Hives are becoming hotter than ever, as more people turn away from refined sugars and on to the idea of protecting the honeybees that play a vital role in the world's ecosystem. With bees in decline globally because of factors including pesticides and disease, hiring a hive from a company such as Beez Thingz or Over the Hill is an easy way to help their plight, while reaping the rewards of having honey and bee pollen virtually on tap.
On board already are restaurants like The French Cafe, Orphans Kitchen and Provenance who have hives on site, and use the honey in desserts, cheeseboards and more. When the Hip Group took over the Kumeu site of the Bees Online cafe in 2013 to build Provenance, they inherited 15 hives. They also have a Helensville site with more, and two full-time beekeepers the honey produced is used across all of their eateries.
Orphans Kitchen co-owner and head chef Tom Hishon, who first came across the idea of city hives in Shanghai, says installing three hives on their rooftop last year has been a great learning curve. “It’s a pretty amazing thing to be able to open the hive, pull out the frames and harvest your own honey,” he says.
Meanwhile, Wellington food blogger Unna Burch of The Forest Cantina, who releases her first cookbook in August, has 38 hives, and a husband who used to be a beekeeper for Arataki honey. Her honey often features in her beautifully photographed recipes, and she is hoping to sell it following testing this spring.
