Robin Hood

Robin Hood - Durley

The Robin Hood is a classic village pub located in Durley Street near Southampton, with a sizable garden and kids' play area, plus a modern pub-style menu.

Martin Grieveson, licensee at The Robin Hood, has led the way in the local community when it comes to operating sustainably as a publican.

To begin with, he has introduced LED lighting, replacing the previously used less-efficient incandescent bulbs. This has enabled the pub to save on their energy expenditure via lighting, by up to 85%.

In addition to this, on the waste management front, Martin has also implemented recycling and food composting programmes, therefore minimising the amount of outgoing produce and material sent to landfills.
Martin has had to become adaptable with his food operating and has found innovation in low carbon dishes by introducing the number of plant-based menu items on offer. Customers are also given the option to remove sides, such as side salads, if they know that they’re not going to be eaten.

Food for the menu at The Robin Hood is sourced locally where possible, while Martin is making progress with growing some of his own food produce on site.

Staff members at The Robin Hood follow an induction program detailing the pub’s sustainable operating techniques.
The team are also given a daily procedures sheet and closer management has led to an improvement in sustainable operations.

The local community is of great importance to Martin, and he believes that it is more important than ever to lead by example:

“We all have a responsibility regarding sustainability and creating a 'greener' environment. Our local community are the future of our business, and we plan to grow our business in conjunction with them and with a combined greater emphasis on sustainability.”

We are extremely pleased to add The Robin Hood as a Sustainability Champion, further increasing the number of Greene King pub partners awarded.

You can view The Robin Hood website here.

The New Bowling Green - Warwick

The New Bowling Green is a historic, Grade II listed, 15th century family run pub in Warwick with a great beer garden and renowned for its tasty homemade food.

Adam Dudley and Jess Hobbs head up operations at The New Bowling Green, with the pair being the two key players in moving the pub towards a more sustainable future.

A key change made by Adam and Jess has been cutting out the single-use plastics in line with the new laws that came into place in 2023. This previously provided a huge amount of the pub’s waste, and the change in operations has seen a massive reduction.

Furthermore, energy saving and smart monitoring technology has been implemented all across the pub, with LED light bulbs replacing the incandescent and smart thermostats making everyone aware of what is being expended on a day-to-day basis.

Sustainable procurement has also brought success for The New Bowling Green. Some of the fruit, vegetables and herbs used on the menu at the pub are sourced from the Head Chef’s allotment, along with some from the pub’s own garden. The garden is designed in a way that promotes sustainable growing and attracts wildlife, with The New Bowling Green officially recognised as Warwick’s first ‘Bee Friendly Pub’.

Waste reduction is another element of the sustainability journey that has been instrumental in moving the pub towards a greener future. With various recycling programmes in place, food waste has also been heavily reduced. All vegetable peelings and anything possible is used for stocks and sauces, while anything that can’t be used is composted.

When quizzed on the importance of a sustainable future in the local community, Jess is keen to stress what it means to her;

“It’s hugely important - a pub is the heart of the community and leading on sustainability in the local community is essential for creating a healthier, more prosperous, and more beautiful future for everyone. Every individual and community have a role to play in driving positive change towards sustainability, no one more than the local pub."

We extremely pleased to add The New Bowling Green to our ever-growing list of Sustainability Champions. Congratulations to Adam, Jess and the whole team.

You can view The New Bowling Green’s website here.

The Dove and Rainbow - Sheffield

The Dove and Rainbow is a modern, glass-fronted music bar located in Sheffield City Centre. Hosting live rock, metal, punk bands, as well as DJs, this wet-led venue is a local favourite for those who love their music and real ales.

With The Dove and Rainbow being a wet city centre pub without outside space, licensee Dawn Gunther has had to be innovative when it comes to introducing sustainable operations to the venue, as reducing food waste, and increasing kitchen efficiency are not possible due to their wet-led stock.

Dawn says that the main thing she has done to improve sustainability at her pub is engage with her pub company, Punch, on any sustainability issues. With Dawn on a five-year tenancy with Punch and the company not owning the building where the venue is situated, collaboration between the two parties has helped bring about success.

At the Dove and Rainbow, all cellar equipment and fridges are on timers and there are notes on every door to turn off lights when a room is not in use. The pub also has a new, more energy efficient boiler and cellar cooler, while Dawn hassaid that she is will be a ‘Guinea Pig’ for any new cellar technology that may become available in the future.

Dawn can be credited as the driving force behind the sustainable change at the pub, with all staff now fully engaged in the energy reduction and recycling actions. All of the team also generally use public transport or walk to work, meaning that the pub’s passive carbon footprint is reduced further with this.

Punch’s ‘Pub Heroes’ initiative actively invite members, such as Dawn, to have their input and feedback from a small group of operators on all issues of sustainability. Dawn has been labelled one of the ‘go to’ publicans for sustainable operating.

We are delighted to recognise The Dove and Rainbow with Sustainability Champion status.

You can view The Dove and Rainbow’s website here.

~/images/bii/news/article images/oxford partnership q1.png

A Positive End to Quarter One for the UK On Trade

~/images/bii/news/article images/tafarn yr heliwr diversifies to help local residents (1).png

Heart of the Community: Tafarn yr Heliwr

~/images/bii/news/article images/loya semi-finalists.png

BII Licensee of the Year 2024 Semi-Finalists Announced