Found in Castle Hedingham, at the heart of Essex, Penelope Doe of The Bell Inn has done some incredible work to make the historic, family-run pub worthy of Sustainability Champion Status.
In 2018, Penelope and her co-tenant Kylie decided they would embark on a journey to reduce their carbon footprint and increase sustainability across their operation.
In the bar of The Bell Inn, you will find compostable crisp packets and recyclable peanut pots. The glassware used by this venue is made from recycled glass and they have moved on from using single use plastic glasses at their annual beer festival.
Prior to supermarkets accepting used crisp packets for recycling, they were a collection station for the village and wider community in addition to having a charity clothes bin, available for all, on the premises, further highlighting their admirable concern for both people and the environment
The pub, which has stood for over 500 years, utilises local suppliers to their benefit across a number of different areas within the business. Their chicken and pork has been sourced locally for over 15 years whilst they also sell wine and spirits from local suppliers, heavily reducing the mileage of their products.
In the kitchen, Penny has implemented a number of sustainable actions to make the venue more environmentally friendly, including recycling cooking oil, making her own butter pats from a big block of butter, and even taking home vegetable peelings to feed her chickens.
The Bell Inn have put into place robust systems and sustainability procedures which are easy to follow, and they don’t plan to stop there with educating staff through fun exercises, competitions and quizzes high on the agenda.
This outstanding, authentic venue is recognised within the local community as a small business committed to a sustainable future. From the use of local wine suppliers to compostable crisp packets, customers are fully aware of their mission.
You can view The Bell Inn website here