Sweet start to the new year !

I am convinced that I was a bee in my former life.
I mean, I look awful in yellow, but I do have quite an affinity for honey. It’s a sticky situation – I could be quite content putting honey in just about every beverage and food I consume (and I do.) Honey is the perfect addition to any meal – Breakfast (Honey in a yogurt and muesli parfait, honey on top of waffles, honey in muffins), Lunch (Honey in my winter soups, honey in my salad dressings), Dinner (Honey on roasted sweet potatoes, Honey grilled chicken) and Dessert (Honey in dessert cookies and cakes). That little plastic bear ubiquitous in the US (but who I have yet to see in these parts – is he afraid of air travel I wonder? Poor bear) is my favorite meal companion.
My current favorite honey (yes, I do have a favorite honey. If I can have a favorite outfit, restaurant or celebrity crush, why not a favorite honeycomb?) is Wilkin & Sons. I discovered the honey while having tea at my (un)official HQ, l’Hôtel, on the rue des Beaux Arts. There’s nothing better in this bitter winter cold than (okay, I take that back – a private jet to a Brazilian beach with George Clooney and an unlimited supply of mojitos and Chanel swimwear might actually be better) a hot (Kusmi – what else?) tea in the cozy bar room of l’Hôtel. When I ask for honey with my tea (which is every day, mind you), they bring out tiny pots of Wilkin & Sons. honey. It’s the perfect size for a tea, and even better for travel. Wilkin & Sons mini honeypots are a freelance journalist’s dream. They are perfect for a long day on the go, and a great airport companion. Not to mention the fact that they are soooo cute!
So thank you Mr. Wilkin, and your sons, for sweetening up my days. And, happy birthday ! The Wilkin family has been farming on the Tiptree farm in Essex for almost 300 years and they are celebrating their jam-making 125th anniversary this year. Arthur Charles Wilkin made his first strawberry jam at Tiptree in 1885 and today, his great grandson Peter Wilkin is continuing the family tradition. The company is planning a series of events to celebrate its 125th year. Wilkin & Sons make a wide variety of honeys – I enjoy the mini-acacia pots, but they also make English honey, orange blossom honey, organic honey, New Zealand clover honey and comb honey. They also make jellies, conserves, marmalades and savories. They’re most famous for their “little Scarlett” variety of intensely-flavored strawberry jellies. These berries are only picked during a 3-week period in June, but Wilkin & Sons. have the products available from May through October.

Check out Wilkin & Sons. fabulous honeys and jams on their website:
http://www.tiptree.com/
…Or, come join me for a tea at l’Hôtel soon !