17 Jun 2015

FOOD: Urban Buzz

‘YOU become obsessed by them,’ says Toby Mason softly but clearly as he checks the frames, seemingly unnoticed by the industrious occupants. ‘Hives are incredibly complex. On one level, it all seems simple: bees bring in nectar and turn it into honey. However, it takes an incredible amount of organisation, allocating different jobs to 50,000 creatures, from cleaning, to guard duty, nursing and foraging.’ He pauses. ‘But I’ve never seen revolutions or strikes! In that sense, these likeminded creatures work as one. And each hive can have a different personality, from lively to lazy, and sickly to strong...’