Peta Mazey
If you get a buzz out of eating honey, you’re probably keen to do your bit to help our bees through a challenging time. These faithful little workers tirelessly labour to not only create honey, but to pollinate the fruit and vegetables we enjoy every day. Sadly, the widespread use of pesticides combined with environmental changes have seen bee numbers plummet to worryingly low levels.
Planting a bee-friendly garden is a great way to support the bee population in your area. They love blues, blue-greens, purples and yellows, so flowers such as lavender, foxglove, cornflower, calendula, sunflower, poppy, nasturtium and hollyhock are all good choices. Plant a few seedlings or grab a bee-friendly seed mix from your local garden centre.
Flowering fruit and vegetables such as apples, strawberries, pumpkins and courgettes are another win-win for both us and the bees.
These amazing little insects also need some shade and shelter, so planting shrubs or leafy plants is another way to help them. And, of course, make sure to garden organically and avoid manmade-chemical sprays to keep the bees happy and healthy.
Understanding a little more about bees helps us appreciate the delicious honey they provide. We’ve celebrated that golden goodness in this collection of easy sweet and savoury recipes.
Recipes and styling Rachel Savage. Photography and styling Peta Mazey. With thanks to our models, Gemma, Tom, George and Immy Shigeno.
Pineapple slushy
This slushy can be made with almost any fruit; just swap the pineapple for fruit of your choice. Pour any leftover mixture into ice-block moulds and freeze.
Ready in 10 minutes | Makes 4 | DF | GF
Place 2 cups roughly chopped pineapple (you could use the leftovers from our coconut, honey and chia pineapple pudding, pictured below), 1 1/2 cups ice, 1/2 cup sparkling water, 1/2 tsp honey and 4-6 fresh mint leaves in a blender and blitz to a slushy consistency. Pour into glasses and serve.
Honey, rhubarb and strawberry upside-down cake
Not only does this honey, rhubarb and strawberry upside-down cake look beautiful, it’s also incredibly tasty and unbelievably moist. The mascarpone layer and topping of strawberry and rhubarb makes this an irresistible dessert!
Honey, pear and almond salad
Sweet, crunchy and zingy, this honey, pear and almond salad is the perfect accompaniment to any family dinner. The fresh flavours and bright colours make it a creative and delicious side dish that everyone will love.
Coconut, honey and chia pineapple pudding
Whether you enjoy this coconut, honey and chia pudding for breakfast or dessert, it will definitely be the prettiest dish on the table! Served in a hollowed-out pineapple, you can’t get much more creative than this.
