Natural product resulting from a titanic work of the bees, honey is a sweetness with virtues recognized since thousands of years. Unfortunately, in the UK as elsewhere in the world, honey is subject to all kinds of frauds. To avoid counterfeit products and to make sure you consume a quality product, read this buying guide dedicated to the best honeys in the UK.
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Our selection
"This chestnut honey from Périgord is one of the best representatives of French honey. Authentic and pronounced, this sweetness attracts by its powerful flavors and…"
"A true delight, this honey from France produced by Miels Lombard will seduce lovers of local products. Its intoxicating aromas and strong taste make it…"
"Harvested by bees in early June from a protected harvesting area, the nectar of wild acacia trees gives this honey produced on the banks of…"
"Soft and sweet, this acacia honey harvested in the pure beekeeping tradition of Burgundy can be eaten raw or as an accompaniment to your breakfast…"
This chestnut honey from Périgord is one of the best representatives of French honey. Authentic and pronounced, this sweetness attracts by its powerful flavors and for its delicate and exalting aroma.
7,92 £ on Famillemary
A true delight, this honey from France produced by Miels Lombard will seduce lovers of local products. Its intoxicating aromas and strong taste make it an excellent accompaniment for all your meals.
7,12 £ on apicultureThis honey of scrubland is characterized by its beautiful golden color, its powerful aroma and its typed taste. As you can imagine, this 100% natural product is elaborated by bees with flowers of the Provençal scrubland, whose most recognizable taste are thyme, rosemary, lavender, boxwood, Aleppo pine and green oak. With its melting texture, this honey can be enjoyed alone, on a slice of bread or with your hot drinks and dairy products.
Polyfloral, the honey of scrubland is naturally rich in trace elements and mineral salts. As it contains phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins, honey from France promotes growth and strengthens the bones of children. It is also an excellent blood and heart replenisher. Although it is very sweet, it should not be a problem for diabetics, as long as it is consumed in moderation.
Harvested by bees in early June from a protected harvesting area, the nectar of wild acacia trees gives this honey produced on the banks of the Lucelle River a sweet, tangy and fruity flavor.
15,58 £ on MondebioNaturally rich in fructose, this acacia honey is recommended for people who want to gradually reduce their sugar intake or who are following a slimming program. It is also perfect for sweetening children's food, who will appreciate its acidulous, even neutral taste. Thanks to its strong sweetening power and its low glycemic index, this honey is a perfect alternative to refined sugar.
This honey from France produced by Ballot-Flurin is recognized for its numerous virtues in terms of digestion. If you have a sensitive stomach or a lazy transit, this honey will act as an intestinal regulator. To take full advantage of its benefits, eat it raw, on toast or with a warm goat cheese salad. Do not be surprised if the honey crystallizes after a few months. You just have to warm it up to 35°C to get its consistency back.
Soft and sweet, this acacia honey harvested in the pure beekeeping tradition of Burgundy can be eaten raw or as an accompaniment to your breakfast and your many culinary preparations.
6,80 £ on famillemaryThis acacia honey from Burgundy is easily recognized by its beautiful light yellow color, almost translucent. Thanks to its liquid texture, you can consume it raw, on a slice of bread or in a yogurt. You can also use it to sweeten your hot drinks in the morning or as a maceration for your culinary preparations. Richer in fructose than in glucose, this honey should interest people concerned about their sugar intake.
Note that this honey from France is cold extracted before being packaged in a honey house located in Beau Rivage, in the heart of Anjou. To guarantee its purity and taste qualities, this honey from France is analyzed before being marketed. In order to preserve its aromas, keep it in a place with little exposure to the sun and always at room temperature.
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The best honey in the UK in 2021
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Your guide :
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| THE BEST | CHEAP | HIGH END | EXCELLENT | |
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| OUR SELECTION |
Famille Mary - Miel de châtaignier du Périgord
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Miels Lombard - Honey from the Garrigue
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Ballot-Flurin - Acacia honey from the Lucelle river
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Mary family - Acacia honey from Burgundy
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This chestnut honey from Périgord is one of the best representatives of French honey. Authentic and pronounced, this sweetness attracts by its powerful flavors and for its delicate and exalting aroma.
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A true delight, this honey from France produced by Miels Lombard will seduce lovers of local products. Its intoxicating aromas and strong taste make it an excellent accompaniment for all your meals.
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Harvested by bees in early June from a protected harvesting area, the nectar of wild acacia trees gives this honey produced on the banks of the Lucelle River a sweet, tangy and fruity flavor.
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Soft and sweet, this acacia honey harvested in the pure beekeeping tradition of Burgundy can be eaten raw or as an accompaniment to your breakfast and your many culinary preparations.
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Category
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Monofloral honey
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Polyfloral honey
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Monofloral honey
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Monofloral honey
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Net weight
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400 g
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400 g
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480 g
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230 g
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Other plants foraged
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Lavender, thyme, rosemary, boxwood, Aleppo pine, holm oak
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Chestnut, Maple
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Vertues
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Favors relaxation. It also improves blood circulation.
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Aid to the relaxation and the recovery of the sportsman
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Improves difficult digestion
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Aid to the relaxation and the recovery of the sportsman
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Tips for use
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This honey gives character to gingerbread.
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This honey is to consume raw the morning or the evening before going to bed.
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This honey can be taken raw with all meals. It replaces refined sugar very well.
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It is to be tasted on breads, in a yoghurt and in the hot drinks.
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Even if the product is labeled "honey from France", make sure it is really produced within the national territory (including DOM-TOM). To do this, look for the mention "harvested and potted by the producer" or just the department or city where it comes from. As a reminder, honey from France is a local product that has not undergone any transformation. It should keep for years without ever losing its properties.
We would like to remind you that honey is a foodstuff produced by foragers. In other words, man does not intervene in its production, except for the collection, purification and packaging. Unfortunately, some products are adulterated or mixed with glucose syrup. It is therefore important to check the composition of honey on its packaging.
French honey comes from the nectar of many varieties of flowers, trees and plants which is then transformed into sugars by the enzymes of their crop. Don't worry, it is easy to recognize the variety of honey just by its color, its granulation and its aromas. But this remains the business of the beekeepers. The latter take care to specify from which flowers or plants the honeys they offer for sale come.
The quality labels certify that the bees have not received any treatment of any kind and that they have gathered only wild flowers and plants or that are from organic farming. Choose products that have the AB logo (which have not been treated with antibiotics), IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), Label Rouge (superior quality product) or that have the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) sign. Of course, these are only a few of the quality labels recognized in the UK.
At harvest, honey is always in liquid form. After packaging, some honeys remain in this liquid form for years while others crystallize, especially spring flower honey. While some people like crystallized honey, others prefer viscous honey. As long as it is not adulterated, the quality of the honey is not affected, although it does become a little creamy over time. To give it a liquid form, it is sufficient to heat it to 37°C which is the natural temperature inside a hive.
Honey draws its virtues from the flowers, trees or plants from which it comes. In this section, we will only mention the most important ones.
Honey is a very effective remedy
A recent study has shown that honey is a natural remedy for different illnesses such as children's coughs. If your child suffers from this ailment, give him a spoonful of honey before he goes to bed and you will see that he will cough less and have a better sleep. In addition to its beneficial effect on the respiratory system, honey also fights sinusitis thanks to the antimicrobials it contains.
Honey is an excellent healing agent
In the middle of the 80's, a surgeon from the University Hospital of Limoges revealed that a wound healed twice as fast with honey. Wounds dry quickly under the effect of glucose oxidase which is transformed into hydrogen peroxide. Since then, the trick has been adopted by hundreds of thousands of people in the UK and around the world. All French honeys are effective, but thyme honey is even more effective because of its antiseptic and vermifuge properties.
Honey is a natural cosmetic
Very soft, the honey of France nourishes the hair and the skin in depth thanks to its essential antioxydants, its vitamins and its minerals. As it is very rich in slow sugar, it retains water in the cells which boosts hydration and protection of the skin against external aggressions. It is also appreciated for its cleansing properties that gently detoxify the skin.
Honey is excellent for nutrition
A natural substitute for sugar, honey is excellent for your health. Its low fructose content and its richness in trace elements allow it to be absorbed more slowly by the body. But what does this mean in concrete terms? Simply put, the energy provided by honey is longer lasting and blood sugar spikes are lower. This product also contains unsuspected vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin B3 and vitamin B5.
Honey is said to be "monofloral" when it is produced from a single variety of flowers. Thus, during a whole season, the bees have gathered only one melliferous plant. Among the most consumed monofloral honeys, we find :
Acacia honey: this honey is easily recognized by its blond color, its strong viscosity and its delicate taste. Although it is sweet, acacia honey is not contraindicated for people who suffer from diabetes.
Chestnut honey: it is a very dark and liquid honey with a strong taste and aroma. Its characteristics make it a perfect tonic and an excellent tonic for the veins.
Rosemary honey : yellowish and fruity, this honey from France is known for its benefits on the liver, as well as its stimulating properties for the body.
Lavender honey : although it is very liquid, this light-colored honey crystallizes very quickly and becomes whitish. This product is known for its numerous positive effects on respiratory and cardiac disorders.
Heather honey: with a brown color, this honey has a very strong taste and is an excellent anti-anemic and antiseptic.
Sunflower honey : this variety of honey is a very bright yellow. It is very rich in calcium and is very effective for healing. But as it crystallizes very quickly, this honey from France has only a small reputation.
If monofloral honey comes from only one floral variety, polyfloral or multifloral honey is obtained from the nectar or honeydew of different categories of melliferous plants that have bloomed in the same season or that are found in the same geographical area. Among the most consumed in the UK, we find :
Mountain honey: this natural foodstuff is made by bees from the nectar of the flowers of the meadows that are found at high altitude. This brown or white honey has a pronounced taste as well as innumerable virtues. Called all-flower honey in some regions, its cultivation is often spread over several flowering seasons.
Spring and summer honey: this variety of honey is obtained from the flowering during these two seasons. Clear and with a delicate odor, spring honey generally comes from linden, acacia, boxwood flowers and many trees that the bees have visited. Summer honey is made from the honeydew of lavender, sunflower and honeysuckle.
Honey from the garrigue: this honey is very fragrant and remains in the mouth for a long time. It is mainly made from rosemary, thyme, lavender, boxwood and white heather.
Honey from France is a natural foodstuff produced by beekeepers present on the French territory. This category of honey is recognized by the quality labels that certify it, but also by its traceability. Because although it is sold on a virtual portal, this honey clearly mentions the region where it comes from. The Protected Geographical Indication imposes that the name, the address and failing that the website of the producer is clearly written on the container of the honey.
This category of honey comes from a European country. Europe tries as much as possible to standardize the products that are exchanged on its territory, but we must admit that some situations escape its control. Without wishing to denigrate the products that come from other countries, most of them do not inform the consumer at all about the origin of the honey. On the jars, it is only mentioned "blend of honeys from the EU" which is a rather vague indication.
Yes, some European and foreign honeys are of excellent quality. But buying honey from France helps preserve the efforts of French bees and beekeepers. Also, whenever possible, prefer honeys that are locally produced and that are certified by quality labels.
Allows to stay in shape
Taking a tablespoon of honey from France once a day is an excellent way to fill up on good sugar, minerals and trace elements (copper, boron, iron, magnesium, calcium). To boost your immunity, choose mountain honey, rosemary honey or forest honey.
Allows you to breathe better!
For many years, honey has been recognized for its numerous health benefits, especially in the ENT sphere. Consumed intelligently, honey from France cures colds, tracheitis, angina and pharyngitis. It would also be very effective against asthma. Thyme honey, lavender honey and fir tree honey are particularly indicated to treat these infections.
Allows to digest well
Whatever the form in which it is consumed, honey from France is an excellent prebiotic. If acacia honey is known to regulate digestion, thyme honey is very effective against gastroenteritis and similar diseases.
Improves blood circulation
All the honeys produced in the UK have virtues that improve blood circulation. No matter how you consume them and as long as you do it once a day, they will thin your blood. Fir, lavender and chestnut honeys are recommended for people who are prone to hemorrhoids and heavy legs.
Improves the skin and the mind
When applied to the skin, thyme honey helps to heal wounds and relieve the unpleasant sensations caused by eczema, psoriasis and acne. It is also a good natural de-stressant. Sweetening tea with thyme or rosemary honey reduces anxiety, high blood pressure and promotes sleep.
In our opinion, the best brands of honey of France in 2022 are :
In business since 1921, Famille Mary is a family-owned company that offers a dozen varieties of local honey. If you are looking for a tasty and creamy honey from France, you will not be disappointed with the quality of the sweets offered by Famille Mary.
Bleu Blanc Ruche is a beekeeping farm founded by Arnaud Montebourg. The producer offers a beautiful collection with no less than 11 flavors of honey in addition to its royal jellies, spreads and gingerbreads.
Founded in 1929 by Louis Augier, Augier & Fils is a family business that has set itself the goal of sharing its passion for honey with all consumers. The quality of Augier & Fils products has been maintained intact for 4 generations.
La Rusca is a beekeeping farm that places great importance on the health of its hives and bees. All its products are certified Terroir Hauts-de-France. Needless to say, there is no doubt about the quality.
Located in the southern part of the Île-de-France region, Apinest is a strong advocate of French quality honey. Its range of products represents a treat for the taste buds, including fine gourmets.
The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).
However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.
We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.
Diabetics, consume honey wisely!
Honey is not contraindicated in people who suffer from diabetes, however, the consumption must be thoughtful and made within the framework of an adapted diet. Moreover, in case of hypoglycemia or insulin overdose, a small spoonful of honey is enough to raise the glycemic index.
Heal your sore throat with honey
Being a natural antiseptic, honey replaces perfectly well all the medicines indicated against sore throat. To relieve an irritated throat, drink warm milk in which you have added a teaspoon of honey. If the milk will soothe the pain, the honey will regulate the production of coughs.
Heal your burns with honey
Honey has been used since the dawn of time to heal burns. After cleaning the burn with cold water, spread some French honey on it and cover it with a bandage. Until the healing is complete, repeat the operation every day.
Fight fatigue with honey
Honey is a very good tonic because it is rich in slow sugar. By consuming enough honey, you will replenish your energy reserves very quickly especially if you are preparing for a race. Honey from France will also allow you to recover quickly after any sports competition.
Hydrate your skin with honey
Beauty salons and laboratories have always used honey for their moisturizing products for the skin. Know that you can prepare your own recipes based on this natural commodity. You will find that homemade creams are more effective than the sealed ones.
It is easy to recognize a product that really comes from France. You should look for the indication that specifies the region where the honey was harvested. In their capacity as local producers, beekeepers are proud to mention the department or town where their farm is located. If not, an address is visible on the product's packaging.
Yes, consuming honey from France is beneficial for your health. As this food contains essential nutrients and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it can cure you of almost anything. However, it must be consumed in an intelligent manner. Honey from France may have a thousand virtues, but you should never abuse it.
The best time to consume honey from France is in the morning during breakfast. To be sure to take advantage of all its benefits, the ideal is to consume it directly with a spoon. Otherwise, you can use it to sweeten a hot drink, milk, coffee or tea for example.
Yes, honey from France has a better sweetening power than refined sugar. And again, honey is more sanitary because it contains only slow sugar, glucose and fructose. It takes a very small amount of honey to sweeten a drink as bitter as coffee.
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