A HONEY-flavoured beer brewed in Witney will go on sale across the county as part of a scheme to protect the environment.

Brewery and pub company Brakspear will be selling its Honey Bee beer throughout May to raise money for Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign.

Every pint sold will raise 10p for the drive, which seeks to raise awareness about the declining bee population.

The 4.4 per cent honey beer is back by popular demand for a third year, after raising £2,890 for the charity in 2017.

Created by the company’s head brewer Malcolm Mayo, Honey Bee was originally brewed in 2015 at its Bell Street Brewery in Henley, but has since moved to Witney’s larger Wychwood Brewery to meet growing demand.

Made using Maris Otter and Crystal malts as well as malted oats, First Gold and Willamette hops, it is described by the brewery as having ‘delicate, subtle honey notes’ and a ‘bracing delivery of hops on the follow through’.

A full list of pubs stocking the beer in Oxfordshire has not yet been confirmed.

All pubs selling Honey Bee will be featured on an online map on the Friends of the Earth website, encouraging supporters of the Bee Cause to try the beer in a pub near them.

Chief executive Tom Davies said: “We’re delighted to be supporting the Bee Cause again; it’s a cause that our licensees and customers are keen to support, as reflected in the growing demand for Honey Bee.

“Our partnership with Friends of the Earth started in 2014, when many of our pubs started to plant bee-friendly flowers and shrubs and continued with the launch of Honey Bee, a perfect beer for sipping in a pub garden or patio.

“Supporting Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause is a natural choice for Brakspear. We have a bee in our logo, and some of the finest pub gardens in the region, which rely on bees to pollinate the plants and shrubs that make them so attractive. We’re confident sales of Honey Bee will help us to once again make a good contribution to the Bee Cause.”

As well as selling Honey Bee, Brakspear pubs are supporting bees by encouraging customers to join in the Great British Bee Count from May 17 to June 30.

This initiative by Friends of the Earth, sponsored by Ecotalk, encourages the public to do some bee-spotting with a free smartphone app – and provides lots of advice on what can be done to help the important but under-threat pollinators.

Brakspear’s partnership with Friends of the Earth will help to raise awareness of the threats facing these bees and encourage the public to be part of the generation that saves them.

As well as the honey bee, Britain is home to around 225 species of solitary bee and 26 bumblebees.