The St Ermin's Hotel, Westminster home to over 350,00 Buckfast Honeybees, is holding a series of taster urban beekeeping workshops during the Chelsea Fringe led by bee guru, Camilla Goddard of Capital Bee. The popular workshops are held around the hotels six hives and will take place on Saturday 29th April, 6th 13th and 27th May 2017 – with further dates to be added during the hotel's September Honey Month. www.sterminshotel.co.uk

The 2.5-hour workshops outline the complexities of bee society and beehaviour; highlight the close relationship between bees and flowers and give guidance on what to plant, when and where and how best to site hives in gardens or allotments. Participants also visit London's first 'Bee & Bee' hotel on the hotel's third floor bee terrace to get real hands-on experience handling bees, managing their hives and collecting raw honey.

“The St Ermin's six active hives are doing well again this year, producing on average 25lb of honey each year, helped by the fantastic range of flora in the surrounding royal gardens and parks. London's only Bee & B at the hotel is also doing well, providing a welcoming stopover for solitary bees and a host of other friendly creepy crawlies!” Said Camilla Goddard, Capital Bee

As well as their continued support for London's growing Urban Beekeeping movement, the St. Ermin's Hotel has also recently installed its very own Roof Kitchen Garden. Featuring plenty of bee-friendly plants for the colony to utilise, the new working area also features greenhouses and space to grow fresh, fruits, vegetables and herbs for use in the Hotel's signature restaurant, The Caxton Grill. The home-grown produce will be used throughout new Executive Head Chef, Alexander Boyd's outstanding seasonal menus – which also feature sweet hints of St. Ermin's Honey throughout.

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For further information, visuals or review requests please contact WixHill on + 44 (0) 1483 203992. Danielle West e: dani@wixhill.co.uk | Tim Fordham – Moss e: tim@wixhill.co.uk

Notes for Editors:

• The bee terrace is an outdoor terrace planted with indigenous, bee friendly plants, housing four hives and London's only 'Bee & Bee' hotel. Hotel guests are able to view the bees through glass walls on the third floor walkway corridor. All workshop participants are provided with full bee keeping suits and gloves.
• Media reviews are available on request

St Ermin's Hotel Property Highlights:

- Excellent location – around the corner from St James' Park tube – minutes from Buckingham Palace and                          the Houses of Parliament

- Award winning restaurant The Caxton Grill on site (caxtongrill.co.uk)

- Third floor terrace Bee Hives – home to over 350,000 Buckfast Bees and London's only Bee & Bee

- Fantastic family stay packages including 'Budding Bond' spy kits and kids afternoon teas

- Beautiful selection of seasonal Afternoon Teas, served in one of London's pretties Tea Lounges

- Stunning ballroom and event spaces, showcasing dazzling chandeliers and magnificent plasterwork

- State of the art meetings facilities and private rooms

- Special wedding packages and wedding party events

- Fantastic range of rooms and suites

- Member of the Considerate Hoteliers organisation.

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