Wakehurst Place wins footprint award

There were celebrations this week at Kew’s country garden in Ardingly as its efforts to reduce food miles have been recognised with a highly coveted national award.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Jun 2014, 16:42 BST
Deputy catering manager Pawel Zelewicz and some of The Stables restaurant team at WakehurstDeputy catering manager Pawel Zelewicz and some of The Stables restaurant team at Wakehurst
Deputy catering manager Pawel Zelewicz and some of The Stables restaurant team at Wakehurst

The Ampersand catering team at Wakehurst Place, the 300-acre estate, won a prestigious Footprint Award last week for responsibly sourcing its ingredients.

Catering manager, Beverley Richardson, said it was gratifying that her team’s commitment had been rewarded.

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“We work hard to achieve locally sourced food, maximising the use of sustainable kitchenware and linen, minimising the environmental impact of kitchenware production and linen, reducing oil and electricity consumption, reducing waste and reducing water consumption,” she said.

“This award also acknowledges the close working relationship that the Wakehurst team have with its caterers, working together to achieve their shared environmental objects wherever possible.”

The winners’ plaque now takes pride of place on the counter of The Stables restaurant.

The annual awards are all about sourcing effectively and without damaging the environment and future supply chains.

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The panel of expert judges look for minimal environmental impact, invest, strategy, continuous scrutiny and long-term plans plus a net positive effect.

They said it was hard to pick a winner in a fiercely fought category, but that the Wakehurst entry was “a project with passion, clear goals and results”, and they were delighted to reward Ampersand.