With Britain's bees continuing to face major challenges, the St Ermin's Hotel, Westminster will be holding a series of taster urban beekeeping workshops during the Chelsea Fringe led by bee guru, Camilla Goddard of Capital Bee. The popular workshops will be held on Saturdays 16th and 30th April; 7th and 21st May, with more to follow in September during the hotel's annual 'honey month'. Two options will be available to book – the 2.5 hour workshop plus speciality honey cocktail in the Caxton Bar at £30pp or the course with delicious afternoon tea in the hotel's Tea Lounge at £45pp.
Having nurtured the St Ermin's 300,000 strong colony of Buckfast honey bees for the past few years, Camilla is keen to demonstrate how small actions by all of us can make a big difference for our buzzy friends:
“It's been a tough few years for these small but immensely industrious creatures – simple steps in our garden planting to provide year round forage can make a huge difference,” she said.
“The St Ermin's six active hives are currently doing well, producing on average 25lb of honey each year, helped by the fantastic range of flora in the surrounding royal gardens and parks. It's been a very strange, warm winter and we're waiting to see how this affects colony come spring - but early signs seem positive. London's only Bee & B at the hotel is also doing well, providing a welcoming stopover for solitary bees and a host of other friendly creepy crawlies!”
The 2.5-hour workshops outline the complexities of bee society and beehaviour; highlight the close relationship between bees and flowers and give guidance on what to plant, when and where and how best to site hives in gardens or allotments. Participants also visit London's first 'Bee & B' hotel on the hotel's third floor wildflower terrace to get real hands-on experience handling bees, managing their hives and collecting raw honey*.
