Herald - Issue 425

Page 36 • The HERALD • 23rd June 2022 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v OPEN SUNDAYS & BANK HOLIDAYS • RINGWOOD ROAD, TOTTON • PLAZA PARADE, ROMSEY • THE PRECINCT, CHANDLERS FORD ALL DAY COD & CHIPS £1 OFF On presentation of this advertisement MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY ONLY Not valid with any other offer. Valid until 13th July 2022 FOOD FOR THOUGHT The Blackfield Baker Ltd Traditional Quality Bakery Bread, Cakes, Savouries and Take-away Birthday Cakes Tel: 023 8089 8688 • 139 Hampton Lane, Blackfield ‘The Blackfield Baker’ Makes & Bakes the best Bread & Cakes YES IT’S BACK! BEAULIEU VILLAGE HALL’S FARMERS & PRODUCERS MARKET SATURDAY 9TH JULY 10AM TO 2PM We have lots of plants, cakes, soft berries, pickles, local honey, meat, cheese and eggs and much more, also the CET centre selling their produce COME ALONG AND STOCK UP FOR THE WEEKEND Future Dates: 10th September Send your local news to The Editor, The Herald, 2 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AH or email: editor@herald-publishing.co.uk e New Forest is blessed with beekeepers whose hives sit in secluded spots across the ancient woodlands and wide, open heathlands of the National Park: beekeepers whose bees forage on the wild owers, heathers, and rare plants of the Forest’s special landscape. Each pot of pure, golden honey can be traced back to a speci c hive or apiary and has a unique avour, with a complex taste re ective of the ora of the area and time of year in which it was produced. is natural honey is an altogether different product than most of the honey found on supermarket shelves, which tends to be imported, processed, and often contains very little honey produced by bees. When you pop open a jar of locally-produced honey, you are not only treating yourself to a little bit of luxury but also supporting small-scale businesses intrinsically linked to the local landscape. The recent World Bee Day in May aimed to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and the role bees play in supporting plants, agriculture, and biodiversity. You can play your part in helping bees by choosing to buy raw honey from local beekeepers rather than imported honey; the UK imports 50,000 tonnes of honey a year, one third of which comes from China. Choosing to buy New Forest honey also reduces the environmental impact of t r a n s p o r t i n g products long distances, plus it supports the New Forest community. It is easy to nd local honey thanks A Little Bit of Luxury – from Heather to Hive to Honey to the New Forest Marque, a not-for-pro t scheme which champions local food, drink and cra producers and sellers. Only products with clearly de ned New Forest provenance are awarded the Marque. e Marque has nine beekeeper members, who produce a variety of natural honeys as well as a range of high-quality bee products such as beeswax candles and luxury skincare. Simon Noble of e Noble Bee looks a er more than 70 hives across the New Forest and produces raw, 100% natural honey, straight out of the hive and into the jar. Simon said: “ The bees forage on all sorts of different flowers depending on the location and time of spring or summer. At our base on Furzedown Farm in Hythe, the honey is mainly blackberry, sweet chestnut, and meadow flowers, while our bees kept at Brockenhurst Park forage on small-leaved lime tree flowers and meadow flowers. During August, we move most of our hives to designated spots in the National Park, when they forage solely on the ling heather when it comes into bloom. This is known as a monofloral honey, containing nectar from only one flower species.” Heather honey is known for its exceptional taste and the Noble Bee’s honey jar lids feature handwritten notes detailing exactly which apiary a honey is from. Jade and Justin Prentice, a nurse and software consultant, founded Bees and Botanicals thanks to their love of beekeeping. They are a small-scale production with two di erent apiaries in the New Forest, each of which gives a di erent tasting honey. They sell their honey, as well as use it to create planet-friendly health and beauty products. Jade said: “Our hives are around Lover, where our bees forage on hedgerows, gardens, and the woods we are surrounded by. Our aim is simple - to be good keepers and make lovely things with bee produce. It’s our greatest delight to share our passion for beekeeping and cosmetic integrity with like- minded people. Bees are the reason we can enjoy green spaces like gardens, parks, and countryside. Getting outdoors and enjoying these spaces improves our mood, reduces stress, and builds confidence. We hope that our little company can help encourage people to go outdoors and drive the important message that when we reconnect with nature, we reconnect with ourselves.” Other New Forest Marque honey producers and makers of honey products include: Ashlett Creek Produce; Busy Bee Products; Folds Farm; Lakeside Bee Services; New Forest Bee Products; Regent House Honey; Strides Honey; Waterside Apiaries; and Watsons of Norleywood. Claire Lee, New Forest Marque Manager said : “Our honey producers nurture and care for their tiny workers to help them create a beautiful, natural product with local provenance. Marque products are not only grown, reared, and produced right here in the New Forest but are also made using locally sourced ingredients or materials, so you can be sure the product bearing our logo has true local provenance.” e New Forest Marque, supported by the New Forest National Park Authority, also works to protect, encourage, and promote traditional farming practices which help fashion the iconic landscape found in the New Forest. Look for honey products with the distinctive New Forest Marque logo to help support your local community or browse the Marque website for a list of local honey producers and retailers at newforestmarque.co.uk The Noble Bee portrait of Simon Noble