Black Bee Honey's award-winning 100% natural  British Autumn Heather Honey (227g, £8.50 or 1kg tub, £34.95) is a bold, aromatic British honey with a decadently thick texture and rich notes of treacle.

Known as the British Manuka, this dark coloured honey is sourced from hives placed on the moors of North Yorkshire and Scotland in late summer, where bees forage on blooming Ling Heather throughout August. The result is a distinctive, robust honey with a silky, spreadable consistency that's as perfect on a crumpet as it is added to recipes for Autumn Fruit & Honey Galette and Warm Honey Spiced Apple & Blackberry Punch (recipes below and linked here).

Black Bee Honey is a B Corp certified British beekeeper collective founded by beekeepers Paul Webb and Chris Barnes who met in an office 20 years ago but left their design jobs for the rooftops and gardens of London where they cared for over a million bees and went on to establish Black Bee Honey.

Their range of award-winning 'flower to jar' seasonal honey is produced throughout the year, with each honey reflecting the flavours of its season. Their honeys are never blended and are fully traceable, with the name of the beekeeper printed on every jar's label. Black Bee Honey also donates 2% of its turnover to the charity Plantlife which goes towards the creation of wildflower meadows, so by purchasing any of their honey you'll be helping bees and other pollinators.

Black Bee Honey is available to buy at www.blackbeehoney.com. Keep updated with Black Bee Honey via @blackbeehoneycompany (Instagram) and @blackbeehoney (X), or visit www.blackbeehoney.com

 

AUTUMN FRUIT & HONEY GALETTE

This rustic fruit tart is the perfect recipe for a weekend, the pastry needs to rest & chill which means you can drink a cuppa and watch a movie then come back to it later. A crowd pleaser for the whole family, served up with dollops of creme fraiche and extra drizzles of delicious Autumn Honey. 

Black Bee Honey type|  AUTUMN

Takes 45 minutes prep | 1 hour chill | 45 minute bake 

Makes | 8 or so slices

Equipment |  large flat baking tray, greaseproof paper, scales, mixing bowl, rolling pin, weighing scales, spoon measures  

 

Ingredients:

Sweet Flaky Pastry 

180g plain flour 

1 tbsp golden caster sugar 

1 tsp flaked sea salt 

140g salted butter (cold) 

1 tbsp Autumn honey 

40g creme fraiche (can substitute for full fat greek yoghurt or thick double cream)

40ml water (cold)

1 egg (whisked) to brush pastry 

1 tbsp golden caster sugar (for pastry crust) 

Fruit Filling

2 British apples

1 British conference pear (ripe but firm)

3-5 large plums 

½ lemon (juice) 

2 tbsp Autumn honey 

1 tbsp golden caster sugar 

Serving suggestion

Creme fraiche, drizzle of honey, sprinkle of sea salt

 

Method: 

1. Start by making the pastry, combine the flour, sugar & salt in a large mixing bowl. Take the cold butter and using the large side of a box grater, grate into the bowl. Using a dinner knife, stir the butter into the flour, gently coating each strand in flour. 
2. In a small bowl combine the creme fraiche, cold water & honey. Stir until the honey dissolves. Pour the cold liquid into the flour & butter mix. Keep stirring with the knife until the mixture starts to come together but is still a bit floury & the chunks of butter are visible. Tip onto a clean work surface and bring the dough together with your hands into a rectangular patty, roughly 15x10cm. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes or up-to overnight.   
3. Whilst the pastry is chilling, prepare the fruit, slice into 0.5cm segments, place in a bowl & squeeze with lemon juice to stop the apple & pears from browning. 
4. Lightly dust the work surface with flour, then place the chilled pastry on-top, dust with a little flour, then roll out roughly into a 25x20cm rectangle. Now fold the bottom third of the rectangle up, then the top third down over-the top (like a book). Pat down, then rotate 90 degrees, place the pastry onto a piece of greaseproof paper the size of your baking tray. Now roll the pastry out into a rough 30cm circle / 25mm thick, it doesn't need to be neat, remember it's a rustic tart!
5.  Then lay the sliced fruit in a pattern or just spread it out with your hand, leaving a 4cm border around the edge, drizzle the fruit with honey & sprinkle it with caster sugar. Using the greaseproof paper, fold the pastry border over the fruits, press down at the joins to seal the pastry. Slide the greaseproof onto a baking tray, then place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes or up-to overnight. 
6. Once the tart has chilled, brush the border with egg wash & sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar. Place into a preheated oven at 200c & bake for 25 minutes, turn the oven down to 180c, cover the tart with foil to stop the top browning too much and bake for a further 20 minutes.  *Top Tip* Place a clean baking tray in the oven when it's preheating, then place your tart tray on top of this, this helps ensure a crisp tart base as the metal conducts the heat evenly across the base. 
7. Leave the tart to cool for 20-30 minutes, before slicing & serving with dollops of creme fraiche, extra honey and a sprinkle of sea salt. 

 

WARM HONEY SPICED APPLE & BLACKBERRY PUNCH 

Nothing beats the gentle wafts of fruity cinnamon scented air coming from the kitchen on a rainy autumn day. This simple & quick fruit punch, sweetened naturally with the fragrant Autumn Honey is enjoyed best on the sofa with a big plate of biscuits.  

Black Bee Honey type|  AUTUMN

Takes 10 minutes prep | 15 minute cook 

Makes | 6-8 Cups  

Equipment |  large saucepan or casserole pot   

 

Ingredients:

1 Tart British apple (sliced)

1 litre cloudy apple & pear juice (or just apple)

100g blackberries (fresh or frozen)

1 lemon (juice & peel)

2 inches of ginger root (peeled & sliced)

2 cinnamon stick 

3 Star anise

2 tbsp Autumn Honey 

 

Method: 

Place all the ingredients into a large saucepan and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until the liquid starts to turn a deep ruby red as the blackberries soften. Ladle into heatproof glasses or mugs & enjoy.

*For an adult alcoholic version, add a shot of rum or whisky to each glass before pouring in the warm fruit punch. 

Author: @lucyrosetteturnbull

 

ENDS - 

For commercial purposes, Black Bee Honey is available on AWIN and via Black Bee Honey's shop on Amazon. Please get in touch for further information. 

Download high res images

Recipe images linked here

For more information please contact: rebecca@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk