London Revealed - Issue 11 - July & August 2019

LONDON REVEALED JULY-AUGUST 2019 ELEVENTH EDITION
THE SECRET LIFE OF...
THE BEEKEEPER
LESLEY HIPPLE
We interviewed beekeeper Lesley Hipple to find
out about life looking after the capital’s hives
(including some on our hotel roofs). Park Plaza
London Waterloo will be using their honey in a
variety of different ways including honey infused
massages at Mandara Spa, a honey menu in
Florentine and in guest breakfast dishes.
What’s your background? Have you always been
a beekeeper?
I have a very varied background working in bars,
gardening and spending many happy years on the
high seas as a sailor.
How long have you been working as a beekeeper?
I began beekeeping three years ago when I met Dr
Luke Dixon from Urban & Community Beekeeping
on the roof of City University. He was teaching
beekeeping to a group of students on the roof of
City University. I immediately became hooked and
have never looked back.
What made you want to be a beekeeper?
A lifelong interest in the natural world, the
importance of bees and other pollinators, and a
fascination with the complexities of the honey bee
world led me to that rooftop.
What does your usual day at work entail?
It can be very varied. There is a lot of clambering
over rooftops where many of the city’s beehives are
based. There are regular hive inspections checking
on the health of the bees. There is also the
very messy business of harvesting the honey
at the end of the summer.
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