Rolls-Royce unique honey exceeds their 2020 quantity targets
The conservation of these vital but declining species is in line with Rolls-Royce's broader environmental vision and practice
Although the car manufacturing of the brands has been temporarily suspended, the production of another unique, clearly British treasure in the Home of is at record levels Rolls Royce: the most exclusive honey in the world.
In their third full production season, the 250,000 employees in the company's apiary will once again exceed their 2020 volume targets for the "Rolls-Royce of Honey". After the English honey bees from Rolls-Royce got through the winter in excellent health, they are currently emerging from their beehives and looking for half a million trees, shrubs and wildflowers on the 42-hectare Rolls-Royce site as well as on the eight hectares of land thrive on sedimentary plants growing on the “living roof” of the manufacturing facility – the largest of its kind in Britain.
The more adventurous bees work in the surrounding Goodwood Estate, whose 12,000 hectares of landscape in West Sussex are among the fame of South Downs National Park.
Founded in 2017, the Goodwood apiary consists of six traditional, English-made wooden beehives, each bearing a polished stainless steel nameplate that was handmade in the company's bespoke workshop. Five are named after Rolls-Royce family cars – "Phantom", "Wraith", "Ghost", "Dawn" and "Cullinan" – while the sixth, "Spirit of Ecstasy", celebrates the brand's famous mascot.
Like the 2,000 employees in the Home of Rolls-Royce, the bees are responsible for the production of a rare and desirable product. At the end of each season, The Rolls-Royce of Honey is carefully handcrafted by local specialists and served to the brand's guests, including customers who operate their cars in the company's studio suite.
The beehive project is Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' response to the real and current threats to the British honey bee population. Honeybees are the main pollinators of numerous tree and plant species, including many fruit and vegetable plants, which are critical to local agriculture around the home of Rolls-Royce. However, a lack of suitable feed, mainly caused by habitat loss, has put their numbers under increasing pressure in recent years.
The South Downs National Park on the doorstep of the Rolls-Royce house reflects this national trend. The chalk downland, where pollinators such as honeybees, bumblebees and the blue adonis butterfly live, accounts for only four percent of the total area of the national park in fragmented pockets that make it difficult for pollinators to move through the landscape.
With the timing of the providence, the creation of the apiary gave an early boost to a new campaign by the South Downs National Park Trust to address this critical issue. The Bee Lines initiative supports farmers and landowners in creating new flower-filled "corridors" to connect habitats and help bees and other pollinators to thrive. Residents and businesses within the national park borders are also encouraged to get involved through initiatives such as planting wildflowers in gardens and on the premises.
"The apiary further underlines our commitment to the environment, which affects everything we do at Goodwood," said Richard Carter, director of global communications at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
“Our sustainable buildings, thermal ponds, rainwater management systems and wild poultry shelter have made the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood one of the UK's most environmentally friendly manufacturing facilities. With this project, which unlocks the biodiversity of our site, including our huge living roof, we are making an important contribution to the conservation of the UK's vital bee population. "
