Radio Royal York

Radio Royal York – Episode 9: Honey Harvest

In this episode, host Melanie Coates talks to Executive Chef David Garcelon about the first honey harvest of the season and his culinary plans for the Royal York’s award-winning honey. We then head to the roof where we learn about hives, height and everything else that goes into maintaining a rooftop apiary from Cathy Kozma and Mylee Nordin of the Toronto Beekeeper’s Co-operative. We get a visit from a friendly bee then end the episode with the sounds of the first honey extraction of the season.

Listen to Episode 9

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Show Notes:

This September, while the celebrity buzz flows through Toronto’s many Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) film premieres, so too will a Festival Buzz pour forth from the lounges of Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

Beginning September 1, 2009 the hotel heralds the arrival of the 34th annual TIFF opening week with a champagne cocktail featuring rooftop honey under the name: Festival Buzz.

Festival fans will have the opportunity to taste rare spoonfuls of the The Fairmont Royal York’s liquid gold, harvested from the hotel’s 14th floor apiary on August 14, 2009.

The $22 “Festival Buzz” is served in a champagne flute, features MOET champagne, peach puree, honey and freshly picked mint from the  rooftop garden.

The unique cocktail will be served at both EPIC and the Library Bar, both of which are located on the lobby level and will be open until 1 a.m. during the festival.

“FESTIVAL BUZZ” RECIPE

1 oz White Peach Puree
¼ oz Royal York hotel honey
4 oz Moet Champagne

Stir juice and honey in a shaker glass. Pour into a flute glass.  Top with champagne.

One of Toronto’s most remote collections of herb and flower beds are ready to be viewed by afternoon teetotallers.

Afternoon tea at EPIC Restaurant can once again be followed by a complimentary tour (weather permitting) of the hotel’s rooftop “herban” oasis at 2 PM and 4 PM each Saturday and Sunday.  Tea & Rooftop Garden Tours are offered at The Fairmont Royal York Hotel beginning Saturday, May 23, 2009 until September 6, 2009.

The herb garden and its neighbouring bee hives, situated 200 feet above ground and 14 stories high is normally closed to the public. This growing season marks its third year of public access to the garden, since its inception in 1997.

With a magnificent view of the CN Tower and the lakefront, the garden is starkly beautiful in contrast to its neighbouring office towers. The herb garden is the only one of its kind in Toronto and serves as an extension of the hotel’s environmental program. This unique garden provides the herbs and honey needed to flavour the dishes served in the hotel’s EPIC Restaurant.

Before the 30-minute rooftop tour, guests can enjoy a pot of tea and a variety of sweet and savory treats.

The teas available at EPIC are produced by The Metropolitan Tea Company Ltd., which is North America’s first member of the Ethical Tea Sourcing Partnership.

Metropolitan visits growers regularly to ensure employee well-being and environmental standards, practices highly respected by Fairmont. Teas available include the Kenmare Ceylon, Maple and Egyptian Chamomile. The tea menu is priced at $27.00 (exclusive of tax and gratuities) and features toasted crumpets with Grand Marnier butter; traditional finger sandwiches, including scones with Devonshire cream and jam; and a selection of pastries and English tea cakes.

Four afternoon garden tours are available each weekend. The meeting point for the half-hour herb garden tour is inside EPIC Restaurant at 2 PM and 4 PM, following the 12:30 p.m. tea service. The complimentary rooftop tours are reached by elevator and by climbing four flights of stairs. Tea and complimentary garden tours may be reserved by contacting EPIC Restaurant at (416) 860-6949 or by email at festive@fairmont.com

Three Queens and their accompanying entourage of over 10,000 bees are now in residence atop the roof of Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York. The Queens checked into their 14th story triple hive apiary on June 4th. To mark the royal visit and celebrate their arrival the hotel will offer a “B&B & BEE” overnight city getaway package available from July 5 through to September 1, 2008.

The Fairmont Royal York’s Executive Chef, David Garcelon views the three new hives as a natural extension of the decade old and flourishing rooftop herb garden. The rooftop apiary was established in partnership with the Toronto Beekeepers’ Cooperative and FoodShare. Both initiatives will deliver fresh local product in a sustainable way to hotel guests. For Chef Garcelon, “…you can’t find a supplier much closer than your own roof. He anticipates that “…our bee colonies will deliver some irresistible honey for our guests and at the same time assist with promoting our ecological commitment to bee culture.”

The Fairmont Royal York’s urban beekeeping initiative may also nurture the spread of pollinating bees to the neighbouring Toronto Islands, Don Valley watershed and city parks. Cathy Kozma, of the Toronto Beekeepers Cooperative, confirms that “Their very existence is sure to improve the city’s biodiversity and contribute to the pollination of thousands of plants. The more bees forage the more pollination occurs, improving the whole downtown ecosystem, all the while strengthening the rooftop garden by encouraging more flowers, healthier plants and bigger fruit.”

This summer the “B&B & BEE” overnight city getaway package at The Fairmont Royal York will take care of the Bed, the Breakfast and the Bees. The package includes:

* One night accommodation in a Fairmont Room
* Full Breakfast for two in EPIC or York’s Kitchen
* Valet parking for one vehicle
* A souvenir bee embossed soap
* A one dollar donation the Toronto Beekeepers Cooperative

The B&B & BEE package starts at $224 CAD per night, plus taxes and is based on double occupancy. It is available from July 5 through to September 1, 2008. Package reservations may be by booking online or by calling 1-800-441-1414 and referencing bee code: 1U8BEE.

The Fairmont buzz will spread from coast to coast as several more Queen Bees move into residence at two more of Fairmont’s luxury hotels: The Fairmont Algonquin in St. Andrews, New Brunswick and The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver, B.C.