Tomorrow morning, workers at Fairmont Hotel will hoist four live beehives — in burlap sacks, mind you — through the historic Nob Hill hallways. The beehives will come from Marshall Farms and are part of hotel executive chef JW Foster’s new, 1000-square-foot culinary garden.
The role of the bees is two-fold: first of all, bees are pretty much needed for any serious culinary garden. Secondly, Foster plans to eventually use the uber-local honey around the hotel, be it at afternoon tea services or in the three restaurants.
Right now, there a few beds on the garden terrace, with lavender ready to welcome the bees. An herb garden will soon follow, and eventually, Foster will plant a vegetable garden too, with a focus on heirloom varieties. He plans to use the fruits of the garden — be it sage or tomato — throughout the hotel restaurant. Laurel Court is the most seasonal of the three restaurant (sorry, Tonga Room) and will be the most direct beneficiary, but cocktails, ice cream and syrups are other ways that the garden will be incorporated. As for the bees, Foster thinks the Fairmont is one of the first — if not the first — hotel to bring in hives; anyone know of other local hotels with bees?
The Fairmont: 950 Mason Street, at California; (415) 772-5000 or fairmont.com/sanfrancisco
http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/paololucchesi/2010/06/16/hotel-buzz-the-fairmont-installs-a-culinary-garden-with-four-beehives/
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