AN ECO-minded hotel in Leamington is buzzing with excitement about its new guests.
Mallory Court Hotel and Spa has welcomed its own resident bees and has four new hives in its gardens, as well as its own beekeeper.
The bees originally arrived as two hives – one a rescue colony and the other adopted – and have grown in numbers over the summer.
The hotel is hoping the project not only boosts local bee numbers and pollinates green spaces in its gardens, but is also exploring how its local and sustainably-produced honey can be used in recipes at its restaurant.
Lottie Buckland is the hotel’s new resident beekeeper, but taking care of them is very much a family affair with her two young children, nine-year-old Betty and five-year-old Joseph, often found in their bee suits at Mallory Court helping the hives to flourish.
The 42-year-old said: “I have always been fascinated by bees, but only got into beekeeping at the beginning of last year when taster sessions were offered by our local Warwick and Leamington Beekeepers branch.
“Within the space of a week I had completed my Introduction to beekeeping course, acquired my own bees, and filled my first beehive, and I’m now on the display committee of the local beekeeping branch and also the British Beekeeping Association – so it has been a bit of a whirlwind with a steep but amazing learning curve.
“When I took on two new hives, I needed a location to allow them to grow and Mallory Court offered their beautiful gardens, which is an ideal location for them to thrive. The hotel and its staff really appreciate the role bees have to play with regards to biodiversity, and in return the bees are pollinating the wonderful kitchen gardens.
“Next year we will hopefully have a good honey harvest if the weather is kind and the bees are able to get plenty of foraging time.”
