Lake District Honey Lowther Castle Blossom Honey

From thrives placed all around the castle, the Lowther bees roam over clover meadows, orchards, native woodland and fields of brassicas to bring us this buttery creamed honey.

Jim Lowther’s Lake District Blossom Honey will include nectar from hawthorn, sycamore, chestnut, wild cherry and dandelions. The honey has a smooth creamed texture and includes some oil seed rape which helps to give the fine grain structure.

‘Honeybees are the canary of land management: if they are thriving it means you must also be looking after the environment well.’

For many years, Jim Lowther has had a passion for bees – and in 2015, he began to farm them himself. Five years on, there are nearly 500 beehives across the estate and Jim Lowther’s Honey has become a popular local product.

Bees are a great indicator of the wellbeing of the land they inhabit. More bees come and more honey is made when there are more flowers and trees to pollinate. Bees have three seasons of production: the spring harvest which consists of nectar mainly from arable crops and early trees species; the main summer harvest, nectar of plants such as clover and trees such as limes; and the late season harvest, nectar from heather once the bees have spent time on the fells.

Bees are now an integral part of the estate plan. With extensive planting of new trees and creation of new grasslands, the Lowther Honeybees can enjoy a more varied diet, thus increasing their yield.