DESPITE preparing for Christmas well in advance (I even had some presents bought in June this year) I'm still caught off-guard when the day finally comes around you can guarantee there will be always be something I’ve forgotten to do or a gift that still needs to be bought.

When it comes to buying last minute gifts I am loath to hit the high street: not only is it a pretty stressful experience this time of year, it tends to garner uninspiring and unoriginal presents.

You know those things that just get shoved in the back of a cupboard, re-gifted, sent off the charity shop or worse end up in landfill.

This year I’ll be spared the last minute dash down the high street as Cultivate has some pretty great last minute gift options and we’ll be trading right up until Christmas Eve. In particular I’m eyeing up our Brightwell Bees honey: locally made, sweet and delicious and a super-versatile ingredient, it’s unlikely this gift will sit in the cupboard for long.

Although, as Honey has been found perfectly preserved in Egyptian tombs it wouldn’t matter too much if it did.

In many cultures Honey is a gift that symbolises the sweetness of life.

In Jewish tradition, apple slices are dipped in honey and eaten at Rosh Hashana to bring a sweet new year and a Greek wedding tradition involves a bride making crosses in honey on her new home to ensure happiness and sweetness will enter.

In Finland there is a belief that if a girl bakes a honey cake on Christmas Eve, keeps it in her bed overnight then offers a piece to her sweetheart, he will remain true to her through her life.

Brightwell Bees honey comes from bees housed in hives down on the Earth Trust farm in Little Wittenham and surrounding villages.

It’s cold extracted straight from the hives and therefore has a fantastic flavour.

I’ll be using it to glaze our carrots on Christmas Day and will be keeping it alongside our cheese board to drizzle over goats cheese.

Which has go me thinking, I know the perfect person buy it for – myself!