Nicole here, fellow Culturite and full time intern for The Society Global. I wanted to share with you a recent project that I spearheaded which had our entire team and members a-buzz!
Last week The Society took to
The Fairmont Royal York rooftop for its very first session of the Bee Keeping Academy.
Led by dually trained PR Director for the hotel as well as master “Queen Bee,”
Melanie Coates, we were given the low-down on bee keeping basics. She explained the difference between male drones, whose only purpose is to fertilize the new bee cells, and the female worker bees who actually produce the honey. We were then given a tour of the hotel’s V.I. Bee Suite, The Honey Moon Suite, The Royal Sweet, and… well, you get the idea. There was no shortage of bee puns to be had. Oh, and how do these little buzzers survive the winter? A bee cosy! (Yes, we’re serious). One of the most fascinating facts we learned from Melanie is that wasps are carnivores and bees are vegetarian! Who knew?
Next we were given an intimate walk through of the Royal York’s kitchen with Executive Chef David Garcelon where we sipped on flutes of bubbly while enjoying crusty bread sticks wrapped in salty prosciutto and garlic aioli, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. And then… the tasting! We sampled succulent combs bursting with nectarous honey, with sticky lips and fingertips prevailing amid smiling faces.
The evening came to a close by making our way up to the 19th floor Salon Lounge for some refreshing ABSOLUT, Perrier, and honey infused mojitos, while taking in the spectacular view of the city. Hors d’oeuvres, like foie gras torchon with onion marmalade and fried white fish burger with tartar sauce, were served among the buzzing (sorry, couldn’t resist) chatter. As we bid farewell, guests were given a take away bag containing a complimentary jar of the Fairmont’s honey, as well as some informative reading material to solidify their session at the Bee Keeping Academy.
The Society plans to continue with the outdoor activities for the rest of the summer - stay tuned for wrap-up reports.
