My Yorkshire Pubs are a collection of fantastic venues in…Yorkshire! From sports to live music, karaoke and great value food and drink, there is something for everyone. Like so many pubs, they are not just looking after their customers, they are caring for the environment, making changes to all of their venues to make them more sustainable, for the future of the planet, and the pub!

Having been conscious of the importance of reducing waste, saving energy and educating their teams, Chris Windle, who owns and runs the business, started to make changes nearly ten years ago. His aim was to recycle 100% of their waste, sending nothing to landfill. All food waste and packaging is sorted and recycled for separate collections – even when refurbishing venues, they sold or upcycled furniture.

The usual quick wins in terms of installing LED lighting were a must, and over multiple pubs, the energy savings over the years equate to thousands of pounds, but Chris and the team were determined to do more.

Installing Beer Tech cellar cooling equipment 2 years ago meant that the cellars are now kept at optimum temperatures, switching off when not needed and kicking in if they were too warm. Python remote coolers helped achieve more efficiencies, as has the Flowmaster system for reducing waste in their line cleaning, and timers for their back bar fridges.

These tech installations pay for themselves in energy savings very quickly, but the real key to the success of My Yorkshire Pubs sustainability has been in engaging with their teams and making simple, but highly effective changes. 

Firing up the kitchens later in the morning, and only as needed, turning fridges down a degree or two, investing in multiple collections for glass, cardboard, food waste and cooking oil, are just some of the plans put into place, with staff at all of the pubs encouraged to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible.

Working closely with Greene King across their tenanted pubs and their Hive sites, Chris gets waste collected at the same time they have deliveries of stock to the pubs, meaning 50% less journeys are made, saving fuel and time.

Sustainability is key in any business, but the cost, time and energy savings made have not only given the team more money to invest in their pubs, but have also had an incredibly positive effect on their local and global environments. Congratulations to Chris and the whole team at My Yorkshire Pubs for their brilliant efforts and becoming BII Sustainability Champions!

 

The Millpool, located in Coventry, is a traditional local with hand-pulled ales, a British pub menu, regular meal deals and beer garden.

Licensee, John Carey, has been key to the move towards a sustainable future for the pub, ensuring that greener initiatives are always at the forefront of his thinking when making the decisions regarding this local favourite.

 

 

 

 

A hotspot for televised sport, The Assembly Inn is the premier sports bar of the Abbey Ales family. Located on Alfred Street, off Lansdown Road, north of Bath City Centre, The Assembly Inn offers four large screen TVs and projector, including Amazon Prime for the football. With an additional two pool tables and a secret courtyard garden, there is something for everyone in this local favourite.

Jenny Brown heads up operations at The Assembly Inn and has been the driving force behind the introduction of sustainable initiatives across a number of different areas including energy and waste reduction methods, sustainable procurement, and customer & team engagement.

When it comes to energy reduction, the installation of smart thermostats has brought about huge success for The Assembly Inn. Namely, the HIVE system which has been recently installed to control the heating and water and ensure that the premises are well insulated.

Sustainable procurement is a key area for many pubs, but as a wet-led pub Jenny and the team source sustainable and locally produced drinks for use in their menus. This means that the mileage of their products is reduced as much as possible, doing wonders for their carbon footprint. Most of the real ales sold at the pub come from the local Bath brewery, which Jenny owns.

Finally, all staff are encouraged to walk or cycle to work at The Assembly Inn, with Jenny keen to promote greener transportation wherever possible.