Queen Bee Millie and her hives have been very busy bees! Available now is our fourth harvest of Old Mill Toronto Honey. Our honey, prepared onsite by our own Chefs, is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and absolutely delicious! Please drop by the Dining Room Hostess Reception desk to pick up a jar – great for personal enjoyment, hostess or wedding gifts, or gift one to a sweet friend !
In 2019, Old Mill Toronto has made its debut as a committed ambassador to the environment, serving one of natures most important customers: The Humble Honey Bee.
We have two beehives, each with 25,000 bees with a flying radius up to 5km which is an incredible environmental milestone for our west end community and local neighbourhood gardens.
HONEY AND ITS UNIQUE FLAVOUR:
Honey gets influenced by the gardens around the hive. We have a garden that contains rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, chives, cilantro and lavender that grows on our Guildhall Patio. After a little bit of research we have learned that linden/basswood and aster are a natural species of plant in our broader Humber community. Which will change the taste of the varietal honey with a peppermint finish! That’s the exciting part about harvesting your own honey, you never know what the bees are going to get into.
HIVES AND BEE HOTELS:
Our Hives also feature a pollinator bee “hotel” providing wild bees with a safe place to rest their wings. Bee hotels are wooden structures uniquely designed to attract bees, which are three times more effective at pollinating flower when compared to other pollinators.
The biggest challenge faced by these wild bees is the elimination of their habitat. Building a bee hotel serves as a habitat for local, urban bees and also helps to raise awareness about not only the diversity of different bees but the many ways in which the public and businesses can help.
HONEY IS ON THE MENU:
Annually, the beehives produced several pounds of honey, which is served to guests as part of Old Mill Toronto’s commitment to offering local, organic, sustainable cuisine.
This home-harvested honey is used in soups, salad dressings, pastries and as an accompaniment to the Old Mill’s time-honored afternoon tea service.
The cultivation of honey beehives exemplifies Old Mill Toronto’s history of environmental stewardship. The Event Venue has been part of the fabric of Toronto’s West End Community for more than a century and has maintained an enduring commitment to the broader Humber community and environment.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE BEES GONE?
(If you would like to learn more about CCD check out the article in National Post Online )
As you have heard in the news, Bee Colonies have started to collapse. The problem became widespread enough that it earned a name: Colony Collapse Disorder, and sent researchers, apiarists, and agriculture experts on a quest to explain what was killing so many bees.
Without honey bees, pollination is not possible. They support the growth of trees, flowers, and other plants, which serve as food and shelter for creatures large and small.
Bees contribute to complex, interconnected ecosystems that allow a diverse number of different species to co-exist.
Since then, several possible triggers have been identified, including loss of territory due to human population expansion and sprawl, harsh winters and changes in flowering patterns due to global warming, as well as various pesticides and infection from mites and parasites.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BEES:
Ontario Honey
