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World Bee Day: Where Would We Bee Without Them?

The 20th of May is officially World Bee Day, as approved by the UN! When it comes to farming, bees are some of the ‘key workers’ we really can’t afford to lose and it’s not just because they help create one of the most incredible toast toppers.

It was a long, rocky path to get our fuzzy friends their day of glory, and as you might imagine, World Bee Day has a wonderfully eccentric history.

It all started with an 18th century Slovenian painter, Anton Janša. Despite swearing his talents to the world of art, he could never turn his attention away from the fascinating critters he grew a fondness for from his father, who owned over a hundred hives.

After deciding a drastic career change was on the cards, his leap of faith really paid off and to this day Janša is still regarded as one of the pioneers of apiary and agriculture.

‘Among all God's beings there are none so hard working and useful to man with so little attention needed for its keep as the bee’ - Anton Janša

Sadly, two centuries after his passing, modern intensive farming, artificial pesticides and pollution worsened the bees’ strife. They’d never been more endangered, and Janša’s legacy became more important than ever.

It was in 2014 that the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association, supported by the Slovenian Government, advocated for a day to recognise these miracles of nature as vital to our ecosystem, and remind us the need for their preservation.

‘Every third bite we consume depends on bees and they have become increasingly endangered’ - Boštjan Noč, author of the World Bee Day initiative and President of the Slovenian Beekeepers' Association

After three years of campaigning, the 20th May (Janša’s birthday) was officially declared World Bee Day!

As lovers of great quality food and drink that’s wholesome in every way, we always partner up with incredible like-minded suppliers. Look at ReRooted. When concocting their gorgeously rich and creamy almond milk, sustainability was at the top of their list of priorities, and they made sure to source their organic Spanish almonds from self-pollinating, bee-friendly trees. We’re also proud to work with The Tomato Stall, whose Soil Association-approved plants are specially pollinated in their famous Isle of Wight greenhouses by a team of British-native bumblebees.

What honey-based dishes will you be serving up to celebrate World Bee Day? Make sure you share them with us! Don’t forget, you can always create a bee hotel for your garden – check out our simple instructions here.