Originally crafted by the talented Joe at @todays_tipple as the perfect love potion for couples on Valentine’s Day, we’re so smitten with this stunner that we just had to share the recipe for it. After all, who said making eyes at each other over a gorgeous cocktail was just for February?
Blushed with pink and fabulously floral, the tart tang of the rhubarb is the perfect pairing for the subtle sweetness of the honey wine. Our suggestion? Buy a bottle of mead immeadiately and fall in love all over again with a sweet little sip, all pretty in pink.
The perfect amount for 2… obviously.
How To:
First up, a homemade ginger cordial.
Combine:
– 50g Grated Rhubarb
– 25g Grated Ginger
– 10g Lime Zest
– 20g Lime Juice
– 50g Maison Mirabeau Gin
– 20g Caster Sugar
– 10g Honey
The gin helps draw more flavour out of the ingredients and thins it out enough to let you strain it through muslin cloth. Leave mixture to infuse for 12 hours, stirring well. For every 10g of strained cordial, add 0.1g Malic Acid.
Then take 75ml of Loxwood Honey Wine, the Rhubarb and Ginger Cordial.
Mix, bottle, chill, pour.
Say cheers to your undying love.
Enjoy a sip of something a little different.
While smoked cheddar cheese was a delicious match, I found that the ultimate food pairing involved a kick of spice. Sweet and spicy is a great combo in wine pairing, however, too much heat with a high alcohol content can be potent; both amplify each other. At 12%, the alcohol content of the mead is similar to an average white wine, which for really spicy food such as a hot curry could be too high.
With this in mind, my perfect pairing includes a subtle heat, along with flavours to compliment the honey and citrus notes of the mead. My recipe for Harissa & Honey Hot Chicken Wings is a harmonious match, incorporating warm harissa spices and hot pepper sauce with honey and lime juice in the sticky glaze. I enjoyed these with griddled halloumi and flatbreads.
Harissa & Honey Hot Wings Recipe
Makes 8 chicken wings. For a vegan option substitute the chicken for cauliflower florets.
Ingredients
– 30g Cornflour
– 30g Plain flour
– 2 tsp Cumin
– 2 tsp Smoked paprika
– 500g Chicken wings
– Spray oil
– 1 tbsp Harissa paste
– 2 tsp Hot pepper sauce
– 1 tbsp honey
– ½ Lime juiced
Method
– Pre-heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
– In a bowl, mix together the flours, cumin, paprika plus season, then tip in the chicken wings and toss until fully coated. Put the wings onto a large rack above a large baking tray, with a little space around each. Spray the wings with oil then cook for 45 minutes or until crispy.
– When the chicken is almost cooked, add the harissa paste, hot sauce, honey and lime juice into a small pan and simmer, then take off the heat.
– Once the wings are crispy, coat them with the harissa hot sauce and toss until covered, then serve.
Acidity is important when approaching a pairing with “fatty” foods. On the palate Pure Mead bursts with citrus notes followed by refreshing acidity. The acidity perfectly cuts through the fattiness and richness of the cheeseboard, cleaning your palate after every bite.
2) Complement
Look for flavours in the wine and the food that work well together. Nutty cheeses, e.g. Comté or an Aged Cheddar, will complement well with the hazelnut notes in the Pure Mead.
3) Contrast
Sometimes contrast is good… think of peanut butter and jelly. Our Pure Mead has a delicate sweetness that contrasts beautifully with a salty blue, e.g. Sitlon.
4) Sweetness (Off-Dry)
No matter the size of the cheeseboard, no one can do without chutney, or fresh apple/ pear… or a spoonful of honey. When choosing a wine it must be sweeter than the dish (board) or else the wine can appear flabby.
5) Strength
The food and wine should be harmonious and ensure that neither personality overpowers the other. Pure Mead’s creamy, rich texture will meet the match of many of its cheesy friends… try for yourself.
Whether you are at the start of your wine pairing journey or looking to discover the next best pairing, your taste buds are truly the best guide. The only tip is to “individually taste the cheese followed by a sip of the wine to see how the flavours change and complement each mouthful’. Otherwise, enjoy the journey.
Order your bottle of Pure Mead for your next picnic here.
– De-skin the sausages or roll out the sausage meat.
– Place in the centre of the pastry and drizzle on honey and sprinkle of salt.
– Egg wash one side of the pastry, fold over and crimp seal with a fork.
– Chop into chunks and place on a greased baking tray.
– Egg wash the pastry and sprinkle sesame seeds.
– Bake at 200C for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
1. Chill out.
If you don’t have a cool box to keep things icy cold, grab a few bags of ice from the supermarket and a freezer insulated bag for life. You can fashion a makeshift ice bucket or pop the ice cubes straight in your glass.
2. Posh props.
Make it feel special with a hamper, proper glasses and nice blanket. These gorgeous Beehive Throws from The British Blanket Company are made from 100% wool and all profits go to our charity partner, The Bee Friendly Trust.
3. Spread out.
It’s all about the spread – lovely little nibbles to graze on as well as a bottle of Pure Mead, what else! Pair it with a cheese board, fresh bread, juicy strawberries, posh crisps or a Quorn cocktail sausage. Or make your own with our recipe for simple pork & honey sausage rolls.
4. Game on.
Put your phones away and pack a board game or deck of cards. Scrabble’s easy to transport if you just bring the board and bag of tiles, leave that clunky box at home.
5. Stay safe.
Enjoy many more picnics to come without sunburn, a severe hangover or worse. Don’t forget to pack the sunscreen, a bottle of water and keep a safe distance.
Order your bottle of Pure Mead for your next picnic here.
As always, our recipes are a bit ‘bish, bash, bosh’ so just go for it and have fun!
Ingredients
– Chicken wings (obvs)
Seasoning:
– 1 tsp chicken seasoning
– 1 tsp black pepper
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1 tsp mixed herbs
– 2 tsp soy sauce
Glaze:
– Mustard (your choice but French or English work best)
– 1/2 cup of quality English honey (the more local the better)
– 1/2 a lemon
– 2 tsp turmeric
– Loxwood Meadworks Pure Mead
– Brown sugar
Method
– Poke small holes in the chicken wings, coat with the seasoning and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
– When you’re ready, remove the wings from the fridge and set the oven to 180ºC.
– Lay them out on a baking tray and place in the oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway through.
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze…
– In a saucepan, add brown sugar with a little water until it becomes syrup-like.
– Add in the honey, turmeric, squeeze the lemon in and the mustard (to taste).
– Add a generous slosh of Pure Mead, cover and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
– Once the wings have been in for the 40 minutes, remove from the oven and brush with half of the glaze.
– Bake for a further 5 minutes, remove and coat with the rest of the glaze. Bake for a final 5 minutes.
– Serve! Garnish with finely chopped spring onion or as part of a meal with sweet potato mash and crunchy green beans.
We’re so honoured and delighted to be partnered with the Bee Friendly Trust, a charitable organisation who help the bees to help the planet. Here, we spend 5 minutes finding out what makes these guys so special…
In one sentence, what does the Bee Friendly Trust do?
Our mission is to create habitats for honey bees and all pollinators to thrive.
How did it all start?
It all began with two urban beekeepers, Luke and Qais putting some bee friendly planters on Putney station in West London. The aim was to increase forage for urban bees. That was in 2016. From this one small project the charity was born. Nearby stations asked for planters. Network Rail and Transport for London got involved. The two beekeepers were joined by others. Now the charity has a dedicated team of specialists and volunteers.
Amazing, tell us more about the work you do.
We want to create beautiful spaces for people and bees. Honey bees can fly up to three miles from the hive when out foraging for pollen and nectar, but in areas that are densely populated or over-farmed they sometimes struggle to find enough food.
That’s why we’re working with railway authorities, community rail partnerships, and local groups across the UK to install bee-friendly flowering planters, fruit tree orchards and micro wildlife gardens on railway station platforms. Yes, platforms. Because we’re all about sharing and that way the commuters can benefit as well as the bees.
Following the success of our railway station platform work, we have expanded our offering to other sites around the country, working with groups and communities to create bespoke pollinator-friendly habitats that satisfy not only specific site requirements but also a community’s own unique needs. We also commission local artists to create interest in our bee-friendly projects.
That’s so exciting, how can people get involved?
Whether you want to get your hands dirty and help tend a railway station planter, or would like to nominate a suitable site to join our network, there are many ways to get involved. You can donate money, time, knit knitted bees and, of course, shop with our partners! All the details are on our website.
And your partners, like us, how does that help?
We work with some amazing British businesses, community groups and individuals, who support our work and share our vision. Collaboration is key to our work.
It’s so great to see new businesses giving back to the bees, and for Loxwood Meadworks to promise 10% of their profits to UK bee charities like us will go a long way. As long as people buy and drink the mead!
Finally, can you tell us why you think looking after the bees is so important?
Did you know that one third of the world’s food wouldn’t exist without honeybees? Bees are such an integral part of our planet’s ecosystem and without them, we wouldn’t survive, it’s that simple. We need to do everything we can to keep bees surviving and thriving.
And remember, we promise to donate 10% of our profits to UK bee charities including the Bee Friendly Trust. You could do your bit and buy a bottle right now.
This recipe has been kindly shared with us from @foodworthcelebrating but, as always, feel free to make substitutions based on what you have available. If you need to switch out something it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s made with love and we’re not wasting food!
The only caveat is – if you can afford it and if you can get it – always invest in good English honey, the more local, the better. #beekind
– Prepare the chicken by scoring the top of each breast to make more crevices for the marinade. Be careful not to cut the whole way through! Set to one side.
– In a large mixing bowl, make the marinade by mixing the remaining ingredients together.
– Add the chicken breasts to the mixing bowl and cover the chicken in the marinade.
– If you aren’t in a hurry to eat, cover the bowl and pop the bowl in the fridge for a few hours to marinate.
– When you’re ready for it, place the chicken breasts on a lined baking tray and cook in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 20 minutes (25 minutes if large chicken breasts).
– Turn on the grill and grill for a further 3 – 5 minutes to caramelise the top.
– Serve with some veggies, potatoes and/or salad, and enjoy!
Serve with a chilled glass of Pure Mead – the sweetness pairs beautifully with the smokiness of the chorizo and the dry finish leaves your palette clean.
This recipe is designed as a guide so use your instincts and feel free to make substitutions based on what you have available. If you need to switch out something it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s made with love and we’re not wasting food!
The only caveat is – if you can afford it and if you can get it – always invest in good English honey, the more local, the better. #beekind
Ingredients
– Sliced chorizo or mini chorizo
– A couple of tablespoons of English honey
– Loxwood Meadworks Pure Mead
– Finely chopped shallot or small white onion
– A crushed garlic clove
– Pinch of salt
– Glug of olive oil
– Fresh basil (optional).
Method
– Finely chop your onion and crush your garlic. Slice the chorizo.
– In a large pan, pour a glug of olive oil and set on a medium heat. Add the onion.
– When the onion starts to soften, add the garlic and stir.
– Move the garlic and onion to the side of the pan then add the chorizo.
– Let the chorizo simmer, turning to cook even on either side.
– When it’s started to crisp up, stir the garlic and onion back in and add a generous slosh of Pure Mead.
– Take a moment to enjoy the mead-y steam then add in the honey and a sprinkle of salt.
– Turn the heat to low and continue to stir until the juices become sticky.
– Turn out into a bowl and pour over the syrupy sauce. Garnish with a sprinkling of roughly chopped fresh basil and pop in a few cocktail sticks, ready to serve.
Finally, pour yourself a chilled glass of Pure Mead and congratulate yourself on a job well done!
Cooking should be fun – a way to bring people together. These recipes are designed as a guide so use your instincts and feel free to make substitutions based on what you have available. If you need to switch out something fresh for dried, it doesn’t matter – as long as it’s made with love and we’re not wasting food!
The only caveat is – if you can afford it and if you can get it – always invest in good English honey, the more local, the better. #beekind
Ingredients
– Block of full-fat feta cheese (pictured is not full-fat feta, but it’s all there was left in the supermarket!)
– A couple of tablespoons of English honey
– Fresh chillies or chilli flakes, to taste
– Finely chopped shallot or small white onion
– Pinch of salt
– A handful of fresh mint
– Glug of olive oil
Fresh bread to serve.
Method
– Preheat the oven to 200C.
– Tear a large piece of tin foil and place a large piece of baking paper on top. (This is where you decide if you want to do one big piece or make smaller portions)
– Sprinkle the onion, then place the block of feta in the middle of the paper.
– Drizzle a bit of olive oil, a tablespoon of honey, sprinkle the chillies and a pinch of salt.
– Bring in two sides of the foil or roll together the top and sides to create a parcel.
– Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
– While it’s in the oven, get your bread ready – toast it or pop it in the oven to warm, depends on the type of bread you’re serving with.
– Roughly chop some fresh mint.
– Take your parcel out of the oven and place on a tray or board to serve. Carefully open the parcel and finish it off with a final drizzle of olive oil, salt and the fresh mint.
– Serve in the foil, get tucked in with a chunk of fresh bread, and enjoy!!
Serve with a chilled glass of Pure Mead – the gentle sweetness cuts through the tanginess of the feta, cools the heat of the chilli and balances the freshness of the mint.
