As a company, they work closely with 10 food suppliers, all based in the West Country, helping to cut road miles wherever possible. They also invest in regenerative and conscious practices while supporting and collaborating these suppliers, for example, working exclusively with Trewithen Dairy for their dairy produce, who in turn are committed to regenerative farming practices to measure and improve their impacts on soil carbon retention, biodiversity and water quality. Understanding the importance of local produce, St Austell also established their Cornish Barley Partnership back in 2002, with the aim of reintroducing Maris Otter barley as a staple crop in Cornwall. This helped them to form long-standing relationships with local farmers, and ensured a ready supply for their beers, producing approximately 1,500 tonnes annually for Tribute, Proper Job and Korev.
As a company, St Austell Brewery formed an energy saving committee, who meet monthly with the aim of regularly examining the energy use data from their managed estate and assessing any savings or improvements that could be made. As a result, they have invested in energy efficient appliances, timers and more wherever needed in their pubs. They have also introduced a form that team members can complete with their energy saving ideas, some of which have been adopted across the whole estate. The St Austell in-house communications team are responsible for sharing sustainability stories internally, externally and with all core stakeholder groups including managed pub teams. There is a quarterly email round-up sent internally, covering sustainability and regeneration headlines from across the business, as well as an “Ops Snapshot” sent out with operational updates to pub teams every Monday where any key actions are included, such as the introduction of the Olio partnership, a food sharing app that donates left over meals to families in need.
In 2023, the company invested in a new learning and communications app (Thrive) connecting all business areas on one platform, meaning all teams can now access a sustainability hub on Thrive, with company updates, and recommendations for the latest books and podcasts. With St Austell’s diverse workforce, they hold quarterly town hall meetings – in-person updates which are hosted by the chief executive, Kevin George, and the executive team, where the biggest sustainability wins from the previous quarter are announced.
“As a company made up of many different functions, having a consistent and collaborative approach to sustainable operations across all business areas is essential, and something which is championed at the highest level of the organisation. Our head of sustainability (Elle Sambrook) and our sustainability & regeneration steering committee, play integral roles in driving business-wide engagement.”
In 2022, St Austell appointed their first head of sustainability, Elle Sambrook, who is responsible for assessing and managing their environmental and social impact. Since Elle joined the St Austell team, they have set up a refreshed steering committee looking at how to replenish resources, how to safeguard business for the future while doing what’s right for the planet and people. People from all areas of the business, sit on this steering group.
“We’re proud of the increasingly collaborative way that we’re working with our South-West food suppliers on regenerative practices that will have a positive impact on the environment around us and ensure the longevity of our business for future generations. We are proud of the progress we have made in terms of internal communications and engagement around sustainability.
“St Austell Brewery encompasses a diverse range of business operations including brewing, wholesale, food sourcing, pubs and tourism, alongside the inevitable by-products such as food waste, spent ingredients and keg returns. Therefore, sustainability and regeneration is high on our agenda. It’s a guiding element of our core business strategy, built into our decision making. We’ve made numerous technological and operational developments to reduce our carbon footprint and contribution to climate breakdown. We’ve also progressed in terms of renewable energy, recycling water, sustainable packaging, improving biodiversity, reducing and adopting circular approaches to waste, and regenerative partnerships across our supply chain. We’re committed to giving back across our region.”
St Austell are determined to reach net zero by 2040, with the help of their decarbonisation roadmap which targets six emission hotspots: agriculture, processing raw materials, packaging, cooling, distribution and brewing.
You can read more about St Austell’s sustainability commitment here.