For the last few years, Rolls-Royce has been making a rather peculiar product on its grounds in Goodwood. Apart from luxurious motor cars, the double-R badge was also used on jars. Jars filled with honey. Rolls-Royce’s apiary efforts now need volunteers to keep the production going, as the British car maker posted an announcement about it. Apparently, up to five new people are needed and they will get all the tools needed to do their jobs.
Established in 2018, the Goodwood Apiary is home to six colonies of around 300,000 English honey bees. The bees have consistently thrived in surroundings perfectly suited to their habits. As well as feeding on the myriad wildflowers and trees that grow across the 42‑acre Rolls‑Royce site, the bees can forage on the manufacturing plant’s sedum-rich living roof, which at around eight acres (3.2 hectares) is the largest in Britain. Should even this bounty prove insufficient, they can simply cross into the neighboring Goodwood Estate, which offers 12,000 acres (4,900 hectares) of suitably august sustenance.
“The Rolls-Royce Apiary has proved tremendously popular and rewarding since we established it three years ago. Thanks to media interest around the world, our bees have become minor celebrities, and their progress is monitored closely by our customers and followers worldwide. With Spring now upon us, and the wildflowers and blossoms appearing across our site and the surrounding countryside, we’re inviting colleagues to act as volunteer beekeepers for the new honey-making season. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get directly involved in bee conservation, which is so critical in supporting a healthy, sustainable ecosystem and human food production,” said Richard Carter, Director of Global Communications, Rolls-Royce.
Potential candidates will be invited to attend an introductory session; those selected will then receive training in beekeeping techniques and equipment, funded by the company, to prepare them for their new role. The beekeepers will work in the Apiary in their own time at weekends on a voluntary basis.
