The White House has been buzzing — and not just because of this week’s high-profile state visit from Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The royal couple wrapped up their four-day U.S. visit Thursday with a formal farewell from President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, and an unexpected highlight of the week centered on a distinctly sweet tradition: the White House honey program.
The first lady expanded the program just days before the monarchs’ visit, unveiling a new beehive designed to look like the White House on the South Lawn.
The hive and the base were designed by White House staff and crafted by a Virginia artisan, according to the White House.
It joins two existing hives that have been on the grounds since 2009 and can reportedly grow to roughly 70,000 bees in peak summer months, producing up to 225 pounds of honey annually.
The new hive is expected to increase production by about 30 pounds per year, allowing for more use of the honey in White House kitchens, official gifts and donations to local food kitchens,according to the White House.
That honey quickly became a sweet part of the royal visit.
King Charles and Queen Camilla — both longtime supporters of beekeeping — toured the newly expanded hive on Tuesday with the Trumps on the South Lawn.
The tour likely made the royal couple feel right at home, as King Charles keeps beehives at his private residence in England and Queen Camilla supports global bee conservation efforts, according to The Associated Press.
During the visit, White House assistant pastry chef Carlo Figarella said everybody in attendance would go home the next day “with one of these little jars of honey,” according to The Independent.
“We’ll put in extra for Their Majesties, yes?” the first lady joked.
She added, “Because they are lovers of honey.”
The White House honey was not only given as gifts to guests, but was also highlighted in dishes served at Tuesday night’s state dinner.
The multi-course meal, held in the East Room and attended by roughly 130 guests including business leaders, lawmakers and media figures, featured seasonal ingredients and garden-inspired dishes, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
The dessert put the honey front and center, according to the White House. Guests enjoyed almond joconde and a French sponge cake, served with crème fraîche ice cream and White House honey.
Other courses included garden vegetable velouté, spring herb ravioli and Dover sole meunière, with some ingredients sourced directly from the White House Kitchen Garden, another feature supported by the beekeeping program through pollination.
The bees play a key role in maintaining the garden, along with the Flower Cutting Garden and vegetation across the National Mall, which dates back to the Obama administration when the first hives were installed.
The honey itself, known for its light clover and basswood flavor with a hint of subtle citrus notes, has become a signature ingredient for executive residence chefs, according to the White House.
It’s used regularly in everything from teas to dressings and desserts.
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