Our Sustainability Journey
At Berwick Lodge, we're all about making positive change, and we're excited to share all the little (and big!) things we’ve been doing to be more sustainable.
Green Goals and Progress
What we’re most proud of is our Silver 'Green Tourism' award, which highlights our continued commitment to our sustainability goals, and celebrates an incredible team effort from our Berwick family. It has also really helped us to focus on where we can improve, breaking down our goals into easy-to-follow steps, and even showing us some green practices we were already doing without realising.
We were recently featured by Visit England as a
‘Better Business’ case study, showcasing how we’ve taken the lead in improving sustainability and seen real benefit as a result.
Growing Our Own
Jane grows our beautiful cutting garden from seed, and it’s more than just pretty - it’s a space where staff and guests can relax, and also supplies flowers for decoration around the hotel. We even have some edible flowers that we use in our menu! Our herb garden, small veggie garden, apple orchards, and honey from our bees keep our kitchen stocked with homegrown goodness, making our dishes as local as they get.
Where we can’t grow our own, we make sure to keep our suppliers as local as possible, cutting down embedded carbon emissions as well as supporting our local businesses. Our closest supplier is Berwick Farm right next door!
Helping Nature Thrive
Robert, our gardener, has been looking after our resident bees, and we’ve even been shortlisted for Bristol’s 'Bee Bold' awards! We’re all about keeping things organic - no pesticides, just natural gardening that supports pollinators and wildlife. We’ve got wildflower meadows, ponds, bird boxes, and bug hotels.
Plus we’re protecting 10 acres of natural forest, and are home to the biggest colony of house martins in Bristol!
Cutting Down on Energy and Waste
Energy production is one of our biggest challenges, as a small business in a very old historic building. We’ve made a big investment into renewable energy, with solar panels installed by Orca Renewables, showcasing our long-term commitment to making positive change. Our electric company car, along with on-site EV charging points, is helping us and our guests go green.
In the garden, we’ve set up compost heaps to reduce food and garden waste, and to support local wildlife. All of our waste is sorted and monitored to identify any ‘problem’ areas, recycling and reusing wherever we can.
Team Effort and New Ideas
I keep us up-to-date with the latest green news, and we just love how the whole team has got involved, pitching in with ideas to help us improve. It takes a full team effort to make a change!
We also don’t shy away from asking for help, which would be our number 1 tip to those just starting out. We wouldn’t be here without the amazing support of those around us! Both in the hotel industry and beyond.
Thinking Big and Small
In our bedrooms and bathrooms, we’ve completely cut out single-use plastics, and instead use eco-friendly products like 'Who Gives a Crap' toilet paper, local Bramley soaps, and compostable coffee pods.
We’re big on shopping second-hand, popping into local charity shops to pick up things from teapots to garden games, as well as sourcing a lot of our furniture from second-hand sites and upcycling. It’s such fun finding new (old!), unique items to decorate with, while keeping them out of landfill!
We know the little things count, like plastic bottle caps, that our staff take home to Poland to be made into wheelchairs by local charities there. How cool is that!
Creating a Greener Experience
We’re all about making our guests feel a part of our sustainability journey. From planting trees at weddings, to encouraging guests to save water and opt out of daily cleaning during longer stays, we’re finding ways to get everyone involved.
At Berwick Lodge, we know that sustainability is a journey, not something just achieved overnight and then forgotten. We’re committed to making continuous progress, and we’re excited to have our Berwick family join us in making a positive difference.
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