All abuzz over Rolls-Royce honey
Meet the poshest bees in the UK, who ‘work’ for Rolls-Royce. Photo: Rolls-Royce Media
Although car manufacturing has been temporarily suspended, production of another unique, distinctly British treasure is running at record levels at the home of Rolls-Royce: the world’s most exclusive honey.
In their third full season of production, the dedicated 250,000-strong ‘workforce’ in the company’s Apiary is set, once again, to exceed their 2020 volume targets for the Rolls-Royce of Honey.
Having come through the winter in excellent health, Rolls-Royce’s English honey bees are currently emerging from their hives and foraging on the half-a-million trees, shrubs and wildflowers flourishing across the 17 hectare Rolls‑Royce site, plus the eight acres of sedum plants growing on the manufacturing plant’s ‘living roof’ – the largest of its kind in the UK.
The exclusive honey is given to customers plus guests at the Goodwood Estate. Photo: Rolls-Royce Media
The more adventurous bees make sorties into the surrounding Goodwood Estate and its14,900 hectares of West Sussex countryside.
Established in 2017, the Goodwood Apiary comprises six traditional, English-crafted, wooden beehives, each bearing a polished stainless steel nameplate handcrafted in the company’s Bespoke Workshop.
Like the vehicles themselves, each of the beehives are hand built. Photo: Rolls-Royce Media.
Five are named after cars in the Rolls-Royce product family – ‘Phantom’, ‘Wraith’, ‘Ghost’, ‘Dawn’ and ‘Cullinan’ – while the sixth, the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’, celebrates the marque’s illustrious mascot.
Like the 2000 employees of UK Rolls-Royce, the bees are responsible for producing a rare and desirable product. At the end of each season, the Rolls-Royce of Honey is hand‑processed by local specialists and served to guests of the Goodwood Estate, including customers commissioning their motor cars in the company’s Atelier suite.
The Apiary project is Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ response to the threat facing Britain’s honey bee population due to the shortage of suitable forage.
