Initiatives for a greener future

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY, SO IT’S ESSENTIAL THAT YOUR BUSINESS HAS IT AT THE FOREFRONT OF ITS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. DEPENDING ON THE WAY YOU’VE OPERATED OVER THE YEARS, EVERY VENUE HAS A DIFFERENT STARTING POINT IN THEIR JOURNEY TOWARDS NET ZERO.

Sustainable practices might be ingrained into the DNA of your business, as a key factor you have considered since its launch. You might have never considered the environmental impact of your operation, being too busy focusing on other areas whilst striving for success. Regardless of where you’re at currently in your sustainability journey, it can be daunting and difficult to think about how you can ‘level up’.

If ‘eco-conscious’ is a new mindset within your venue, then limit your expectations. Any step, no matter how small, in the right direction, should be applauded. We should all be interested in working towards saving our planet, but even if this isn’t high on your priority list, the positive business effects of running a more sustainable venue should give you the nudge you need. Consumers are increasingly choosing the business that they spend their money in, based off their contributions towards sustainability, and this is prevalent within the on trade.

Viajante 87 is an intimate underground hideaway bar in London’s Notting Hill, who operate with a ‘zero-waste drinks philosophy’. We spoke with Markus Thesleff, Founder of Viajante 87, who told us, “We have created an innovative cocktail menu through experimentation with crafting techniques. Our ethos is all about showcasing sustainability and zero-waste wherever possible, and waste and off-cuts are repurposed and recycled within the drinks program.

“The fruits and vegetables, many of which are taken from our sister restaurant

Los Mochis, are utilised from root to fruit and beyond, with salt rim garnishes being made from fruits and vegetables that have already been dehydrated for their juice.”

Viajante 87 run their own mixology lab, which has the goal of assisting them in their zero-waste philosophy. Markus told us, “Our mixology lab, one of only a few in London, uses fermentation and pickling techniques to increase the shelf life of ingredients, whilst sustainably innovating their serves. The unique cocktail menu sees a 100% agave menu with drinks created using zero-waste techniques, such as The Smoked Earth cocktail.”

If your venue doesn’t offer you the luxury that Viajante 87 has, there are other, simpler ways to improve your sustainable practices. One of the easiest ways to begin your journey is by working with suppliers who operate in an eco-friendly method. Beesou is a UK-sourced, honey-based aperitif, which is the first B-Corp certified aperitif, blended with British honey from the Cotswolds.

Beesou encourages sustainable methods and practices, and the honey used is 100% ethically sourced. What’s more, 10% of each purchase goes directly to the Bees for Development Charity, which promotes sustainable beekeeping to combat poverty, build resilient livelihoods and benefit biodiversity.

The importance of operating your business in an eco-friendly way is underlined by Dan Vorlage, Executive Director of the Steel Keg Association. The SKA is a global non-profit organization on a mission to help pubs, bars, restaurants, and breweries get even more out of their draft beer programs.

Dan explains: “The reality is, consumer traffic and purchasing habits at UK pubs, bars, and restaurants, hasn’t yet recovered from COVID-19. To bring that traffic back, operators need differentiators to make them stand out and appeal to customers”

One way to achieve this and to drive your footfall is to adopt greener habits, as he adds, “consumers are looking for authentically sustainable choices”. Providing your customers with an array of sustainably sourced products or adopting sustainable work practices is what will set your business apart from other competition, and will be the pull-factor in guests’ decision in choosing to grab a drink at your bar or pub.

Richard Stephens, Head of HEINEKEN SmartDispense® and Technical Services, echoes Dan’s opinion on the importance of sustainable practises to consumers.

Speaking on customer demand for sustainable approaches in the industry,

Richard reveals that, “recent research showed just how important sustainability is becoming to consumers. We found that almost half (46%) of 18–34-year-olds claim they would be more inclined to visit a pub if it was eco-friendly or took part in sustainable initiatives.”

Richard also highlights the importance of involving consumers in green initiatives, he continues: “Actively engaging with the local community and involving them in your sustainability ambitions can result in greater consideration of your business for different occasions - driving additional footfall and sales. Making your customers feel a part of the mission – and their positive response – is a clear indicator of the importance that sustainability now has in on trade purchasing decisions.”

With sustainability, rightly, becoming more important in the on trade, Bar Magazine have introduced The Environment Award to the 2024 Bar Magazine Awards schedule. This award will look to recognise venues, like Viajante 87, who keep sustainable practices at the core of their business operations. This can sometimes feel like a thankless task, so the 2024 BMAs are looking to provide a celebration of your efforts towards saving our planet.

Please let us know about your venue’s sustainability journey, and apply for The Environment Award, via www.barmagazine.co.uk/ barmagazineawards

While adopting sustainable initiatives is an attractive pull-factor for potential guests at your venue and increases both footfall and revenue, going green is sure to save your business extra-costs and is a great way to increase those profit margins. “When something has a sustainability advantage it’s also a sign of an economic advantage”, Dan from SKA adds. “Reusability is why draft beer from steel kegs deliver such important economic benefits to pub, bar and restaurant operators, economic benefits that are more important now than ever.”

The concept of reusability is an important option to consider amongst the umbrella of the many sustainable approaches your business may adopt; reusability is a practise that is very simple and easy to implement and is both ethically and economically rewarding to your business. While you could make the switch to reusable steel kegs, other simple approaches you could adopt include making drinks refillable. This reduces the number of glasses needing to be cleaned, therefore saving water and electricity, and reducing costs for your business.

Keeping costs low is becoming increasingly important to businesses during an economic period of rising energy costs, and many businesses will be covering all bases to ensure outgoings are kept to a minimum. Richard Stephens, Head of HEINEKEN SmartDispense® and Technical Services, highlights the importance of keeping costs down explaining that, “with energy pricing across the pub and hospitality sector expected to rise by at least 11% throughout the year, reducing the running costs of a site is at the forefront of everyone’s mind”.

Providing another angle on how to combat these rising costs while becoming more sustainable, Richard suggests investing in an energy audit: “The average pub energy costs are at least £20,000 per year, so investing in an energy audit can help identify and understand the specific high-energy areas within your property. Working with a registered EPC assessor can help recognise both no or low-cost behavioural changes which may be causing energy wastage, or site-specific investments that will have the biggest impact on your bills whilst minimising the disruption to the running of your pub.”

While being sustainable has, so far, been more of an optional, trendy stance for bars and pubs to take, upcoming legislation means that businesses, by law, must adapt to greener ways. Richard states that, “upcoming changes to EPC legislation will require venues to reach EPC standard C by April 2027, then reach B standard in the following three years. The fine for non-compliance is expected to be £150,000 meaning improving efficiencies will become a business necessity”. With this in mind, it is important to consider how your business can begin working towards this sustainability standard. Richard adds, “starting on your sustainability journey sooner rather than later, no matter the scale of changes, will put businesses in a great place when it comes to meeting the EPC legislation changes and make your business more attractive to consumers”.

Though making the changes to sustainable practices and knowing where to start may seem overwhelming, the key thing to remember is that any small changes make a difference. Richard places emphasis on the importance of small changes and reassures us that, “no two businesses will have the same sustainability journey – it’s about starting somewhere.” He also provides us some advice on low to no cost changes your venue can make to begin your sustainability journey. Richard advises businesses to, “review and improve processes, such as clear guidelines for cellar cleaning and regular line cleaning to drive efficiencies and maintain great quality for the best customer experience, which could result in less wastage and less money being poured away on unusable pints.” Richard also advises venues to, “right-size your cellar so you are not chilling empty space and make sure only drinks products are stored in cellars”. He explains, “storing the likes of ice machines and fridges, which pump out heat, will make your chillers work harder and make your equipment less efficient, look to relocate these where possible”.

Agreeing with Richard is Dr Laura Kirwan, Sustainability Lead at Nutritics, who stresses the importance of making small steps towards sustainability. She says “there is clear and growing consumer demand for businesses to take sustainability more seriously than ever, and we can confidently say that this trend will only increase over the coming years. Although the journey to net-zero is often seemingly complex and challenging, acting sooner rather than later will provide a competitive advantage and allow you to set a new standard and stand out amongst your peers.”

Concluding, Laura makes an important statement regarding the journey of sustainability for businesses by affirming, “implementing sustainable practice is an excellent opportunity for businesses who want to stand out in a crowded industry, however, the key thing to remember is to always aim for consistent progress over instant perfection!”

It is clear that sustainable practises are becoming increasingly more important to consumers, as well as equally important to businesses in terms of reducing costs and meeting upcoming industry standards. Taking the next step towards greener initiatives, no matter how small, is crucial to ensure your business stays on top.

HEINEKEN’S SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

• In 2021, HEINEKEN announced its 2030 Brew a Better World programme, a new set of ambitious commitments aimed at driving a positive impact on the environment, social sustainability, and the responsible consumption of alcohol.

• Heineken support thousands of operators using industry-leading draught solutions, SmartDispense™, who collectively save 60M pints of water, beer, cider and cleaning materials and 273 tonnes of CO2 every year.

• HEINEKEN-owned Star Pubs & Bars has also announced its ambition to decarbonise its estate of 2,400 pubs by 2040.