Sweet life: The Duchess of Cornwall . The Duchess of Cornwall has created a buzz with the launch of her own honey, produced in late spring by the bees in her Wiltshire garden. Just 250 jars are being produced, at £20 each, with all proceeds going to charity. But Camilla’s venture reflects a rocketing demand for gourmet honey. Sales of high-end versions are up by 45 per cent at Selfridges since last year. Does luxury honey really taste different enough from ordinary varieties to justify its price tag, though? And how does Camilla’s honey fare against some of its exclusive rivals — including her husband’s Duchy brand? We tested the best-selling gourmet honeys to find out... Duchess of Cornwall Honey . £20 for 227g, Fortnum & Mason . PROMISE: The Duchess’s late-spring honey is made from ‘delicately perfumed nectar with subtle hints of chamomile’ and billed as ‘the ideal accompaniment to ice cream on hot summer days, or for sweetening tea’. All proceeds go to the Medical Detection Dogs charity, of which the Duchess is patron. VERDICT: This tastefully packaged little jar, decorated with a pretty drawing of a pink flower and bee, has a handwritten number on the back. It contains a clear, golden, liquid honey, and when I open the jar a delicate smell of flowers greets my nostrils. When you ooze it over buttered bread, it’s impossible to stop eating. Delicate, delicious and the perfect gift for any honey-lover. A royal winner. 5/5 . Royal winner: Camilla’s honey is made from ‘delicately perfumed nectar with subtle hints of chamomile' Duchy Originals Scottish Heather Honey . £5.10 for 227g, Waitrose . PROMISE: Heathers growing on the Crown Estate in Balmoral produce the nectar for this honey. Beekeepers prize heather honey for its unique taste, and this is a combination of two types of heather, Bell and Ling. VERDICT: Open the jar and just smell the heather aroma before you taste this golden delight. Camilla may have set the bar high but Prince Charles’s answer is also rather beautiful and rare. It has a thick, velvety, sugary texture and a strong but fabulous taste. 3/5 . Duchy Originals Scottish Heather Honey has a thick, velvety, sugary texture and a strong but fabulous taste . Wedderspoon Gold Organic Rata Honey . £14.95 for 325g, wedderspoon.co.uk . PROMISE: Wild Rata trees grow on high land in New Zealand. They flower sporadically, so the nectar is extremely rare. The honey is kept at a low temperature — the same as that of a beehive — to preserve natural enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. VERDICT: Did you ever think honey could taste like a Christmas tree? Take one gulp of this delicious amber nectar and, seconds later, a subtle taste of pines will dance on your tongue. This creamy, firm-set honey scooped a place in the top 50 products (out of 10,000) in the ‘food Oscars’, the Great Taste Awards. Now I’ve tried it, that comes as no surprise. 4/5 . Wedderspoon Gold Organic Rata Honey scooped a place in the top 50 products in the ‘food Oscars’ Tregothnan Cornish Floral Manuka . £29.95 for 113g, tregothnan.co.uk . PROMISE: Although manuka is generally expensive, this is a more normal-tasting version and Britain’s costliest home-grown honey. Most manuka plants grow in New Zealand but bushes have been growing, hidden behind a garden wall, on the Tregothnan estate in Cornwall since 1880. Bees on the estate feast on these plants as well as on flowers in the deer park and gardens and produce honey in state-of-the-art, six-foot hives, which cost £5,000 each. There is only a limited supply made, hence the hefty price tag. VERDICT: This honey is so rare it is sold in very small jars, so every teaspoon is expensive. Yet it sells out fast each year and has a cult following among honey fans. The jar opens to reveal a light, cream-coloured honey with an almost-white crust. Dip your spoon in to discover solid, set honey which tastes like crystallised sugar. I used a small teaspoon on each dessert for a dinner party and my guests raved about it. A treat for anyone with a sweet tooth. 4/5 . Tregothnan Cornish Floral Manuka honey is so rare it is sold in very small jars, so every spoonful is pricey . Vasilissa Greek Honey with Edible Gold Leaf . £39.99 for 250g, selfridges.co.uk . PROMISE: Produced by hand on a small family farm on the island of Evia, this honey is trickled with 24-carat edible gold to make it the ultimate in food bling. The small gold flakes are added to honey made from thyme blossom, infusing it with the flavour of the herb. Greek honey is said to be among the best in the world, thanks to the aroma of mountain herbs and flowers, long sunny days and ancient, organic production methods. VERDICT: The shimmering flecks make this an indulgent gift for any honey-lover. It looks so good, I don’t know whether to open the jar or use it as a paperweight. The beautiful white packaging makes it feel extra-special, and when I unscrew the lid the deep aroma is like a glorious perfume. Inside is a smooth, dark-gold honey that tastes like treacle. The experts who hand-make it say the flavour changes subtly each year; they can recognise each one like wine experts identifying a vintage. Tasting this, I can see why they call honey the food of the gods. 5/5 . Vasilissa Greek Honey  is trickled with 24-carat edible gold to make it the ultimate in food bling . Alemany Rosemary Honey . £7.95 for 500g, souschef.co.uk . PROMISE: This is made by a small producer in northern Spain, still using the same traditional methods after five generations. The nectar comes from rosemary bushes that grow at the foot of the Montsec mountains, and the resulting herb-infused honey has a high iron content. It is said to be particularly good for the digestion, and as an aid to relaxation. VERDICT: This is the honey equivalent of a soft-boiled egg. Dip your spoon in for oozing, runny honey in the middle, but enjoy the crunch of the pale, crystallised honey at the sides. It’s very mild — there is no strong aroma and the rosemary flavour is so delicate that you notice it only after several mouthfuls. It does gives a rather surprising aftertaste, though. This is my daughter Ruby’s favourite honey — she describes it as the best of both worlds, for its double consistency. 4/5 . Alemany Rosemary Honey uses nectar from rosemary bushes that grow at the foot of the Montsec mountains . Welsh Chunk Honeycomb Amphora . £21 for 908g, Fortnum & Mason . PROMISE: Clear Welsh honey with a gentle fruity flavour. The delicate honeycomb adds a crumbly texture. Gathered by bees from the wildflowers of meadows and hedgerows in mid-Wales. VERDICT: This looks impressive — a huge glass jar with golden, syrupy honey and a huge, striking honeycomb in the middle, sparkling like a jewel. The Fortnum & Mason label adds to the impression of real quality. What a disappointment, then, to bite into the honeycomb and find that it tastes of earwax. The chewy mass is like old gum. I spit it out — as does my honey-loving son Charlie, who says it tastes no different from the supermarket own-brand honey we usually buy. Proof that paying more doesn’t always guarantee a pot of gold. 1/5 . Heather Honeycomb Starflower Honey . £19.99 for 227g, selfridges.co.uk . PROMISE: The starflower is another name for the borage plant (which sounds much less exotic). But this herbal flower is rich in calcium, vitamin C and potassium. It is used to strengthen adrenal functions, and its oils are prescribed to treat skin diseases. This light and delicate honey comes from Hampshire, and includes heather honeycomb with a hint of herb flavour. VERDICT: You can’t see the chunky honeycomb until you open the lid, because the pale honey that surrounds it isn’t transparent. I’ve never liked the texture of honeycomb myself, but bite into this and breakfast will never be the same again. It crumbles delightfully in the mouth, while the light honey (not quite runny but not totally set) unleashes a real taste of the countryside. The jar, with its bright yellow ribbon and artisan label, gives this a real sense of occasion. 4/5 . Heather Honeycomb Starflower Honey crumbles delightfully in the mouth, while the light honey unleashes a real taste of the countryside . Chestnut Honey . £6.95 for 500g, souschef.co.uk . PROMISE: A dark, runny honey with a rich, nutty taste and smoky aromas. This is formed from the flowers of the chestnut tree, so it has a slightly bitter, savoury aftertaste. A favourite among chefs, who claim that it adds instant depth to dishes. VERDICT: After tasting so many sweet honeys, this one came as a total shock. A dark brown, treacle-tasting honey, it has a wonderful, unmistakable chestnut aroma. My children didn’t like it at all, but I teamed it with cheese and biscuits to serve after a dinner party and the combination was a winner. Perfect if you want something completely different. 3/5 . Chestnut Honey is a dark, runny honey with a rich, nutty taste and smoky aromas .
Duchess of Cornwall has created a buzz with the launch of her own honey .
The honey is produced in late spring by the bees in her Wiltshire garden .
Just 250 jars are being made, at £20 each, with proceeds going to charity .
But does luxury honey taste different enough to justify hefty price point?