Conference
delegates in South Australia will soon be savouring homegrown honey after 250,000
European honeybees took up residence on top of Adelaide Convention Centre.
The six
beehives in ‘Riverbank Hive’ – on the venue’s central building – are now a
sanctuary for one of nature's most important pollinators, producing honey for
the venue’s menus.
Sarah
Goldfinch, ACC general manager, said the hive was the ‘sweetest
sustainability story’.
"Bees
play a vital role in pollinating many of the foods we eat, making them
essential to healthy ecosystems and future food security,” she said. “Through
the Riverbank Hive, we're helping raise awareness of their importance, while
demonstrating how nature can thrive in the heart of the city, supporting
biodiversity and strengthening our connection to the environment around
us."
ACC executive chef, Gavin Robertson, said each hive would produce
roughly 60 kilograms of honey a year and that there was ‘growing interest in ingredients
with a genuine connection to place.”
“It doesn't
get much closer than honey from our own rooftop,” he said.
Savour
the flavour!
From pastries
and canapes, the honey will feature throughout the ACC menu:
•
Grilled
haloumi, spicy Riverbank Hive honey, pomegranate glazed pumpkin, vine roasted
tomato, pepita dukkah, toasted Turkish bread
•
Soy
& Riverbank Hive honey-glazed chicken thigh, broccoli, capsicum, carrot,
spring onion, Hokkien noodles
•
Goat
curd tartlet, Riverbank Hive truffle honey
•
Riverbank
Hive honey-glazed butternut pumpkin, ancient grains, cranberries, glazed seeds,
goat curd
•
Riverbank
Hive honey-layered cake, sour cream mousse, apricot gel, brown sugar crumb,
honeycomb.
The
Riverbank Hive initiative was developed by the Adelaide Convention Centre team
in partnership with award-winning South Australian beekeeper Jake Leske.
The six
hives are cared for by the Centre's trained in-house apiarists, Callan Berry
and Melinda Fleetwood. Longstanding members of Adelaide Convention Centre's
culinary team, Callan and Melinda.
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
