heather honey recipes from our cookery writer, philippa davis

For a chef, the complex and unique flavours of heather honey make it a wonderfully interesting and special ingredient to add to the right dish. I love how the taste starts sweet, is then followed by a wild, botanical rush and finishes on a slightly bitter tang.

The heather variety can be quite pricy in comparison to other honeys (and rightly so, considering the work and risk it takes to produce), so I tend to add it mostly towards the end of cooking when it can have the best impact on flavour; also, by not over heating, the excellent health benefits can be preserved. Here are three recipes that I think work really well and, of course, taste even better when served on the moors where heather honey is produced.