Gustare Honey recently held a honey tasting - the first in the UK - at 12 Hay Hill, an exclusive, new breed of business and private members’ club.
The history of honey dates back thousands of years - the ancient Egyptians used honey as a sweetener and as a gift to their gods, while the Greeks viewed honey as an important healing remedy.
Fast forward to 2016 and the UK's honey scene has exploded: we can't get enough of nature’s nectar, consuming over 25,000 tonnes of the sweet stuff every year.
And to cater for our obsession with the natural sweetener, there are now more honey varieties on the market than ever.
Our adventure began when we asked Head Chef Nuno Goncalves from 12 Hay Hill’s restaurant to test Gustare Honey’s four flavours: Delicate, Mild, Rich and Strong.
The brainchild of Paul Costa (who has been producing honey in Australia for over 20 years) and Jason Hayward-Jones (a farming and rural food expert), Gustare Honey offers a range of mono-floral premium raw honey produced by artisan beekeepers from Australia’s pristine natural wilderness. Their bees are never exposed to chemicals or antibiotics, increasing their natural resistance and health, to provide a tastier, purer honey. Each variety is produced seasonally in its own provenance and distinctive terroir, resulting in a truly unique product.
A little about each range. Yellow Box is harvested from the Eucalyptus Melliodora tree in Western Victoria, New South Wales to south central Queensland. It is Delicate, smooth to taste and light in colour with a generous aroma and widely regarded as one of Australia’s premier honeys.
Meanwhile the Mild Grey Iron Bark Honey, harvested from the Eucalyptus Paniculata tree found mostly in eastern New South Wales - has a mild, warm and subtle flavour with a slight nutty and toffee aftertaste.
Elsewhere the Rich Stringy Bark harvested from the Eucalyptus Caliginosa tree found mostly on the Western Slopes in the eastern areas of the New England Tablelands of New South Wales - has a darker coloured honey boasting an intense and rich aromatic flavour, with hints of smoky coffee.
And last but by no means least, there’s the Strong Apple Tree. Harvested from the Angophora Floribunda tree found mostly on the Western Slopes in the eastern areas of the New England Tablelands of New South Wales, the Strong is dark coloured honey with a silky texture and toffee apple undertones.
But which does Nuno Goncalves rate? The renowned chef tasted all four of Gustare Honey's ranges at 12 Hay Hill, aka one of the hottest business members' clubs in town, and declared the 'Strong' to be his own personal favourite.
"The caramelised, baked apple taste of this honey is just delicious," says Goncalves. "You could even use it for cooking with desserts and I could almost imagine putting it in coffee."
Intuitively Chef Nuno also paired the mild grey iron bark honey with English Stilton cheese, which proved to be another delicious combination.
The team at Gustare Honey thanks the chef for his time and extraordinary dedication but you needn't just take Goncalves' word: as you can now try Gustare Honey's ranges - launching in the UK later this year - and find your own favourite flavour.
For more information on Gustare Honey, please visit www.gustarehoney.com
To make a dining reservation at 12 Hay Hill, please email sr.reservations@12hayhill.com or call +44 (0) 207 9526 988