The Queen's Head

Queen's Head - Pinner

The Queen’s Head in Pinner village has stood since 1705 and was named Harrow Pub of the Year for 2023. Licensee Sean White has implemented a variety of sustainable initiatives that have undoubtedly contributed to the success of this local favourite.

In a bid to move towards a more sustainable future, Sean installed charging points for electric cars on-site, whilst having dedicated cycle parking to encourage customers to travel to the venue in an eco-friendly and green way.

The pub has changed their lighting arrangement, switching from incandescent to LED bulbs throughout the building and outdoor area of the pub, saving huge amounts of energy and costs in the process. Timers and sensors are placed on lights and equipment to ensure that nothing is expending energy when not in use.

In addition to this, The Queen’s Head has applied to install 105 solar panels in the wasteland at the bottom of the car park. Should the application be approved, the pub will be able to say that 62% of its energy comes from this renewable source.

When it comes to waste reduction measures, Sean has found innovation in low carbon dishes by increasing plant-based menu items, resulting in a reduction of meat-based products. Excess food is donated to local charities and food banks to further minimise waste.

Where possible, Sean attempts to source his produce from local suppliers, ensuring a reduction in food mileage. The Queen’s Head also has a bug hotel located in the garden, while plants are specifically put in place with the purpose of attracting wildlife.

All staff at The Queen’s Head are trained in cellar management and encouraged to adopt sustainable practices both inside and outside of the pub.

We are delighted to award The Queen’s Head with Sustainability Champion status and look forward to seeing their sustainability journey continue in the future.

You can view The Queen’s Head 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