The Jockey Club Venues, a collection of destination event and hospitality venues across the UK, has introduced beehives to Haydock Park Racecourse to boost local biodiversity and supply sustainable home-grown honey to the catering team.
Welcoming around 100,000 bees to the four hives, the venue’s newest inhabitants will play an important ecological role across the 127-acre site and its wider surroundings.
Once established, it is hoped that the honey the bees produce will enhance many of the dishes served as part of the venue’s conference and events menu, including starters, desserts and even cocktails.
The announcement coincides with UN-endorsed World Bee Day, which highlights the essential contribution bees and other pollinators make in keeping people and the planet healthy. Pollinators are crucial to the production of over 75 percent of crops globally, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It has been shown that pollination increases not only the quantity, but also the quality and diversity of our food.
As part of the new initiative, Haydock Park will introduce several theoretical and practical training courses for employees. The courses will cover the craft of beekeeping, the life cycle of bees, methods for honey extraction and preparation, and swarm control.
Paul Muirhead, Deputy General Manager, Haydock Park, said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability and enhancing our local environment, we are proud to introduce four new beehives at Haydock Park. These hives support vital pollinator populations while contributing to the biodiversity of the racecourse grounds.
“In addition to playing an important ecological role, the bees will also help us produce our own honey - an exciting step towards creating hyper-local, sustainable ingredients for our menus. This initiative reflects our dedication to responsible sourcing and our ambition to bring nature closer to our culinary operations.”
Haydock Park, based in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, is a large-scale events venue featuring 1,000 square meters of indoor exhibition space, complemented by over 13 acres of hard standing. Suitable for everything from large-scale conferences and major events, it can cater for up to 20,000 attendees at one time. In addition, its executive boxes and luxurious suites can cater for gatherings of up to 500 delegates.
