Peach Pubs has had the steps it takes to be a better business and make a difference to people and the planet recognised by being awarded the title of Best Sustainable Pub Company at The Publican Awards 2022.
Peach came away from the awards ceremony with the trophy having been singled out for the extraordinary efforts it makes to put sustainability at the heart of its business.
Peach has made sustainability part of its DNA, having launched a raft of initiatives such as The Bigger Peach social responsibility plan, central to its goal of being The Best Gastropub Company on the Planet, which guides what the pubs and the teams do to love the planet and build sustainable practices into their pub businesses.
At the centre of this plan are three core principles and ten promises the business has made, which relate back to its vision and values. The three principles are: Make our lives Peachy, Serve the good stuff and Love our planet.
As a group of enthusiasts who care deeply about making a difference and influencing change, Peach has embarked on a journey of making positive changes. Whether it’s looking at deliveries and suppliers, soft furnishings and décor, reducing energy-use or keeping guests in the loop with the steps being taken, the focus is constant.
Just some of the highlights have been moving to fully renewable energy across all the pubs, assessing Peach’s carbon footprint, removing all single use plastic from the bars and developing an ongoing team training programme with ‘Planet Heroes’, dedicated sustainability champions in each pub.
In July 2021, Peach became a pilot member of the Net Zero Pubs & Bars Initiative, providing guidelines and a new easy-to-use digital platform helping other pubs and bars go net zero cost-effectively, as well as announcing its goal to reach a certified Net Zero target by November 2023.
Other things the business is doing are here – https://makinglifepeachy.com/social-responsibility-timeline/.
“We are over the moon to have won this award and to earn recognition for everything we do every day to look after the planet, make our teams’ lives Peachy and serve the good stuff – it really means a lot,” says Hamish Stoddart, Managing Director of Peach Pubs.
“We look at sustainability across all areas of the business and strive constantly to improve, whether it’s training our chefs on root to tip cooking methods to avoid food waste, using
products containing wonky fruit and veg like Rubies in the Rubble Ketchup, putting more plant-based dishes on our menu and repurposing everything from furniture to artwork in our pubs before buying new. It guides everything we do.
“Winning a Publican Award is testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone on the team on this journey with us, and we are thrilled to share it with them all,” he says.
The pub and bar sector’s equivalent of the Oscars, The Publican Awards honour pub companies from across the UK for their efforts and exceptional operations, celebrating businesses for best practice across a range of areas.
Ed Bedington, Editor of the Morning Advertiser, which organises the awards, said, “We’re delighted to be able to reveal, and celebrate with our winners, to shine a light on some of the incredible things that they’ve achieved despite the challenges facing our sector.
“All of our finalists and winners are outstanding and it was a really tough job for our judges to pick out the winners for this year’s competition. The breadth and quality of our winners goes to show just how resilient and amazing the pub and bar sector is – no matter what is thrown at it, we manage to adapt, evolve and continue to provide superb services for customers, and outstanding places of work for employees. Long may that continue.
“These are very tough awards to win, with finalists being put through a number of rigorous processes before the winners are selected, and they really do represent the best of the best,” he says.
Full details of all the winners in The Publican Awards 2022 are at https://publicanawards.co.uk/ and more about Peach’s social responsibility plan and current activities are here https://makinglifepeachy.com/our-social-responsibility-plan/.
