Save the bees!

More or less everyone knows that honey comes from honeybees but are we all aware that this rich nectar is getting rarer?

The amount of honey produce in the UK (and in the rest of the world) is directly linked to the weather during our Spring and Summer months. So no surprise that this year honey production is pretty small!

The reason why I want to make a small point about honey is first because I love it (on toast, in yogurt or just on my finger!) and because it is so important to the environment.
A few weeks ago I went to the Food and Drink Festival in Ludlow, Shropshire (if you love food, go there next year!). There I learnt a few things about honey which I didn't know before.
To keep it short, we need to love our honey and protect our bees. They are the ones who help pollination between plants and without them who knows what is going to happen to our natural environment?

Unfortunately, on top of scaring some of us they are the victims of several diseases, one of which is raising particular awareness - the Colony Collaspe Disorder (CCD). No one really knows what this is exactly and where it comes from. It is thought it could either come from a mite called Varroa destructor or be due to stress caused by the environment and weather. What is certain is that this years' production of honey is small.

What I want to say is please save our bees! If by any chance you speak to a beekeeper who asks you to sign a petition, do it. Most of them will be about asking DEFRA to put more money into researching this issue. But for the moment, try to find artisanal British honey (or French, if you happen to be in France). And believe me it is much, much nicer than its industrial cousin.

So please, help save our honey!