12/3/2023 0 Comments Winterizing bee hivesProvidenceĭespite California’s unpredictable weather-including having one of the hottest heatwaves on record and the coldest, wettest winters in years, Providence has managed to never miss a harvest and has never suffered a swarm or collapse. “This year’s honey will be a super bloom honey thanks to the long months of rain in California, supporting longer, more frequent blooms this spring and early summer.”Ĭhef de cuisine Tristan Aitchison and pastry chef de partie, Naomi Santa Cruz uncapping the frames. “Honey tastes different in every season, based on the types of flowers, and how many of them are in bloom,” says Aitchison. ‘Super Bloom’ HoneyĪ true synthesis of the surrounding neighborhood’s blooms (10 million surrounding flowers, shrubs, and trees in their ecosystem), Providence’s rooftop-sourced honey has a beautiful floral flavor profile that is slightly less sweet than most. Pastry chef Mac Daniel Dimla uses it in chocolate truffles, while bar director Kim Stodel prepares a fun twist on the Bee’s Knees called the ‘Bee’s Sneeze’, made with gin, Lillet, Meyer lemon and tangerine, dusted with bee and fennel pollen and infused with harvested lavender honey. This homegrown honey is incorporated into all aspects of the restaurant’s menu, including the zero-waste pastry and cocktail programs. Providence currently has 160,000 bees residing on the rooftop garden, which have generated over 100 lbs. The bees and the rooftop garden thrive together in a healthy ecosystem that is 100% organic and. The bees and the rooftop garden thrive together in a healthy ecosystem that is 100% organic and fully balanced, supports biodiversity in plant offerings and other species, has a rich fungal hypha living soil network, and produces food for humans and pollinators.” “After re-hiving, we requeened the colonies with docile Italian DNA from a queen bee breeder to make them less defensive. “Re-hiving an already existing honeybee colony is best for the environment as it does not pose any threat to available food for other pollinators,” says Jones. In addition, the garden hosts a prosperous set of Italian honeybees, re-hived through a local bee rescue. Longtime chef de cuisine Tristan Aitchison collaborated with bee expert Robin Jones, garden designer and curator of Honey Girl Grows, to source, seed, and custom-grow produce for Providence’s seasonally-driven, award-winning tasting menus. The restaurant is one of the first in the city to add a flourishing onsite rooftop habitat garden, officially designated as a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Bee expert Robin Jones, garden designer and curator of Honey Girl Grows, helps to oversee the bee.
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