You'd never realise it simply walking down busy little Bermondsey Street, but a buzz of a much more natural sort is going on four storeys up atop the roof of an attractive but otherwise unassuming house.
The roof is home of urban apiary, Bermondsey Street Bees, where its several thousand honey producing residents not only enjoy enviable views of the Shard and surrounding area but live in cedar hives. They forage up to three miles around on a wide variety of flowers and trees in parks, allotments, gardens, railway sidings, window boxes and even wasteland. The result is deliciously floral and, perhaps ironically, without the insecticides and herbicides which can blight bees zipping around in the countryside.
Making sure the bees are happy, productive and safe, is experienced and qualified beekeeper Dale Gibson who has had his “high-health” apiary for about four years.
Until 11 November, guests at Delfina restaurant – a mere 150 feet from Dale's hives – have an opportunity to try his Bermondsey Street Bees Honey through a special menu created by head chef Stuart Dring. The honey - which recently won “Best London Restaurant Honey” - is stocked exclusively by Delfina.
Delfina is located at 50 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UD.
Photos/Chris Osburn
