This October, there is to be an extravaganza in the heart of the west end to promote the magical qualities of honey.

This is an interesting concept, which combines the wonders of honey with the pure bullshit of marketing.

The language is revealing. The use of a word like terroir does not apply to honey, though the plants will be influenced by their environment, their qualities will be the same.

Wine and cheese require fermentation – a completely different process from the production of honey – and this focus detracts from the simple miracle of what the bees do, which is invert sugars and reduce the water content to make honey.

I’ve no problem with promoting honey as a high quality natural food stuff – it’s what we do at SKA. But we believe honey is one of those foods that can and should be sourced locally.

It is a sustainable product and allows individuals and their families to drastically reduce their environmental footprint through the reduction of their household’s responsibilities for food miles.

This is something I would expect Bermondsey Street Bees to articulate, given all the good work they do, so I hope they make that point in their presentations.

Anyway, it’s an interesting idea. Maybe I’ll get tickets myself…

Soho, London, 6-8 October, TICKETS ON SALE SOON

Bompas & Parr is curating the world’s most extensive art installation dedicated to some of the rarest honeys in the world.

For 6th to 8th October 2016, a four-floor townhouse in Soho will be transformed into a golden hive of activity for Relais & Chateaux, the international hotel group, featuring an immersive experiential art installation and gastronomic tasting of honeys collected from its properties worldwide.

The experience focuses on eight honeys produced in extremely low quantities from as far afield as Japan, the US, New Zealand, France, Spain and the UK, allowing guests to appreciate the influence of their respective terroirs.

Tastings will be conducted by award-winning honey experts from Bermondsey Street Bees, who will directly connect the micro-climates and local geographic traits of Relais & Châteaux with the aromatic and taste profile of each respective honey.

The Joy of Bees includes a fragrant indoor garden, a buzzing live honeybee observation hive, honeycomb-inspired contemporary art, honey tasting from around the world led by a honey sommelier, hands-on chef cookery demos and more.

The activation reflects the hotel group’s dedication to ecology and sustainability, with many of the properties and hotelkeepers becoming beekeepers, giving these vital pollinators a habitat in which to live, and allowing its chefs to build in the unique attributes of local honeys into their own style of cuisine.

 

For more nonsense and how to book tickets, go to: News / Bompas & Parr