local producer, ahead of this year’s National Honey Day (21st October).
The British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA), which represents more than 30,000 members in England and Wales, has launched a ‘Bee Smart, Choose Local’ campaign, to celebrate the unique taste and regional variation of local honey, as well as the positive impact buying from your neighbourhood beekeeper can have on the environment, the regional economy and our general health and wellbeing.
According to the International Trade Centre, the UK imported an average of 50,917 tonnes of honey in 2023. Some of this will have been adulterated, with added sugars, an ultrafiltration process and even the removal of pollen from the final product. Jars and bottles of ‘honey’ can be bought off the shelf for as little as 69p, but often feature a blend of products from a number of different countries.
In contrast, the BBKA is arguing that local honey, means real honey – made by bees collecting nectar from the surrounding environment, travelling straight from the comb to the jar and featuring all the goodness that comes with keeping the final product as close to nature as possible. Native plants vary between regions, meaning that locally produced honey will look and taste different wherever you go, offering an endless array of experiences depending on location and season.
And because the product is extracted and sold within the community, the money spent on a jar of honey will be directly reinvested back into the local economy too, helping to support small businesses and secure the future legacy of beekeeping within the UK.
Diane Drinkwater, Chair of the BBKA, said:
“As a beekeeper I know just how delicious the honey is from my own hive. I’m always keen to try other beekeeper’s honey as it really does vary so much. There’s a huge range of local honey out there, why not try some from your nearest beekeeper?”
Lynne Ingram, BBKA Honey Ambassador and Chair of the Honey Authenticity Network (HAN), an international collaboration to stop honey fraud, added: “National Honey Day is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate and taste the wonderful variety of natural honeys produced in the UK.
“Real honey is a delight to eat with the flavours varying according to the flowers visited by the bees, rather than just being uniformly sweet. The colour can range from the palest yellow to almost brown.
“Celebrate British honey this year by buying local and supporting British honey producers.”
As part of the ‘Bee Smart, Choose Local’ campaign, a poster has been created and distributed, providing a link for members of the public to find their nearest beekeeper, and discover the pleasure and benefits of local honey for themselves.
