Brewer and pub company Brakspear has donated £2,890 to Friends of the Earth generated from sales of its Honey Bee, a seasonal honey ale sold in its pubs during April and May.
The money raised will support Friends of the Earth’s ‘Bee Cause’ campaign to help Britain’s under-threat bees. For every pint of Honey Bee sold, Brakspear donated 10 pence to Bee Cause. They also donated five firkins to ‘Basecamp’ Friends of the Earth’s annual environmental festival in June, so that proceeds from sales on the day could go to the charity.
Honey Bee was originally brewed by Brakspear in 2015 and brought back in response to popular demand. This year, it was initially brewed at Brakspear’s Bell Street Brewery in Henley and then at the larger Wychwood brewery in Witney, enabling more Brakspear pubs to sell it.
Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said: “We’re delighted that Honey Bee sold so well across our estate and raised such a good sum for Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause. This donation is more than double the amount raised two years ago so will go even further in helping protect our precious bees.
“Honey Bee is a perfect summer beer, ideal for supping in a sunny pub garden, so the recent hot weather certainly helped, along with our customers’ desire to support a worthy cause.
“Brewing a honey beer and supporting the Bee Cause are naturals for Brakspear. Not only do we have a bee in our logo, but many of our pubs have gardens or outdoor floral displays that only thrive thanks to bees.”
Friends of the Earth Chief Executive Craig Bennett said: “Bees are currently facing many threats such as habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. The Bee Cause is about encouraging the public to be part of the generation that saves these precious pollinators.
“We’re extremely grateful to Brakspear, their licensees and customers, for their support. Not only have they raised a significant sum of money to help our work, they have also raised awareness of the plight of the humble bee.”
Created by Brakspear head brewer Malcolm Mayo, Honey Bee uses Maris Otter and Crystal malts as well as malted oats, First Gold and Willamette hops. Honey Bee has delicate, subtle honey notes, with a bracing delivery of hops on the follow through.
Caption to attached image: Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies (centre) with Friends of the Earth’s Caitlin Nisos (left) and Adam Scott (right), enjoying Honey Bee. Photo courtesy of Henley Herald.
Notes to editors
Bee Cause is Friends of the Earth’s campaign to protect the bee. Bees have lost 97% of their natural habitat over the last 60 years, 20 species of bees have become extinct, and 25% of those left are on the endangered species list. Worldwide, bees pollinate 75% of our main food crops and scientists estimate it would cost £1.8 billion per year to pollinate UK crops by hand. More at www.foe.co.uk/bees
The bee on the Brakspear logo has its roots in a centuries-old connection to Nicholas Breakspear, the only English Pope and a distant relative of the Brakspear family. Elected as Pope Adrian IV in 1154, his papal seal included a bee, apparently as a reminder of the ‘B’ at the beginning of his name.
