By Alex Beleaev | Caviar & Gourmet, London | beleaev.com
You can buy genuine artisan honey and preserves in the UK and have them delivered to your door, no specialist deli trip required. The only real question is which one suits what you're doing: a clear honey for everyday, a chilli-spiked one for a cheeseboard, a quince paste for your Manchego. This guide walks through each.
Beleaev carries a small, considered range of honeys and preserves, chosen to do real work in the kitchen and on the table. Below: what we stock, what each is for, and how to pick the right jar.
Key Takeaways
- Choose by use: an everyday honey, a cheeseboard hero, or a baking preserve
- Prices run from around £6.95 for membrillo to £41.95 for French lavender honey
- Acacia is the versatile all-rounder; hot honey is the cheeseboard favourite
- Honeycomb is raw honey in its edible wax comb, the most natural form
- Start with the Beleaev pantry & larder
Which Honey or Preserve Should You Buy?
There's no single best jar. There's the right one for how you'll use it, so it helps to choose by the job rather than the label.
For everyday use: Acacia Honey
The Acacia Honey is the one to keep within reach. A 1kg jar of light, nearly clear honey that pours easily and carries a gentle floral sweetness. It sweetens tea and yoghurt, drizzles over porridge, glazes a roast, and sits happily on a cheeseboard beside milder cheeses. If you buy one honey, make it this. The large jar also makes it the value pick of the range.
For the cheeseboard: Hot Honey
The Hot Honey by Roquito is the jar people talk about. Clear honey blended in the UK with Roquito chilli, so you taste sweetness first and a slow, fruity heat after. It transforms blue cheese, glazes fried chicken, finishes a Margherita straight from the oven. The 720g squeezy bottle is built for generous use. Start with a thin line; the heat builds gently.
For something special: French Lavender Honey
The French Lavender Honey is the indulgent choice, a 500g jar of soft, perfumed honey scented with lavender. It's a honey for slow mornings and quiet boards, and it makes a handsome gift for someone who appreciates the finer jar.
| Product | Size | Character | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Membrillo | quince paste | Firm, fragrant, sliceable | £6.95 |
| Summer Truffle Honey | 90g | Floral honey, earthy lift | £10.12 |
| Hot Honey, Roquito | 720g | Sweet with slow chilli heat | £11.58 |
| Little Scarlet Conserve | 340g | Rare wild strawberry jam | £11.95 |
| English Honeycomb | 190g | Raw honey in edible comb | £14.95 |
| Acacia Honey | 1kg | Light, clear, all-rounder | £17.95 |
| French Lavender Honey | 500g | Floral, perfumed | £41.95 |
Not sure where to start? Acacia for the cupboard, hot honey for the board. Between them they cover most of what you'll want.
Honeycomb and Truffle Honey: The Showpieces
Two jars in the range exist to make a table look as good as it tastes.
Our English Honeycomb is raw honey still held in the bees' own wax comb, sourced from English apiaries and barely processed. The wax is edible and soft; you eat it with the honey. Lay a slab whole on a board, or spoon a wedge onto a cracker with cheese. At 190g it's a centrepiece in itself, and the most natural form honey comes in.
Summer Truffle Honey is millefiori honey from Italy, perfumed with the aroma of summer truffle (Tuber aestivum). It gives a low, earthy lift over soft floral sweetness, and it was made to drizzle over Parmigiano, soft cheese or warm sourdough. A little goes a long way, so the 90g jar lasts. Drizzle it just before serving, while the aroma still reaches the table.
Preserves for the Board and the Tea Table
Beyond honey, two preserves round out the range, and they pull in different directions.
Membrillo is Spanish quince paste, firm and fragrant, dense enough to slice cleanly. It is the traditional partner for Manchego and other aged cheeses, the pairing you find on every tapas bar in Spain. Lay a slice across the board or serve it alongside cured meats. At around £6.95 it's the easiest way to make a cheeseboard look considered.
Little Scarlet Strawberry Conserve by Tiptree is the tea-table choice, made from the rare wild Little Scarlet strawberry and famously the only jam James Bond would eat. A 340g jar of one of the most prized conserves there is, made for warm scones, brioche and a proper afternoon tea.
How to Choose Artisan Honey Well
A few things separate a worthwhile jar from a forgettable one.
Buy for the job. A clear, light honey for everyday sweetening, a bold or infused one for the cheeseboard, a firm preserve for slicing. Match the jar to how you'll actually use it and nothing goes to waste at the back of the cupboard.
Mind the origin. Honey carries the character of where it's made. Our acacia and lavender honeys are chosen for distinct, recognisable flavour, and the honeycomb comes from English apiaries. The label should tell you where it's from.
Read the processing. The less honey is messed with, the better it tastes. Honeycomb is the least processed form there is, eaten straight from the comb. Raw and minimally processed honeys keep more of their natural character.
Think about size. A 1kg jar of acacia earns its keep in daily use; a 90g jar of truffle honey is meant to be rationed over a board. Buy the format that matches how fast you'll get through it.
How It's Delivered
We deliver our honeys and preserves across the UK, packed to arrive in the same condition they left us. Jars travel well, so this is the easy end of gourmet delivery; no cold chain to worry about, just careful packing.
Order one jar or build a small selection. You don't need a trade account, and you don't need to buy in bulk. If you're putting together a cheeseboard, our companion guide explains which honey and preserve suits which cheese.
FAQ
Where can I buy artisan honey in the UK?
Online, from specialists who name the origin and the style. Beleaev delivers a curated range of artisan honeys and preserves across the UK, from everyday acacia to honeycomb, hot honey and French lavender honey. Choose by how you'll use the jar rather than by price alone.
What is the best honey to buy for a cheeseboard?
Hot honey is the cheeseboard favourite, lifting blue and aged cheeses with sweetness and a slow chilli heat. Truffle honey suits hard cheeses like Parmigiano, and a slab of honeycomb makes a natural centrepiece. For milder cheeses, a light acacia honey works well.
How much does artisan honey cost in the UK?
It varies by type and size. Membrillo starts around £6.95, hot honey around £11.58 for a large bottle, acacia around £17.95 for a 1kg jar, and French lavender honey around £41.95 for 500g. You're paying for origin, character and how little the honey has been processed.
Is honeycomb worth buying over jarred honey?
If you want a centrepiece, yes. Honeycomb is raw honey in its edible wax comb, the most natural form, and it looks handsome on a board. Jarred honey is more practical for everyday sweetening and drizzling. Many people keep both for different occasions.
How are honey and preserves delivered?
Jars are packed carefully and shipped across the UK by courier. Unlike fresh or frozen goods, honey and preserves keep well and need no cold chain, so they travel reliably. You can order a single jar or build a small selection in one delivery.
Choose Your Jar
The right honey, chosen for how you'll use it, earns its place in the cupboard for months. Acacia for everyday, hot honey for the board, a preserve for the cheese: a small range covers a lot of ground.
Explore the Beleaev pantry & larder, from the everyday Acacia Honey to the cheeseboard Hot Honey and a slice of Membrillo for your Manchego. To pair them with the right cheese, read our guide to honey and preserves for the cheeseboard. Discover the rest across our caviar and gourmet collection.
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