The Dolphin Shopping Centre in Poole has seen a huge interest in the honey produced by its very own rooftop garden bees.
The centre has been selling jars of honey since August and has raised more than £300 so far for local charity, Chestnut Nursery. Jars are on sale for £5 each and there are just a few jars remaining.
National Honey Week runs from Monday October 22 to Sunday October 28 to celebrate honey made throughout the UK and recognise the vital role of the honey bee. Supported by the British Bee Keepers Association, National Honey Week aims to address the demise of the bee population.
John Grinnell, centre manager at the Dolphin Shopping Centre, commented: “We’d like to remind people that we have honey for sale, of which all proceeds go to Chestnut Nursery. We have just a few jars remaining. What better time to treat yourself to a delicious jar of honey than during National Honey Week?”
The shopping centre created a rooftop garden in 2015 to address local environmental issues and to make the most of its unused space in an innovative way. The garden is now home to two beehives, housing thousands of bees and enabling the centre to create its very own ‘Rooftop Honey.’ The honey produced is rated 10+ with natural therapeutic benefits and is harvested straight from the hives to produce a fresher taste. It is rated higher quality than the usual breakfast honeys.
The bees have developed in their hundreds and the project has helped with the pollination of local parks and surrounding pockets of floras and gardens.
The Dolphin team invests time and funds into achieving qualifications so that staff can tend to the bees correctly. Last year, the operations manager, the joint services manager, and maintenance staff, all completed the British Bee Keepers’ Association training.
John Grinnell added: “We’re committed to manging the environmental business impact of our operations and are pleased to have introduced a sustainable rooftop garden which not only benefits the bees but helps us raise money for Chestnut Nursery.”
Chestnut Nursery provides meaningful work in a supportive and pressure-free environment for adults with severe and enduring mental illness.
For more information about the Dolphin Shopping Centre, visit www.dolphinshoppingcentre.co.uk