The Willow Tree is a warm and welcoming pub serving local beers and high-quality wines, situated in Winchester, Hampshire. This new-look venue joins its sister pub, The Queen Inn as a BII Sustainability Champion, becoming licensees Jenny Small and Iain Warren’s second pub to be awarded.

The Willow Tree has recently undergone a full refurbishment in conjunction with Greene King which resulted in an upgrade of all facilities, including items of fixtures and fittings. All of these new fixtures and fittings provide an improved efficiency throughout the pub and enable them to save a lot more energy than they were previously doing so.

The importance of sustainability is reiterated frequently when onboarding new members of staff at The Willow Tree. Jenny and Iain also ensure that there is ongoing staff training to encourage sustainable behaviours throughout the workforce of the pub and it is often a topic in staff meetings.

Their move towards sustainable operating has created a new and more sustainable environment, which has helped to attract a new consumer base. This shows that it is not only good for the environment, but can also enhance your business and profit margins.

When quizzed on their beliefs on the importance of a sustainable future, Jenny and Iain are keen to mention the importance of the local community:

“Our local community are everything to us and the life blood of our business. The sustainability agenda is becoming increasingly important and high profile. This cannot be ignored and needs to be embraced for all our futures. We need to work with the local community to make our environment better and sustainable and well as ensure we are all using the least energy possible.”

We are very proud of Jenny and Iain’s efforts across their two pubs and are delighted to award another of their venues with BII Sustainability Champion status.