As well as producing delicious honey, bees are helping the rewilding of Ashford Castle Estate, which has a strong focus on sustainable luxury.
Multi-award-winning Ashford Castle in beautiful County Mayo is renowned for its splendid interiors brimming with antique furniture, outstanding service, and historic significance.
Once home to the Guinness family, the 800-year-old castle on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is surrounded by a 350-acre estate made up of ancient Irish woodland, beautifully manicured lawns and an emerald lake.
Ashford Castle offers visitors a five-star experience that includes restaurants staffed by world-renowned chefs and sommeliers, an award-winning spa and a stylish private cinema. There is also the chance to enjoy an array of outdoor activities including falconry, horse-riding, golf, fishing, tennis or off-road driving.
Underpinning its splendour, the hotel has committed to an ambitious sustainability strategy and the latest step on its journey is the rewilding of the estate.
Its resident beekeeper, Steve Watson, is responsible for a community of native black bees that produces delicious honey enjoyed daily by guests at breakfast and which is also available to buy from the café and gift shop, Mrs Tea’s Boutique & Bakery.
But more importantly, the bees act as pollinators and are vital for the rewilding process underway throughout the Ashford Castle Estate. Foraging for up to five kilometres from their hive in search of nectar and pollen, the bees pollinate flowers, which flourish and provide habitats for other pollinators and creatures living on the estate.
Ashford Castle was the first hotel in Ireland to achieve the GREENMark Plastic Smart Standard Award and has eliminated single-use plastic toiletry bottles. It keeps food waste at a minimum and ensures that all animal encounters within the estate are ethical.
By 2025 it aims to source 50% of its electricity from renewable sources and has a strong focus on organic food suppliers and home-grown produce.
Renowned as one of the most prestigious hotels in Europe, and the only Forbes five-star hotel in Ireland, Ashford Castle has welcomed royalty, presidents and movie stars. It promises visitors a once-in-a-lifetime experience in fairy-tale surroundings with the added guarantee that their stay will be kind to the planet.
