Bentley Motors’ historic site in Crewe is already famous for producing the models that have carried its “flying B” emblem on the bonnet for one hundred years, but thanks to a new biodiversity initiative, the company is now creating a buzz with the introduction of 120,000 “flying bees” of a different kind.
With the help of local beekeepers, two national hives, which are collectively home to 120,000 British Apis Mellifera honey bees, have been successfully installed on grassland at the edge of the Bentley site. The area has been sown with bee friendly wild flowers – and as it borders the Cheshire countryside, it is proving to be the perfect habitat for the bees, who are settling in well and showing promising signs for the first honey harvest at the end of the summer. Each hive has the potential to create around 15kg – or approximately 50 jars of honey.
“Although our Pyms Lane site is over 80 years old, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve our environmental footprint and achieve our goal of carbon neutral operations,” explains Peter Bosch, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Manufacturing.
“We already have the largest solar car port in the UK on our site – which means that all of our electricity use is now either solar or certified green – so we’ve also started to look at ways we can use our site to increase local biodiversity,” said Peter Bosch.
“Bees populations are in decline in the UK, so installing two hives to help boost biodiversity is a great way to make use of the grassland at the edge of the site,” continued Peter.
“Our “flying bees” are honeybees that have been bred by local beekeepers with over fifty years’ experience. With their help, we’re checking on them every week and it’s great to see that they’re already starting to produce the first Bentley honey,” added Peter.
Photographs by Bentley Motors.