“The Riverbank Hive is a living example of our ongoing commitment to sustainability and finding new ways to create positive impact beyond our walls,” said Adelaide Convention Centre’s general manager, Sarah Goldfinch.
“Bees play a vital role in pollinating many of the foods we eat, making them essential to healthy ecosystems and future food security.
“Through the Riverbank Hive, we’re helping raise awareness of their importance, while demonstrating how nature can thrive in the heart of the city, supporting biodiversity and strengthening our connection to the environment around us.”
The bees are expected to produce more than 300kg of honey each year, which will be used in the convention centre’s menus, in dishes lincluding grilled haloumi with spiced honey, honey-glazed chicken thighs, goat curd tartlets with truffle honey and a honey layered cake.
“As more venues and restaurants embrace hyperlocal produce, the Riverbank Hive takes that concept to new heights, producing honey just metres from our kitchen,” said Adelaide Convention Centre’s executive chef, Gavin Robertson.
“There’s growing interest in ingredients with a genuine connection to place – it doesn’t get much closer than honey from our own rooftop.
“We expect each hive will produce roughly 50-60 kilograms of honey each year, adding a truly unique local ingredient to the stories we tell through our menus.”
The beehives will be looked after by two of the convention centre’s culinary team, Callan Berry and Melinda Fleetwood, who have years of personal beekeeping experience.
Adelaide Convention Centre boasts a strong sustainability track record, achieving Master certification with EarthCheck in 2023, which represents 15 years of independently verified sustainability improvement. The convention centre has continued to boost its sustainability efforts since then.
