I’ve been fascinated by Pitcairn honey for a while. I have no idea how I first heard about it, but once I had, I was hooked on the concept. This honey is produced in very small quantities, and is one of the rarest honeys in all the world. It’s only produced on Pitcairn Island, which is where the survivors of the mutiny on the Bounty now live. Now, to me, that’s amazing. This tropical island, near New Zealand, received a grant from the UK government in 1998 in order to fund beekeeping on the island, and I think it was money well spent!
This honey is pretty hard to get hold of. You can order it directly from the island, but the shipping is expensive, and it takes a long while to turn up. I’m the only person who eats honey around here, so the idea of bulk buying honey from a tropical island seemed a bit insane, even by my standards, so I’d pretty much given up on getting any – until I found a pot in Fortnum & Mason last year! My lovely friend Lorraine bought me a pot for my birthday – and it was pretty steep, at £10.95. For novelty value (and because I wasn’t buying it…!) I thought it was a good deal – and then I tasted it.

My goodness.

This is the best honey I’ve ever had in my life.

I’m not a honey expert, but I do love eating it. My favourite kind of honey is the set type, on toast, but I love runny honey on yogurt, as a sweetener – I even love honeycomb. I’ve tried manuka honey, local honey, lavender honey – I’m a fan of honey, let’s just say that. But this honey is like honey made by the gods. It’s got a very weird texture – it’s grainy, and neither very clear, not set – and I think by the time it’s arrived in the UK, it’s slightly fermented as well, but the taste of it is just amazing. There’s a definite tang of tropical paradise in there – you can really taste the blossom of the island’s mango, guava and passion-flower trees. I even love the strange texture – it’s especially good on hot toast! To be honest, I’d never tasted a honey before with such a distinctive taste and personality – there’s no way I’ll ever forget the taste of Pitcairn honey. It’s a shame it’s so expensive, but then again, I’d happily pay £10.95 again for such a gorgeous product!