Sweet Like Honey

Wake Forest Sweetens Sustainability with Honey-Themed Event

On the evening of September 25th, the Pit’s head pastry chef, Kalyn Padgett, and her team brought Wake Forest’s community together for a sweet pop-up event. The highlight? Mouthwatering desserts made from fresh honey harvested right here on campus from the Wake Forest Campus Garden. Joining the event was special guest David Link, Wake Forest’s librarian and local beekeeper, who shared his own variations of honey. Guests had the opportunity to sample his honey and take home one of 100 mini bear bottles generously provided by Link.

A Honey-Laden Menu
Chef Padgett crafted an incredible lineup of honey-infused treats, including:

  • Bee Sting Cake
  • Honey Pot de Crème
  • Cold Honey Toddy
  • Honey Panna Cotta
  • Fried Honey Fritters with Rosemary and Black Garlic

Spotlighting Sustainability
More than just a celebration of sweetness, the event aimed to promote sustainability and the importance of bees to our ecosystem. A sustainability intern, after thorough research, created an interactive quiz to engage attendees with fun facts about bees and their essential role in agriculture and the environment.

Here are some eye-opening facts shared at the event:

  • Did you know there are 20,000 species of bees, but only 8 are honeybees?
  • Without bees, we’d lose 100% of almonds and 90% of apples, onions, blueberries, cucumbers, and carrots.

Attendees tested their bee knowledge with questions like:

  • Why are bees important for humans? 
  • Which of the following are not pollinators: butterflies, bats, birds, or deer?
  • Can you name two of the five major threats to honeybees?

Answer Key:

  • Bees are crucial to producing one-third of our food supply, supporting raw materials, and even preventing soil erosion.
  • Deer are not pollinators.
  • Major threats to honeybees include habitat loss, climate change, pesticides, invasive species, diseases, and parasites.

This event was a fantastic mix of community, education, and sustainability, proving once again that small efforts, like protecting bees, can have a big impact.