Ecology and Diversity Feature

from Style of Wight Issue 76 May/June

Style speaks: to Mhairi Macaulay

ECO ISLAND

HOW ISLAND BUSINESSES ARE LEADING THE WAY IN SUSTAINABILITY

Tapnell Farm is celebrating ten years as a staycation resort this year, which means it has offered staycations and glamping before the former was a household term and the latter was included in the dictionary!

TEN GREEN YEARS

AT TAPNELL FARM

The Turney family first took over Tapnell and East Afton Farms 40 years ago and, at its peak, Tapnell became one of the biggest dairy farms on the Island with over 800 cows producing 24,000 litres of milk every day. Today, still family-run, by brothers-in-law Tom Turney and Tom Honeyman Brown, it is an award-winning holiday destination enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. When it comes to a leading example of best practice in sustainability and green issues, Tapnell Farm is hard to beat, and they have multiple Green Tourism Awards to their name. Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do, whether using the sun to make electricity for hundreds of homes, powering heating systems with a biomass boiler or building using natural materials. The mission is to “... pass on our farm in better environmental and productive health than it was at the beginning of our life’s tenure,” says Tom Turney. A great deal has changed in the past ten years. Now, Tapnell’s staycation offer is just about as good as it gets, featuring accommodation in wood cabins, ecopods, modulogs, geodesic domes, safari tents, farm cottages, and Tapnell Manor. On top of all that, Tapnell has evolved into a self-contained resort with its own Farm Park, and family and dog-friendly restaurant, The Cow. Activities today vary from a circular six-mile walk – the Tapnell Trail – to the island’s only Aqua Park and Football Golf course, archery and axe-throwing ranges, and clay-pigeon shooting. Not to mention a recently expanded Farm Shop focusing on local produce, to include vegetables grown on the farm. It was all quite different just ten years ago, when Tom’s Eco Lodge, named after visionary owner Tom Turney, began welcoming guests into five glorious canvas safari tents. A decade ago, hot-water bottles, wood-burning stoves and eco- friendly powered electric blankets under canvas were revolutionary. So, while camping wasn’t for everyone, glamping quickly brought that touch of “glam” to a style of accommodation that kids and the young-at-heart already loved. Tapnell recognised the need to capture the family market first but, in truth, you couldn’t have found a much cooler place in the UK to stay than a Safari Tent on the Isle of Wight in 2012. Even now, that “wow factor” remains. With all its home comforts and stunning views across the countryside to the sea, Tom’s Eco Lodge grew in popularity very quickly, with Tom soon joined in the new venture by his brother-in-law, Tom Honeyman Brown. Together they have made Tapnell what it is today, with the help of an amazing team. One of Tapnell’s original features was the creation of a very special hen house for rescued battery hens. Back in the day, some of the land had been used for ‘Banger Racing’. The chequered caravan that was once the HQ of the racing operation was transformed into a hen house with roosting hatches – each painted with the name of a particular hen – where guests could collect fresh eggs. Today, the caravan itself may have been retired, but Tapnell Farm remains home to lots of rescued hens – and fresh eggs are always on the menu (when the hens oblige). “From the start, our ethos has been to create ‘maximum enjoyment with minimum impact on the environment’ and this has been true from the construction of our glamping safari tents in 2012 to the Aqua Park enjoyed by so many today,” says Tom Turney. “We’ve just wanted to grow organically and to create a unique and welcoming place for everyone to enjoy the farm as we did; the fresh air, stunning views, and space to explore – whilst trying to keep everything rustic and in keeping; no gadgets or gizmos … just people-powered fun!” adds Tom Honeyman Brown Here are some of the ways in which Tapnell Farm has taken decisive action on environmental practices and social and ethical choices:

POWER

Tapnell has installed 500kw of renewable solar generation across four buildings and two small field arrays, meaning the farm is electric positive and sends excess green power back to

the grid. Tapnell generates more than 500,000kwh of energy a year, enough to power more than 100 homes. Oil boilers have been removed and replaced with a district heating network powered by sustainably sourced renewable wood pellets. Air source and ground source heat pumps are installed in new properties and business premises, and they were early adopters and promoters of LED low-energy lighting, converting all properties in 2012 and saving thousands of kilowatts of energy and tons of unnecessary carbon emissions. Plus, they grow tons of energy crops annually to produce renewable gas.

RECYCLING

Tapnell was an early adopter of compostable and biodegradable packaging to replace plastic products, and all farm plastics and scrap old metals are recycled. Former farm buildings have been repurposed to regenerate rather than building on greenfield land. They upcycle products wherever possible to avoid unnecessary purchasing and even recycle used wetsuits!

PEOPLE

Tapnell has generated full-time and seasonal employment for more than 100 local people, offering high-quality jobs with real career opportunities, supported by as many local suppliers and contractors, who work hard to continually improve the Tapnell offer. “Our local Island community is important to us and we champion ‘local’ with most of our supplies and services coming from the Island,” says Tom.

CONSERVATION

Animals have been rehomed from a closed wildlife park to create the farm park, with hundreds of animals rehomed and cared for over the years. Miles of footpaths and bridleways in the surrounding countryside have been upgraded, maintained, and promoted and two new lakes have been created to better manage the watercourse and provide habitats for wildlife. Miles of hedgerows and thousands of plants, shrubs, and trees have been planted across the farm, and acres of land have been taken out of arable production and pioneered large field margins for greater biodiversity of flora and fauna. Owl, squirrel, tit and bat boxes have also been installed across the farm, giving them a home and actively encouraging them to live at the farm. Lodges are constructed with natural materials, powered by low-energy sources, supported by a market-leading sewage treatment system that meets the highest environmental standards, and supplied with a recycling station. If regeneration, diversification, and the creation of jobs and opportunities were high on the list of priorities for the Toms, what Tapnell has also achieved is holidays as kind to the planet as possible and that don’t, “cost the earth”.

ACACIA BAY

DIG FOR VINTAGE

Acacia Bay has loads of lovely items on sale that are eco-friendly, fair trade, and simply beautiful. All their rattan products are made from recycled rattan, and if you buy cushions from the ‘Interior’ label you are supporting a more sustainable and long-lasting, thoughtful product development. Their eco design ‘Original Home’ tablecloths are hand-loomed from waste cotton from the textile industry in a small rural workshop in the northern part of Bangladesh. The artisan workers are treated equally, earn fair wages, and turn organic waste into something beautiful. Drop in and make a difference when you choose from the wide range of lovely home interior items on sale.

www.acaciabayiow.co.uk

Dig For Vintage’s eco-credentials are central to all that they offer in their eclectic emporium in Ryde’s Colonnade in Lind Street, which specialises in vintage fashion, antique & vintage household furniture, goods, textiles, clothing, and quality collectables. Sarah Campbell and Mike Hamlet, at Dig For Vintage, collect and curate vintage pieces dating from the 1900s into the 1980s, to suit all styles and budgets, and they have a range of classic, timeless pieces, presented with good old-fashioned service. Dig For Vintage are also the only trained stockists of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on the Island and they offer monthly, informal, hands-on workshops that will equip you with the skills to develop your individual personal style and beautiful creations using Annie Sloan’s worldfamous Chalk Paints and accessories. Chalk Paint is safe to use in interior and exterior settings because it is water-based & non-toxic therefore more environmentally friendly than most other chemical-based paints. The most responsible and affordable solution to waste is to recycle, repair, renovate, reuse, and reinvent from clothes to the wardrobes they hang in. If it doesn’t work for you now, then fix it, don’t throw it or replace it. Or you could re-invent it with Annie Sloan’s beautiful range of Chalk Paints. Sarah says: “We love the colours, shapes, textures, and quality of vintage clothing, fabrics, ceramics, and homewares. They were made well and to last. Mike says: “If you don’t see what you are looking for, chances are we may have it in stock or know where we might find it, so please feel free to contact us — we have an efficient vintage finding service and will be only too pleased to help in any way we can.” Mike and Sarah are always on the lookout for original fashion, fabric, furnishings, and homewares and won’t sell anything they wouldn’t want themselves. Amongst this eclectic and unique collection are masses of interesting, innovative, and amazing gift ideas complete with a range of Dig For Vintage cards. Open six days a week Monday through to Saturday 10am until 4pm

www.digforvintage.co.uk

BAYLISS & BOOTH

Bayliss and Booth have a selection of lovely home items that are as green as they are beautiful. An amazing range of soft cushions and throws are made from...100% recycled plastic bottles! Perfect for using throughout the home and garden, they’re stain and water resistant and machine washable! Beach Clean placemats and coasters are made from a combination of Portuguese cork and recycled EVA plastics like flip flops - each unique in colour and pattern. Make your home smell gorgeous with their new range of Bougies La Française, each depicting an element of nature - Natural Lights. This collection uses responsibly sourced natural rapeseed in partnership with perfumers committed to protecting biodiversity and a fair income for producers. These candles have wooden lids and can be refilled.

www.baylissandbooth.co.uk

RHODES SKINCARE:

Benefits you and the planet

Rhodes Skincare is a British brand that is both sustainable and vegan. Its founder, Annabel Rhodes, has a wealth of experience within the skin care industry. The products combine ‘Green Science’ with the latest Plant Cell Technology, harvesting plant cells in a totally clean laboratory environment, using no soil, fertiliser, or pesticides. This technology maximises the benefits of each ingredient to reverse and reduce sun damage, protect, hydrate, and decrease wrinkles. Rhodes Skincare packaging is made from sugarcane waste, that is normally burnt or buried. It is used to make the tubes and bottles and is 100% recyclable. The packaging even comes in a smart green colour. Plant Cell Technology is the key, and the latest way of harvesting products in a totally clean atmosphere. You just take 2 millimetres of a leaf or root and harvest it in a completely pollutionfree laboratory environment, without harming the plant and while ensuring that it is kind to your skin. “It’s better than organic”. “We use Desert Rose plant cells for hydration – This plant grows and flowers in the desert,” explained Annabel of the main ingredient in her Desert Rose Face Wash. “Madonna Lily and Barbary Fig reduce and reverse sun damage. Found in The Edelweiss Face Rescue and The Orange Skin Food “Himalayan Edelweiss, which is a protected species, gets battered by extreme weather conditions. The cellular structure allows its survival, and the cells provide the very best protection and regeneration in The Edelweiss Face Rescue.” Annabel, who is encyclopaedic in her knowledge of plants and what they can do for us, explained it beautifully during our meeting at her lovely cottage in Bembridge. “Rather like cooking, a recipe is best when the ingredients are at their freshest. Maca root looks like an old turnip, but it’s great for laughter lines and enhances radiance by 40%!” Kind, funny and strikingly beautiful (modelling for Dior and Saint Laurent in the ‘70s!) Annabel learned about natural skincare working for Eileen Malone, Jo Malone’s mother, in the ‘90s and trained in Essential Oils with Neal’s Yard Remedies. Clearly, Annabel is not going to give up her fight to get the sustainable skincare word out there. Her products really do work and can be good for the planet whilst not sacrificing any of the luxury. They smell divine too. Her skin, by the way, is amazing.

www.rhodesskincare.com

MADONNA LILY

PROMOTES SKIN CELL RENEWAL PROCESS BY DECREASING MELANIN AND HELPS EXPEL IT FROM THE EPIDERMIS, THEREBY PREVENTING AND DECREASING DARK SPOTS.

HIMALAYAN EDELWEISS

LIMITS BAD UV RAY EFFECTS WHICH AGE AND DAMAGE THE SKIN. LIMITS THE CREATION OF FREE RADICALS, DECREASES MELANIN PRODUCTION AND INCREASES TOLERANCE, THEREBY PROTECTING SKIN CELLS. IT TIGHTENS SAGGING NECK & LIFTS CHEEKS, SMOOTHES CROWS FEET & WRINKLES AS WELL AS PROTECTING AGAINST POLLUTION AND UV RADIATION.

SEA~ROOM AND ISLAND REFILLERY

Word is out about Bembridge’s beautiful new zero waste shop, Sea~room, where you can refill from a carefully curated selection of eco-friendly household, hair, and body products as well as browse their range of sustainable, locally made, home accessories. Sea~room’s founder Fiona handpicks and tests all the refill brands, selecting only those ethically made in the UK that demonstrate a completely closed-loop, circular production system, ensuring no waste is generated. All the big plastic containers necessary to the refill process are reused time and again by her suppliers. The pretty shop stocks a huge range of refill products, all of which are vegan, cruelty-free, biodegradable, plant-based, and contain no harsh chemicals. Many are also organic and hypoallergenic. Everything from shampoo, body lotion, and face serum to dishwasher tablets, laundry liquid, and floor cleaners lines the walls of the refill bar in beautiful vintage-style glass jars, ready to be decanted into customers’ bottles. Recently registered as a Community Interest Company, Sea~room’s ethos is to refill bottles with eco products at the same time as highlighting the issue of plastic waste and toxins in our oceans and seas. By encouraging customers to reuse rather than recycle, and use readily biodegradable, natural products, Sea~room seamlessly demonstrates how a circular, waste-free model can work. Fiona says: “We try to empower our customers by giving them an alternative to buying endless amounts of plastic bottles and enable them to take some direct action towards cleaner seas and a more natural way of living. The phrase I hear most from people in the shop is, “We have just got to do this.” People really do want to see change.” Customers are encouraged to bring their own containers to be refilled and relabelled by Fiona and her team, using a weigh-fill-weigh system, paying only for the product in the bottle. Plus, they offer expert advice on getting exactly what works for you, and how to use it. Sea~room stocks local products wherever possible and is proud to work with some of the island’s favourite ecominded makers like XV Stripes, ROAKE Studios, Permaculture Island, Earth Conscious, Hunter and Boo, Soap and Anchor, ChilliWinter, and more. Pop in to have a look around and discuss how this more sustainable and natural approach could work for your home, maybe even bring an empty bottle! Sea~room is open from 10-2pm Tuesday to Saturday and is between Spence Willard and the Co-op in Bembridge village centre.

Instagram: @searoom.iow Email Fiona: refill@islandrefillery.com Sea-room, The Old Bank, Sherbourne Street, Bembridge, PO35 5SB

MERMAID GIN

If you’ve ever picked up a bottle of Mermaid Gin, you may be surprised to find out that the tamper-proof seal on every bottle isn’t plastic, it’s actually completely plant-based. It is made using potato and corn starch. In fact, the whole bottle is plastic-free. When designing their bottle, the Isle of Wight Distillery team had many factors to consider, but perhaps none more important than being completely plasticfree. The gold neck label is crafted from recycled paper and the bottle itself from recyclable glass. To minimise waste in their distribution, all their cardboard is shredded and repurposed as bedding for local livestock. Their efforts don’t stop there as they actively work alongside the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to support their efforts in monitoring and restoring seagrass meadows in the waters around the Isle of Wight.

www.isleofwightdistillery.com

BLISS ICE CREAM

Bliss Ice Cream is not only proud to be situated in the beautiful yachting town of Cowes, but is also proud to support Isle of Wight cows too! Offering scooped ice cream made with Isle of Wight milk, they are always pleased to chat to customers about how important it is to support the Island’s herd of dairy cows. We all love the feeling of chilled, creamy sweetness across our hot tongues on a sweltering summer’s day, but there’s so much more to ice cream than the taste. Did you know that in the 1970s there were over 365 dairy farmers on the Isle of Wight? Now in 2022, there are fewer than 10. This in turn means there are fewer cows. The Isle of Wight offers rich pastures and rolling countryside, much of it in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, for cows to graze. However, there are now fewer dairy cows than ever before. Without the need for grassy fields for grazing livestock, the land is usually utilised for other cropping. This means the views will change further on the Island as fewer green fields are needed. Dairy farms used to be at the heart of our small rural communities and employed generations of local people. Buying ice cream made with local milk and cream, such as Calbourne Classics, Minghella, and Isle of Wight Ice Cream brands means you are not only supporting the cows and subsequently supporting our beautiful countryside, but you are also supporting our local communities. Bliss offers over 40 flavours of high-quality ice cream made with Isle of Wight milk and cream, which is produced and stored right in the middle of the Island to keep food miles to an absolute minimum.

www.blissicecreamparlour.co.uk

HARVEY BROWNS FARM FOOD HALL, BUTCHERY AND CAFÉ

CAFFÈ ISOLA & ISLAND ROASTED

There’s a brand-new farm food hall, butchery and café opened in Arreton called Harvey Browns and it’s powered by solar panels on their farm, making it one of the few businesses on the Island to be run on sustainably produced Island electricity. Just off the main road at Hale Common, Harvey Browns is the new incarnation of Farmer Jacks at Arreton Barns but is now much larger and has its own on-site café. A spacious food hall specialises in local foods, which are therefore low in food miles, although some do of course have to come from further afield. Their own butchery, which is separated from the building by a glass link, sells Isle of Wight beef and lamb. Currently in-season and grown on AE Brown Farms is their delicious asparagus, which carries on until around Solstice (June 21st) and a selection

of brassicas such as cauliflowers, cabbages, broccoli, and chards, all grown on the farm. Their home-grown strawberries will be arriving in June,

closely followed by crunchy sweetcorn in July.

Many local producers’ goods feature in the farm shop such as The Tomato Stall, Island Bakers, Scarrots Lane Bakery, Grace’s Bakery, The Garlic Farm, and Briddlesford Farm. The café serves breakfast from 8am till 11am, lunch from 12 till 3pm. Tea, coffee and cake are available all day, with local and home-grown fayre featuring on the menu. For the knowledge that you are putting your money back into the Island economy, that some of the food miles of your groceries will be very short, and that the power behind the venture is completely green, make sure to check out Harvey Browns at Hale Common soon.

Open 8am to 6pm daily. | www.harveybrowns.co.uk

Caffè Isola has very high green credentials as they roast their own coffee at their sister company Island Roasted just down the road from the cafe, and the beans are delivered to Caffè Isola in reusable buckets. In fact, you can watch the roasting process from start to finish in their profiling roastery on the first floor of Caffè Isola. This smaller roastery gives them the facility to develop new coffees without having to disturb their whole production schedule, and to produce some very bespoke small runs as well as stock the Isola label retail shelves. Their tasty coffees are then sold to retail customers as beans or freshly ground on site into recyclable or compostable packaging. They also recently introduced their own fully compostable coffee pods – and they also have a cost-effective reusable coffee cup currently in development. Plus, Island Roasted delivers its retail coffee orders to homes and businesses by electric van. They’re also taking part in a project run by People Powered CIC which means that their Newport and West Cowes customers receive their coffee deliveries by e-cargo bikes.