ONE of Glasgow's most iconic restaurants is to celebrate its 100th birthday - by installing beehives.
Battlefield Rest in the south side of the city will mark its centenary by installing a brace of beehives on its roof to help support dwindling populations of honeybee and provide an in-house supply of honey for use in its menu.
The beehives will be supplied and managed by Motherwell-based Plan Bee, whose other clients include Highland Spring, Balfour Beatty and Glengoyne Distillery.
Plan Bee also manages a number of urban hives for Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.
The bistro's owner, Marco Giannasi, said: "Our customers expect high quality produce, they want local produce and they want it to be good for the environment. Working with Plan Bee Ltd will allow us to raise the bar in urban sustainability, while also providing an interesting talking point for our many regulars."
Once described as the 'most exotic tram shelter in Glasgow', the Battlefield Rest is one of best known buildings on the south side. The property, which was B-listed in 1981, was earmarked for demolition before Mr Giannasi bought the structure for a pound and extensively restored it.
It is estimated that in the last 20 years, around half the world's honeybee population has been killed off by mites, climate, pesticides and disorders.
Without bees, it is thought humans would only have four years left on the planet since the lack of pollination would ultimately mean no plants or animals to eat.
Warren Bader, chief executive of Plan Bee, said the beehives would be a "standout feature" for customers to the restaurant.
"They are committed to high-quality local produce, and it doesn't get much more local than right up here on the roof," he added.
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