Southport guest house owners are buzzing after becoming beekeepers to make honey for guests

There’s a buzz in the air at a multi award-winning guest house in Southport – where owners are cultivating their own beehives to make home-made honey for guests!

Anthony and Larissa Duffey, who own the Sunnyside Guest House on Bath Street in Southport town centre, have spent the past 12 months training to become beekeepers, with support from the Southport and District Beekeepers Association.

Last month Anthony and Larissa said it was “a dream come true” when the Sunnyside was recognised as the third best in the country at the 2023 VisitEngland Awards.

The guest house added to its impressive collection of honours by winning the Bronze Award in the 2023 B&B and Guest House of the Year category.

Anthony and Larissa Duffey, who own the Sunnyside Guest House in Southport, have been awarded the coveted Gold Award by Green Tourism. The couple have spent the last 12 months learning to become beekeepers and cultivate their own beehives to make home-made honey for guests

Earlier this year they won the B&B and Guest House of the Year Awards in the 2023 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards, which they also won in 2022.

Sunnyside has now become one of just 25 B&Bs and Guest Houses across the UK to be awarded the coveted Gold Award by the Review Panel of world-leading sustainability accreditation partner, Green Tourism.

They are leaders in sustainability and a role model for other businesses.

Anthony and Larissa work with as many local suppliers as possible.

All the eggs and milk eaten by guests are sourced from Southport producers; butcher sausages are made with meat from Lancashire; bacon comes from Liverpool; black pudding hails from Bury; while tomatoes and fruit are from Flavourfresh and grown in and around Southport, and recognised as among the best in the country.

The couple use local tomatoes in their home-made ketchup and local fruit for our home-made jams, which they sell as souvenirs with the proceeds going to Queenscourt Hospice.

Anthony and Larissa Duffey said:

“We became only the second property in Merseyside to achieve the Gold Award along with the Palm House in Sefton Park.

“Green Tourism has reviewed our operations according to 15 different sustainability criteria across three major areas: People, Places, and Planet. These consider the social, economic, and environmental actions we undertake, providing a holistic assessment of our sustainability performance.

“We have tried to look at how we could improve every aspect of the business from a sustainability perspective.

“One area we have paid close attention to is food. We have been working to use as many local suppliers as possible. Our eggs and milk are from Southport producers, butcher sausages made with meat from Lancashire, bacon from Liverpool, tomatoes and fruit from Flavourfresh and grown in Southport, black pudding from Bury.

“In addition to this we have been training to become beekeepers for almost 12 months. “Southport and District Beekeepers Association have been amazing. With their support we have completed many online classes, practical lessons at the apiary, handling bees and they have directed us to good sources to carry out our own research.

“This week we have welcomed a swarm of bees into our hive and look forward to serving our Sunnyside honey at breakfast.

“Not only will the bees supply our guests with a tasty treat but they will also actively contribute to the preservation of the local ecosystem.

“In order to make the most of our local food we have been working to extend our range of home-made dishes on the menu. We use local tomatoes in our home-made ketchup and local fruit for our home-made jams, which we sell as souvenirs with the proceeds going to Queenscourt Hospice.

“Local milk is used in our home-made yoghurts and local egg, milk, flour and fruit in our baked goods. We already have a few ideas in mind of how we will be able to incorporate honey into our menu.

“Other areas we have been working to improve include our fuel and water consumption, use of chemicals, accessibility, waste reduction, paper and single use plastic reduction, use of energy efficient appliances, carbon usage and reduction.

“For every direct booking we receive this year we will be planting a tree.”