An alternative to honey, which doesn’t involve bees, has been created at a vegan fruit farm in County Durham.
Dalton Moor Farm, at Dalton-Le-Dale, Seaham, is a centre of sustainable practices with environmental regeneration at its heart, and the farm’s owner has scoured its orchards, fruit trees and hedgerows to develop Hunny – a honey substitute made from the syrup of rowan berries and flowers.
Bee Free Vegan Hunny (£6, 190ml jar) comes in a variety of flavours depending on which additional flowers and herbs have been harvested, and mimics many of the health benefits of manuka honey.
“Like manuka, rowan berries are naturally antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory,” said Dr Jenny Connor, who has spent more than a decade growing crops, rewilding and regenerating the land at her farm. “The syrup has a delightfully complex flavour that does a little dance in your mouth – first fruity, then sweet, sharp, sour, bitter and finally tasting just like honey at the back of your palate. Most importantly for those looking for a vegan honey substitute, it’s ‘Made By Me, Not By Bee’.”
