Our Honey
Our pure Honey from Charles Butler Apiary
Our pure Hampshire honey has been produced by honey bees collecting nectar and pollen from wild flowers, lime trees, and summer fruits and flowers next to the pastoral home of Charles Butler, The Father of English Beekeepers, in Wootton St Lawrence, Basingstoke. We like to think that Charles Butler’s bees shared the very same location!
In its simplest form, pure honey is gently filtered with nothing more added to the honey - no sweeteners, oils or flavours. So it free from any tampering, and being pure, contains natural goodness with antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Enjoying our honey will help your body fight any infection and boost your immune systems.
More about our honey
Honey gets its flavour from nature as it comes from the pollen in local flowers from plants, bushes and trees that bees forage on.
There are many types of pure honey: blossom (spring), oil-seed rape (late spring), meadow / fruit (summer), bramble / hedgerow flowers (late summer), ivy (early autumn) etc.
Each of our Charles Butler seasonal honey will therefore be unique and will depend on the environment, local flowers, time of the year that our bees have foraged on.
How to buy our pure Charles Butler honey
We will be attending shows and events during the season where you can taste the honey before you buy, as well as enjoy delicious samples of honey cake, honey health bars and honey breads. Recipes available too.
Our Recipes
Here is a selection of our downloadable recipes, each made with our own honey – enjoy!
Beware Adulterated Honey - Fake Honey
“Adulterated honey” is honey that has been mixed with some other substance; usually a similar but cheaper, sweetener like corn syrup or sugar. While fake honey may look like pure honey, the key difference is that is made in a factory rather than by nature.
Fake honey also:
contains a mix of bee honey and cheaper cane or other syrups
often has a high composition of water diluting the honey
has added artificial or synthetic ingredients such as dyes and flavour enhancers
sourced from multiple countries on the label
has been pasteurised and heated to a high temperature - a process which destroys the natural properties of the honey.
Did you know the health benefits of honey?
Honey isn’t just a natural sweetener — it has been used for centuries in food, medicine, and skincare because of its rich nutrient and bioactive profile. Here are the main health benefits of honey:
🍯 Health Benefits of Honey:
1. Rich in Antioxidants
• Contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids.
• Antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress, which is linked to heart disease, cancer, and aging.
2. Supports Wound Healing & Skin Health
• Manuka honey is especially well known for its antibacterial and wound-healing properties.
• Can help treat burns, cuts, ulcers, and skin infections when applied topically.
3. Natural Antibacterial & Anti-fungal Properties
• The enzyme glucose oxidase produces hydrogen peroxide, giving honey mild antiseptic qualities.
• May help fight bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and fungi like Candida.
4. Soothes Sore Throats & Coughs
• A spoonful of honey can coat the throat, reducing irritation.
• Some studies show it may work as well as over-the-counter cough syrups, especially in children (over 1 year old).
5. Digestive Health
• Can act as a prebiotic, supporting healthy gut bacteria.
• Sometimes used to relieve indigestion or mild diarrhea.
6. Heart Health
• May help lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and reduce triglycerides when used in moderation instead of refined sugar.
7. Boosts Energy
• Provides quick, natural energy from simple sugars (fructose + glucose).
• Popular among athletes for a fast energy source before or during workouts.
⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind
• High in sugar & calories → Best in moderation (1–2 teaspoons daily).
• Not safe for infants under 12 months → Risk of infant botulism.
• Benefits vary depending on the type → darker honeys (like buckwheat, manuka) usually contain more antioxidants.
✅ In short: Honey is healthiest when used as a natural replacement for refined sugar and when applied medicinally for cough relief, skin healing, and gut health.