Bee our guest…
You may have noticed that there's been a bit of a buzz about bees in recent months. We've been warned that our fuzzy flying friends are under threat and if the bee population continues to decline it could have a hugely detrimental effect on our environment and ecology. Ireland is home to 21 different species of bumblebee of which over half are in decline. Indeed, the numbers show that unless something changes, we could stand to lose a third of our bee species by 2030.
Something to be thankful for is that fact that our honeybee species is still doing well, and this is largely due to the practice of beekeeping. Many of Ireland’s Blue Book hotels and country houses boast a farm to fork ethos with produce from onsite gardens and local farms. But did you know that some even produce organic honey from their own beehives? Not only do these busy workers produce delicious honey for breakfast and dessert, but they also pollinate the gardens and grounds of the properties they occupy. Here are our Blue Book Houses that have their own resident bees.
1. Ballymaloe House, Co Cork
Did you know that Ballymaloe means the ‘place of sweet honey’? It is only fitting that Ballymaloe House and its blossoming gardens have two beehives collecting bees from the local area. The bees are looked after by Darren Allen. The honey produced is used at breakfast time, as well as some of Ballymaloe’s unique recipes including Lavender Jelly and Honey Mousse.
2. The Wilder, Dublin
The Wilder Townhouse is introducing it’s very own Wilder Beehives, which will be producing “Wilder Bee” honey in partnership with The Dublin Honey Bee Project. The Wilder Bee Honey will be available exclusively to guests of The Wilder Townhouse!