In a celebration of World Bee Day, Bentley has exciting news to share.
The renowned luxury car manufacturer has expanded its Excellence Centre for Honey Production in Crewe, amplifying the colony size of the famous ‘Bentley Bees‘ from 600,000 to an impressive one million. This remarkable feat has been achieved through the installation of seven additional bee hives, further solidifying Bentley’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Bentley’s ongoing commitment to its Beyond100 strategy drives the company’s focus on creating a more eco-friendly campus at its historic Crewe location. With aspirations to lead the way in sustainable luxury mobility, Bentley is dedicated to adopting practices that reduce its ecological footprint.
As part of this mission, Bentley is encouraging its employees to actively participate in enhancing local biodiversity. Colleagues are being offered wildflower seeds, empowering them to sow the seeds of change within their communities.
Welcoming the arrival of the new bees, Andrew Robertson, Head of Site and Facilities Planning, shares his enthusiasm:
“For nearly five years, our beloved Bentley Bees have been an integral part of our site, producing over 2,000 jars of honey for our extraordinary colleagues and customers. By introducing these seven new hives, alongside the existing ten hives at our Excellence Centre for Honey Production, we strive to magnify our positive impact on the local environment. This initiative is part of our broader sustainability program, ensuring that Bentley remains a significant contributor to local biodiversity and advances our vision of becoming leaders in sustainable luxury mobility.”
Through a partnership with ‘Buckley Bees,’ Bentley has successfully introduced a colony of 120,000 indigenous honey bees as part of the brand’s #GOTOZERO sustainable strategy. Now, in the year ahead, this colony is set to expand to over one million bees residing in 17 active bee hives at the company’s headquarters.
Bentley, headquartered in Crewe, aims to surpass last year’s record honey harvest in 2023, where the bees diligently produced over 1,000 jars of honey while simultaneously playing a vital role in pollinating the surrounding on-site flora. These efforts not only benefit Bentley but also bring wider advantages to the beautiful Cheshire countryside that surrounds the company’s premises.
The Excellence Centre for Honey Production stands as just one of the numerous initiatives implemented at the Crewe campus to bolster sustainability. Bentley’s passionate colleagues have taken it upon themselves to install handmade bird and bat boxes throughout the campus, create hedgehog highways, and expand the colleague allotments.
These collective endeavours exemplify Bentley’s commitment to supporting local wildlife, preserving natural beauty in the region, and nurturing colleague well-being by providing ample green spaces.
As Bentley continues to make great strides towards sustainable luxury mobility, the expansion of the Excellence Centre for Honey Production serves as a testament to their unwavering dedication to a greener future.
Through the collaborative efforts of Bentley and its diligent bees, the company is not only setting new standards in automotive craftsmanship but also creating a lasting positive impact on the environment.