Lovingly Artisan Bakery strikes up a sweet partnership with sustainable honey producer
Following its partnership with artisan condiment maker Hawkshead Relish earlier this year, Northwest-based Lovingly Artisan is again making life a little bit sweeter for consumers.
The bakery only works with organic suppliers, which is why it has struck up a relationship with The Lake District Honey Company, the latest venture by Jim Lowther, 7th Earl of Lonsdale, located on the estate at Lowther Castle.
Lowther believes bees are essential in building a sustainable food system.
According to the official Lowther site, “bees are a great indicator of the wellbeing of the land they inhabit.
“Honeybees are the canary of land management: if they are thriving it means you must also be looking after the environment well.”
Bees today are an integral part of the estate plan. The Lake District Honey Company produces small batch honey from an apiary of over 500 hives – nearly all of which Lowther made himself – located across the estate’s ancient meadow lands, moorlands and woodlands.
'Bees have three seasons of production'
From its hives, the Lake District Honey Company produces three types of honey throughout the year:
- Lake District Blossom Honey – a smooth creamy honey made from the nectar of hawthorn, sycamore, chestnut, wild cherry and dandelion, with a hint of oil seed rape to produce a fine grain structure.
- Lake District Heather Honey – a distinctive smoky honey made from the nectar from the purple flowers of bell and ling heather found on the moors around Shap.
- Lake District Wildflower Honey – a runny honey made from nectar from a variety of wildflowers, including willow herb, lime, clover, wild raspberry and bramble.
The 100% natural honey is harvested and jarred by hand and sold through various natural outlets, including Lowther Castle, The Health Food Shop and Manuka Health Store, among others, along with Lovingly Artisan’s Plumgarths and Altrincham shops, as well as from its online store for nationwide delivery.
“We love working with like mind-family businesses, especially when they share the same ethos as us in terms of their provenance and the quality of the produce they create,” said Catherine Connor, co-owner of Lovingly Artisan Bakery.
“The Lake District Honey Company are certainly a great example of both of those things and we look forward to working with them more in the coming months.”
