Raising a Glass to Herbert Whitley: The Launch of Whitley Blue

This Saturday, we will be officially launching ‘Whitley Blue’, a limited edition charity cider created in collaboration with Hunts Cider. This special cider is named in honour of our founder, Herbert Whitley, and his unique obsession with the colour blue.

A legacy of conservation and community

In 1904, the Whitley family moved from Liverpool to Primley House in Paignton. Set in the heart of the Belfield Estate, Primley House provided the location from which Herbert Whitley would establish Paignton Zoo, opening its doors to the people of Torbay in 2023. Although the zoo is Herberts most well-known legacy, it formed only part of a vast 714 acre estate that covered much of the surrounding area, including land that is now used by Hunts Cider.

When Herbert died in 1955, most of the estate was sold off, and proceeds from his will allowed for the formation of the Herbert Whitley Trust, a charitable body that ensured his much-loved zoo would continue to benefit education and conservation long into the future. Now known as Wild Planet Trust, this charity continues to work around the world to protect threatened wildlife and wild places, including here in the Southwest.

The Trust looks after Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve (which it has owned since 1921) as well as Clennon Gorge, and Primley Park in Paignton. In fact, Primley Park was once part of Herbert’s back garden but since the mid-1990s has been a public green space, maintained by the Trust for the benefit of the local community.

Celebrating nature and heritage

As well as being a great believer in the importance of spending time with nature, Herbert was also obsessed with the colour blue and the grounds and greenhouses of Primley House were filled with plants from around the world that displayed a blue hue. Together with Hunts, we are raising a glass to an inspirational man who gave much to the people of Torbay. We’re working together to ensure our land is looked after with wildlife in mind, sowing wildflower meadows to provide homes, food, and a touch of blue, for the birds, bees, and butterflies that need our help to thrive.

Wildflower borders support far greater levels of biodiversity than grass borders and provide a vital source of food and shelter for wildlife of all shapes and sizes. Wildflowers attract pollinating insects such as bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, and beetles, and many plants, including apple trees, rely on pollinating insects to reproduce and set fruit. So, as well as looking lovely, these borders also play an essential role in protecting not just nature, but the livelihoods of farmers who have worked the land for generations.

In celebration of this, Paignton Zoo will soon be sowing a large area of wildflowers on the site of a former paddock to highlight the vital importance of pollinating insects to its visitors. We look forward to sharing more details about this with you soon, so watch this space!