A BARRY restaurateur is hoping honey will produce money for a Barry-based farm after donating a bee hive to help disadvantaged young people working there.

Barnaby Hibbert, who owns the award-winning The Gallery, on Broad Street, Barry, hopes to be first in the queue at the Amelia Trust farm when around 70,000 bees - making their home in his donated hive and three others – come up with the sweet goods.

The Amelia Trust, a small charity on Five Mile Lane, supports and educate vulnerable and disadvantaged young people through fun and work based activities which help them learn new skills and develop potential.

Last year in the bees’ first year of work, service users and staff filled 35 jars with honey, for sale, with the hope this year the amount produced will be enough for 100 jars.

The honey can then be bought by members of the public with Barnaby hoping to pay for a consignment for The Gallery diner.

The Gallery last year tasted victory when it was named Welsh Sustainable Restaurant of the Year.

Barnaby said: “I buy off them so I thought it was a nice thing to do. It’s a project I believe in and am quite positive about. It engages with the community and that’s part of my sustainable aims also. It produces the honey and I want to purchase it.”

He added: “It also gives them a link to the seasonality of things.”

Alistair Rowan, project development officer at Field days Organic Horticultural project, based at the Amelia Trust farm, welcomed the donation.

He said: “Barnaby just gets first refusal. We have about 30 service users who come from Cardiff and the Vale to do work. They learn about horticulture. In the height of the summer there are 50,000 to 70,000 bees. It’s surprisingly scary. When you take the lid off the buzz and the hum gets louder and louder, but you’re in a suit so you’re safe.

“We’ve only had one swarm.”

He added: “All the money goes back into the project and keeping the project here. It’s a really worthwhile thing.”

The Amelia Trust is looking for assistance from any experienced gardeners and welcomes members of the public, all year around, to buy its produce and visit its cafe.

For details about the farm and its opening hours, visit www.ameliatrust.org.uk