OCTOBER AT HIVE & KEEPER: WE WON AN AWARD!!

Dear Diary,

The BEST news! Our honey from Chris White and the bees he keeps in ancient woodland in Dymock Woods, Gloucestershire, won Highly Commended in the Great British Food Awards 2020, and this is what Bryn Williams, Head chef and owner of Odette’s restaurant who judged the category said:

I loved this one, again it has a really complex flavour that develops as you taste it. It narrowly missed out on first place only because it is less versatile. A lovely honey nonetheless’

I was so thrilled by this as it really does prove the point that 'local' honey can beat the pants off the big boys! Here's a video I did of Chris showing me his bees in Dymock Woods https://youtu.be/9hMj9jivoBA . It’s made Chris a very happy man too and I can;t wait to see what the bees in Dymock Woods have been creating this season, it’s bound to be good but has to be different as so many flowers go into the making of any honey that replicating the mix of nectars is impossible.

It’s been a pretty mild October, but wet so I’ve tucked the bees up by putting a grill over the hive entrance so that a bee can still fly in and out if need be, but a mouse looking for a warm winter home can’t get in! Here’s the mouse guard on, always a bit sad when I do this as it means I won;t be opening up the hive and seeing ‘my girls’ until spring now :(