Nigel Barden Heritage Award presented to Hilltop Honey

(L-R) John Farrand, Guild of Fine Food, Scott Davies of Hilltop Honey, Nicki Stewart of Diverse Fine Food and Nigel Barden.

Celebrating the very best in food and drink, Great Taste, the world’s most coveted blind-tasted food awards, has reached its grand finale for 2016. The Great Taste Nigel Barden Heritage Award has been presented to Hilltop Honey of Caersws, Powys in Wales, for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Raw Thyme Honey. The award, presented each year to a producer who uses historic production methods, rare breeds or heritage varieties of fruit and vegetables, was created to encourage and reward food producers who celebrate and uphold traditional flavours and characteristics.      

Scott Davies, who founded Hilltop Honey in 2011 with many years’ experience in beekeeping behind him, was presented with this award in front of over 300 guests from the world of fine food at the Great Taste Golden Forks Dinner, held on Monday 5 September at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington.

Nigel Barden, broadcaster and cook, commented;

"British bees have had a tough time over the past years and there’s a real move to make gardens and farms as bee friendly as possible. Great Taste has discovered some fantastic examples of honey at its best. Hilltop Honey’s Raw Thyme Honey is a truly worthy winner of my Heritage Award, as not only are Scott and his fellow beekeepers making exceptional classic raw honey the way nature intended, but he also works with Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust to help protect the bees that make all this possible. Scott, who comes from a Welsh rugby playing background, unfortunately damaged his back working in the family coal business. While recuperating he had a dream about bees and after looking inside a hive, enthusiastically set-out on a career changing journey. Hilltop Honey deserves to be recognised for making this truly delicious product, which tastes all the sweeter for being so wildlife friendly!”  

The Nigel Barden Heritage Award was sponsored by fine food distributors, Diverse Fine Food.

More information on the Great Taste Awards and the Guild of Fine Food can be found at www.gff.co.uk/awards/great-taste-awards.

For more information about Hilltop Honey visit www.hilltop-honey.com.