AN artisan food company has tasted sweet success with a second award for its honey.

The Honey B Company, based in Darlington, has won a Great Taste award for its heather honey, made by bees which feed on the moors in North Yorkshire, County Durham and Northumberland.

The award is the second won by the company after its wildflower honey scooped a Great Taste award last year.

The company had only been launched by Scot Varley around six months earlier.

He said: "I wanted to put a modern spin on honey creating a brand people would recognise.

"I'm really pleased to now have two award-winning honeys - the heather is such a lovely distinct taste it's fantastic it has been recognised with two gold stars."

The honey comes from hives run by Mr Varley's father-in-law John Whent and brother-in-law Paul Whent.

The honey is raw, meaning it has not been pasteurised.

"This helps to preserve the natural enzymes and nutrients. We aim to get the honey from hive to jar with minimal processing," said Mr Varley.

"A big part of the business is trying to educate the public that not all honeys are the same. The taste and characteristics of the honey vary, from the different flowers the bees have foraged on."

The company supplies around 50 farm shops and delis across the region.

It also attends farmers markets in Newcastle and Barnard Castle every month.