The London Honey Company started 14 years ago when Steve Benbow wanted to keep bees in central London. Most people thought “bee-have”, how would that work? 
But after a hive hidden behind a lift shaft on the roof of his ex council block became filled with happy bees, he soon started a huge bee empire around the UK with hives tucked slyly into all sorts of odd locations.
Now you can buy honey, candles, books and all sorts of other honey themed products from their website.
BUT, one product that they have just launched that we are BUZZING to try (sorry), is their Long Mynd Heather Mead. YUM. This mead has had 5 years of development, and now it’s stocked in Fortnum & Mason as well as Melrose and Morgan for the reasonable price of £16.50.
Mead is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting honey with water and various fruits and spices. Theirs is made purely from Shropshire Ling Heather honey, Kentish apples and British Calvados. Sounds bloody good, right?
It has a beautifully clean balanced palate with a honeyed nose and lingering finish. Perfect served slightly chilled as an aperitif or with smokey almonds, roast pork or cheese.
Excuse us while we dribble on our keyboard, we’re off to buy some now.
Here are a couple of mead cocktails to try yourself – at home and in London:
Extra! Extra! Mead All About It – Hawksmoor Spitalfields Bar
25ml Hepple gin
5ml fernet branca
5ml sugar
Stir and top with mead
Lemon twist
The Monkey’s Banquet
30ml Monkey Shoulder
2 cloves
20ml lemon juice
10ml sugar syrup
10ml white wine
Shaken and served over cubed ice in a highball
Topped with mead