Hotel makes own honey

London: A London hotel has unveiled its latest way to cut down on food miles serving honey produced by 250,000 bees living on its roof.

The Royal Lancaster Hotel, near Hyde Park, is installing beehives to produce honey for guests. It also hopes to produce its own candles and beauty products from the beeswax.

"We were thinking about how we could become more environmentally friendly, and someone suggested bees," said the hotel's Jo Hemesley, who set up the project.

"We have a flat roof overlooking Hyde Park, and after talking to beekeepers we decided to install hives on it." The hotel has two working hives, with three more planned for later this summer.

The hotel has trained four staff as beekeepers and has been working with the London Beekeepers' Association.

It is hoped the first honey can be harvested next summer.