Bentley Motors’ historic site in Crewe is already famous for producing the models that have carried its “flying B” emblem on the bonnet for one hundred years, but thanks to a new biodiversity initiative, the company is now creating a buzz with the introduction of 120,000 “flying bees” of a different kind.
With the help of local beekeepers, two national hives, which are collectively home to 120,000 British Apis Mellifera honeybees, have been successfully installed on grassland at the edge of the Bentley site. The area has been sown with bee friendly wildflowers – and as it borders the Cheshire countryside, it is proving to be the perfect habitat for the bees, who are settling in well and showing promising signs for the first honey harvest at the end of the summer. Each hive has the potential to create around 15kg – or approximately 50 jars of honey.
Peter Bosch, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Manufacturing explains:
_“Although our Pyms Lane site is over 80 years old, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve our environmental footprint and achieve our goal of carbon neutral operations.
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_“We already have the largest solar car port in the UK on our site - which means that all of our electricity use is now either solar or certified green – so we’ve also started to look at ways we can use our site to increase local biodiversity.
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_ “Bees populations are in decline in the UK, so installing two hives to help boost biodiversity is a great way to make use of the grassland at the edge of the site.
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_“Our “flying bees” are honeybees that have been bred by local beekeepers with over fifty years’ experience. With their help, we’re checking on them every week and it’s great to see that they’re already starting to produce the first Bentley honey”.
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For more information on Bentley Motors, please visit www.bentleymotors.com.
Bentley Motors is one of the most sought-after luxury car brands in the world. The company’s headquarters in Crewe is home to all its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production of the company’s four model lines, Bentayga, Continental, Flying Spur and Mulsanne. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury car brands such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley employs around 4,000 people at Crewe.