To celebrate World Bee Day (20 May), Crewe-based
Bentley Motors last week announced the expansion of its Excellence Centre for Honey Production, increasing the colony size of the famous ‘Bentley Bees’ from 600,000 to over one million through the installation of seven new bee hives.
As part of the company’s
Beyond100 strategy, Bentley is focusing on making its historic Crewe campus even more environmentally friendly as the company aims towards becoming the leader in sustainable luxury mobility. In a further move, Bentley is encouraging its staff to enhance local biodiversity by handing out wildflower seeds for them to plant in their communities.
Andrew Robertson, head of site and facilities planning, said: “Our Bentley Bees have been at our site for almost five years, producing over 2,000 jars of honey for our colleagues and customers. We hope that by installing seven new hives, in addition to the 10 hives already in place at our Excellence Centre for Honey Production, we can further enhance our positive impact on the local environment as part of a wider sustainability programme. This is to ensure Bentley remains a significant contributor to local biodiversity.”
In partnership with ‘Buckley Bees’, Bentley originally installed a colony of 120,000 indigenous honey bees. This year, the colony will now grow to over one million bees across 17 active bee hives at the company’s headquarters. The Crewe-based manufacturer, hopes that in 2023 Bentley can surpass last year’s record honey harvest, where the bees produced over 1,000 jars of honey while helping to pollinate the on-site flora and bring wider benefits to the surrounding Cheshire countryside.
The Excellence Centre for Honey Production is just one of many initiatives in place to improve site sustainability at the Crewe campus. Other activities include handmade bird and bat boxes placed around the campus, hedgehog highways, allotments and much more. These initiatives help Bentley to support local wildlife and enhance natural beauty in local areas, while also boosting staff mental wellness through the provision of green spaces.