Executive chef Sean Curry, of Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center, is gaining a reputation as the “Beekeeper Chef.” Recently, more than 100,000 bees became a signature fixture for the hotel as part of a bee program spearheaded by Curry, with the property installing nine beehives on its 150 acres of Audubon-certified grounds. The sourced honey will be used by the executive chef for bar, restaurant and banquet recipes, while the sourced beeswax will be used to make natural hotel products, such as candles and skin care products. The bees themselves will be used to pollinate several of the chef’s gardens from which the kitchen will also source fresh ingredients. The program is part of a Horticultural Gallery green theme recently announced at the resort. Other aspects to the green theme include a Foodscaping Garden, which is an educational garden highlighting a new type of edible landscaping; the Drink/Cocktail Garden with herbs used for infusions and cocktails; and a Monarch butterfly habitat.
