In May, leading online supermarket Ocado launched a nationwide competition to find the finest small-scale produced honey in Britain, with help from Nigella Lawson and the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA). Over the last two months, over a hundred back garden beekeepers and honey producers from across Britain swarmed to enter, for the chance to have their honey taste-tested by Nigella Lawson and the expert BBKA panel, and to get their honey stocked on Ocado.com.
After rigorous rounds of judging, the search for Britain’s Honey Hero is over, as Carol Gunn, who produces honey under the ‘Scottish Honey’ label, has been crowned the winner. Having had a fascination with bees and beekeeping since a young age, Carol now tends six of her own hives in the far northern Highlands of Scotland, producing honey for friends and family, as well as local farm shops and country shows. Beekeeping is a hobby for Carol, alongside her day job as a Project Manager with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and she produces around 100 jars per year.
Experts from The BBKA and Ocado assessed all the qualifying entries against criteria including aroma, appearance, and flavour complexity. Once the entries were shortlisted, Nigella Lawson taste-tested the finalists, to help decide the winner.
‘Scottish Honey’ stood out for its silky texture and deep, rich floral notes. As the winner, Carol receives a prize of £2,000 and gets an opportunity to have her honey listed on Ocado.com, alongside esteemed British honey producers such as M&S and Daylesford Organic, as well as small producers like Black Bee Honey, Truffle Hunter and Scottish Bee Company.
Nigella Lawson, said: “It has been a real honour to be part of the judging panel for this competition; an illuminating learning experience and a delicious process from start to finish! I’m in thrall to the gloriousness of British honey, and my Honeyed Tarte Tatin celebrates that. Being part of this competition has only amplified my admiration for the work of British Beekeepers, and I congratulate Carol Gunn with greedy gratitude for her winning entry”
Nigella’s latest Ocado recipe also celebrates British honey which she adds to a quintessential French classic, in her Honeyed Tarte Tatin, in which she uses Scottish Bee Company Heather Honey. An elegant dessert, it combines honey with just a few additional ingredients – pre-made puff-pastry, apples, butter, thyme and a pinch of salt – allowing the taste of the honey to take centre stage.
Carol Gunn, Winning Beekeeper and Owner of Scottish Honey said: ”I am truly delighted and stunned at the same time. To be named as Britain’s finest small scale honey producer following judgement by the honey experts from the BBKA and Nigella Lawson too, is an amazing feeling.”
Laura Harricks, Ocado Retail chief customer officer comments: “It’s been fantastic to work with the BBKA and Nigella on the competition and a joy to hear from beekeepers up and down the country, about their love of beekeeping and commitment to the craft. We’ve always been passionate about supporting small producers and it’s exciting to think that we could help put Carol’s highland honey on breakfast tables around Britain – so it can be the toast of toast everywhere!”
