Considerate Hoteliers

IN THIS ISSUE : WINNERS TALES – HIGH QUALITY OF ENTRIES MAKES LIFE

DIFFICULT FOR THE JUDGES | FOUR SEASONS LONDON AT PARK LANE

RISES TO THE OCCASION – GALA LUNCH IS A TRIUMPH | SPONSORS AND

CONSIDERATE SUPPLIERS PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR CHA

CO

NSID

ERATE HOTELIERS

Caring for YOUREnvironment

THE

CONSIDERATE HOTELIER

Hotel ofthe Year 2012LANCASTER LONDONPersistence and hard work pays dividends

CONSIDERATE HOTELIERS VISION FOR THE FUTUREThe World is our organic Oyster!

THE CONSIDERATE HOTELIERS ASSOCIATION MEMBERS MAGAZINE

ISSUE 20 | SUMMER 2012

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ERATE HOTELIERS

Caring for YOUREnvironment

THE CONSIDERATE HOTELIERS ASSOCIATION MEMBERS MAGAZINE

Websiteconsideratehoteliers.com

[email protected]

Coming shortlyA new website, fresh, revitalized, re-branded and ready to take on the world!

Join UsMembership of the Considerate Hoteliers is open to hotels, guesthouses, small accommodation providers, restaurants with rooms, inns and self-catering accommodation that commit themselves to our Mission Statement, Environmental and Social Responsibility Charter. For membership information visitwww.consideratehoteliers.com

Considerate SuppliersWe are compiling a list of Considerate Suppliers based on member recommendation. If you have a supplier who you think should be on the list let us know [email protected]

CreditsDirector and Editor:John Firrell, Considerate Hotels Association, Litton Cheney, Dorset DT2 9AR.Telephone 01308 482313

Look to the futureCHA celebrates 21 years of life, winners celebrate their 2012 Awards.

It has been another fantastic year. CHA celebrated 21 years of existence in 2011, the standard of entries for this year’s awards knocked the judges socks off, the membership continued to grow and Considerate Hoteliers prepares itself for the future.

This issue of The Considerate Hotelier relates the winner’s tales, commends the short list and reports on the Awards Gala Lunch held this year at the Four Seasons London at Park Lane. One of the first Presidents of CHA was Ramon Pajares who at the time was GM of the Inn on the Park soon to be renamed the Four Seasons London. It was only natural that many of CHA’s functions were held at the hotel so a number of us got to know the hotel quite well. It was quite strange going back there in May for the Awards Gala Lunch as the hotel has gone through a serious remodeling and was hardly recognizable from what used to be. Still very much present though was the grandeur, excellent service and sense of welcome. Lifetime Achievement Award winner Mike LeRoy and I recalled standing outside the hotel with our clipboards in the early 90’s judging the Clean & Green category when clean meant exactly that and green referred to plants, flowers and gardens. Time, the Four Seasons and Considerate Hoteliers has moved on a trifle since then!

As you read through this magazine you will undoubtedly be impressed with what our winners have achieved and rightly so. One of the things we are currently doing is updating the CH website and this will include creating a case study section that will contain the stories of winners past and present and hopefully act as an inspiration to future entrants but also offer up great ideas for your own hotel. They say imitation is the best form of flattery and nobody should feel anything other than elation if they implement an initiative that a fellow member has proved works and indeed makes a difference.

When speaking at the Awards Gala Lunch I alluded to changes that were on the horizon and “to watch this space.” Well, elsewhere in this magazine you will find information on what is likely to happen in that “space”. CHA must move with the times, it has the potential to do so much more and intends to do so. Two colleagues (Xenia & Benedetta) will be joining me and assisting in the running of Considerate Hoteliers. The extra “help” will allow the organization to expand within the UK by growing the membership, but also to look to Europe (initially) and then if all bodes well take the Considerate Hoteliers ethos and objectives to our colleagues in the global hotel market. For our current members, i.e. you, it will mean greater access to information, increased member benefits and an enlargement of an already hugely influential organisation run by hoteliers for hoteliers. Despite the fact we have already reached the grand old age of 21 plus, it would seem the best has yet to come!

John Firrell MIHEditor – The Considerate Hotelier

2 Considerate Hoteliers 2012

contents

Contents Summer ‘12

10

04Considerate Hotel of the Year 2012Lancaster London

06Considerate Green ChampionClare Wright

10Montagu Arms in the New Forest Sustainable and edible thinking

14Landmark decision for London Green TeamTheir Story

18Hotel Petit ChampTales from a Small Island

20Green Marketing InitiativeLasswade generates team work in the depth of Wales

22National Green Supplier of the YearLasswade generates team work in the depth of Wales


contents

10

26

14 20

24Local Green Supplier of the YearThe Constant Gardeners of Sark

26Good EggGary goes to work on a Good Egg

28Lifetime Achievement AwardMike LeRoy’s valiant service reaps it’s reward

30What the Judges Said!

32Award Asides

34Winners 2012A List of all our winners and runners up plus some notes of importance

36CHA – A Vision of the FutureThe Next Frontier

38Consider ThisConsider this and a welcome to new members since our last issue


Lancaster LondonTHE CONSIDERATE HOTEL OF THE YEAR

2012

When one has been involved with CHA as long as I have – it seems like 22 years and it is! – you are in the privileged position of seeing fledgling hotels grow their green wings, take to the air and eventually emerge into the sunlight a fully mature grown up, joined up member setting the standards that present day fledglings aspire to. So it is into that sunlight emerged the Lancaster London to take top honours in this year’s CHA 2012 Awards. Enormous congratulations to Stephen Kyjak-Lane and his team.Thoroughly deserved and a splendid example to us all.

winner considerate hotel of the year

The Lancaster London has had some amazing environmental and community focused achievements during 2011. These innovative developments have proven the hotel to be both an industry leader in the eco market, and to have serious dedication to green policies, that entitled it to be considered for the title of Considerate Hotel of the Year 2012.


winner considerate hotel of the year

It is not just the actions of Lancaster London that should be recognised, but also its very ethos. “To walk softly on the planet” is the Lancaster London’s motto, and this is filtered through every aspect of the hotel, from purchasing, to the refurbishment, to its interaction with guests. The hotel is genuinely passionate about preserving the environment so that the grandchildren of its guests will also have a world to be proud of. This philosophy in itself is something to be rewarded.

This commitment to environmental practices is present at every level of the hotel staff, from the General Manager Stephen Kyjak-Lane, who is an ardent supporter of green initiatives and drives a low CO2 emission Smart car, right through to every member of the housekeeping staff. It is reinforced through regular staff “Green Days”, induction training and the monthly newsletter. Each and every member of staff works incredibly hard to achieve these results, and winning the title of “Considerate Hotel of the Year 2012” would be a valid recognition of their efforts.

However, apart from deserving the title, the Lancaster London is a very prominent industry leader, and raising the profile of the hotel’s environmental achievements would also have extremely positive benefits. Lancaster London is a 4* deluxe hotel overlooking Hyde Park. With 416 guestrooms, two restaurants and a superb events space that can host up to 3,000 people, it is one of the largest hotels in London. In 2011, the hotel filled 130,053 guestrooms, sleeping 199,738 guests, and served 187,000 guests in banqueting. This not only means that new environmental initiatives do make a huge, positive impact on the environment, but that by highlighting the hotel’s amazing achievements it is a fantastic way of spreading the message and enabling other businesses to copy the successful methods.

The Lancaster London is extremely

proud of other environmental awards it has achieved, such as: Gold Award in the Green Tourism for Business 2011; Considerate Hoteliers Green Marketing Initiative of the Year 2010; and AA Eco Hotel of the Year 2011, and thrives on its responsibility to set a leading example. Such awards have already helped the hotel to inspire other businesses, for example, the staff from The Savoy were made

“Each and every member of staff works incredibly hard to achieve these results, and winning the title of “Considerate Hotel of the Year 2012” would be a valid recognition of their efforts”

aware of Lancaster London’s new environmental kitchen technology during a show round in order that they may replicate the efforts being made.

Lancaster London is one of the most environmentally friendly hotels in the UK in every sense of the word. Therefore, it is thoroughly worthy of the coveted title of Considerate Hotel of the Year 2012.

PHOTOGRAPHY : RICHARD TWILTON


Claire Wright Considerate Green Champion

Considerate Green Champion

The Greenest of the green. Every year when we celebrate the crowning of a Green Champion for that year, without fail we manage to find an individual who aspires, inspires, innovates and activates, and this year is no exception.Clare Wright has single-handedly revolutionised the Lancaster London’s approach to the environment, from the hotel having virtually no awareness of environmental hospitality to become a leading eco hotel that has won accolades such as “AA Eco Hotel of the Year 2011” and a GTBS Goldstar in 2012.

Clare is a phenomenal driving force at the heart of all environmental operations at the hotel. She uses her position as Director of Procurement to make a massive impact on the purchasing policy and supply chain of the hotel, which extends to everything from equipment to food, and also impacts wastage and recycling. She is also the hotel’s Environmental Ambassador and is instrumental in driving initiatives well outside her remit. Clare is an active and well-established

figure in the eco-industry and is passionate about forging broader links across the hospitality sector and addressing environmental issues on a much wider platform. Her ultimate aim is not just to drive the changes within Lancaster London to ensure it remains a leading eco hotel, but to effect positive environmental changes across all UK hotels and beyond.

As Director of Procurement, Clare is responsible for all purchasing decisions. Having someone with strong views on green practices at the helm has had a major influence on the purchasing patterns of the hotel. Clare has helped to draft strict new guidelines for the purchasing operation, that spell out the importance of sourcing environmentally responsible materials, particularly glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, etc. as



Director of Procurement and Environmental Ambassador for the Lancaster London.

Where do they work?Clare has worked at the Lancaster London for 21 years.

Why do they deserve such an accolade?Clare Wright has single-handedly revolutionised the Lancaster London’s approach to the environment, from the hotel having virtually no awareness of environmental hospitality to become a leading eco hotel that has won accolades such as “AA Eco Hotel of the Year 2011” and a GTBS Goldstar in 2012.

PHOTOGRAPHY : ROY STRUTT

Clare WrightGreen Champion of 2012?

Clare, with Glenn Roberts of sponsor Gram UK


She was directly responsible for sourcing and purchasing the initial beehives that have led to so many other things, such as the first London Honey Show 2011

well as ethical and sustainable suppliers. These are now adhered to when the hotel purchases any supplies, from food to materials. For example, all guestrooms and public toilets are stocked with Gilchrist and Soames BeeKind products, which is a line of environmentally friendly products that also supports honey bee sustainable pollination research. Clare has worked with our sister hotels on designing and producing its own range of paraben free products in recyclable bottles to be rolled out in 2012. Even more significantly, Clare was responsible for purchasing the new equipment that was obtained as part of the £11.5 million refurbishment of the new green kitchens, which represents massive savings in terms of both energy and money. An example of Clare’s unique innovation is the fact that she was directly responsible for sourcing and purchasing the initial beehives that have led to so many other things, such as the first London Honey Show 2011. As leader of the purchasing department, Clare is also in the

perfect position to oversee the entire supply chain from suppliers and packaging, to monitoring wastage and recycling and has been very influential in making the whole process much more environmentally friendly from start to finish. Clare has particularly scrutinised packaging of supplies and identified several areas for improvement, which the hotel has now addressed. Firstly, suppliers have been asked to deliver produce and ingredients to the hotel in re-useable crates, and ensure that all other packaging is recyclable e.g. the hotel’s cooking oil is now delivered in plastic drums with a cardboard sleeve – both of which are recyclable compared to the old metal barrels which were not. Decanting is another innovation that has negated the need for packaging and seriously cut down on the amount of packaging for things like wet food.

Following from this, waste and recycling are the two big areas that Clare turned her attention to in 2011 with some truly remarkable results! Lancaster London has managed to achieve 0% percent landfill waste. This was partly achieved by ensuring all packaging coming into the hotel was recyclable, or reusable, but also by taking a direct approach to recycling.

Clare was the main instigator of a persistent recycling campaign in 2005, when she championed initiatives such as cardboard baling, paper and plastic recycling and monitoring the weights of things like glass. Over the years she has extended this mode of thinking into every reach of the hotel. In 2007 recycling became a major priority for housekeeping staff dealing with guest waste and recycling streams began in earnest. In more recent years, Clare also identified the opportunity to recycle items from the hotel such as old informs by sending them to local charities such as The Passage. The latest recycling campaign has seen the loading bay completely revamped with lots of recycling bins into which waste is segregated. All chefs have also been given their own individual bins to separate food waste. Clare’s ambitions have been so successful that the Lancaster London has been able to get rid of its waste compactor.

The next step Clare has identified and hopes to tackle is a reduction in food waste. Working closely with the Executive Chef Eibhear Coyle they have already made some inroads with this, for example old cooking oil is collected and recycled into bio-fuel. Clare was instrumental in appointing Veolia, the UK’s leading recycling and waste management company. The


Head judge Prof, John forte OBE, Alison Hull of Luxe PR, Clare Wright and Emma Johnstone of sponsor Gilchrist & Soames Ltd



introduction of Veolia has been another massive improvement, as food waste is put into 240 litre bins and taken by Veolia to be turned into compost and agricultural fertiliser. Nose to tail dining, the principle of using the whole animal to avoid waste, is also being introduced to the banqueting spaces, and the introduction of eco-friendly bottled water filtered on site is also due to be launched in May 2012, whereas the hotel previously used in excess of 50,000 plastic bottles per year.

Aside from in her direct role, Clare is also the hotel’s Environmental Ambassador and is a huge motivating force in the hotel’s outstanding Green Team. Together, they have come up with hugely innovative and ambitious projects such as installing electric car charging stations in the car park, and launching the first ever London Honey Show. Clare spearheads the entire hotel on green initiatives and is an excellent manager in terms of identifying the right people to continue with projects that she helps to initiate. Clare also helped to develop the hotel’s current CSR policy.

Clare also came up with the idea of “Green Days”, which have been running successfully since 2006. Green Days, organised by the hotel’s Green Team, aim to educate and inspire staff members to go the extra mile. For example, in 2010 staff members took part in a cabbage planting day, and of course, Clare took on the role of Head Gardener.

Despite achieving huge results at Lancaster London, eco warrior Clare is still determined to make a bigger impact, particularly by extending her influence externally.

Clare continuously identifies opportunities to form relationships across the industry that would be beneficial from an environmental point of view. For example, it was Clare that caused Lancaster London to become involved with the Considerate Hoteliers Association

when it was first created in 1991, and Clare who was one of the main reasons the hotel won the title of Considerate Hotel of the Year in 2006. She was also the person who forged links with the Green Tourism for Business Scheme when it started in 1997. When this expanded into the Green Tourism for London Scheme in 2006, Clare made sure the Lancaster London signed up straight away and the programme was even launched at the Lancaster London.

Even more fundamentally, Clare founded the Purchasing Managers Forum ten years ago and acts as Chairperson. The Purchasing Forum is a collection of top London hotels. There are currently just under 100 members, including Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Mandarin Oriental. The purpose of the forum is primarily a networking tool to share environmental ideas through presentations and discussions, and to generally improve the whole industry.

Through this forum, Clare has also helped to create a buddy network. Clare has given a huge amount of help to The Landmark London in setting up their Green Team and is currently “buddying” The Landmark London to help improve its GTBS gold score by attending monthly green team meetings and sharing initiatives and ideas. The Purchasing Forum also acts as a

Clare has her finger firmly on the pulse of important developments and is quick to capitalise. With over 21 years at Lancaster London, Clare has literally dedicated her life to improving the environment using her role at the Lancaster London to really make a huge difference. Truly a Green Champion for All Seasons.

mentor to Oxford Brooks University and gives placements to about 40 school leavers and students a year.

Other examples of Clare’s passion for sharing environmental successes across the industry include her invitation to The Savoy’s Green Team to inspect the new kitchens at Lancaster London following the £11.5 million refurbishment. The Savoy was given a detailed tour and has since been in communication with Clare to receive more details of the processes used.

Following contact with Westminster Council, Clare was put in touch with Church Street Ward which has the largest concentration of social housing in Westminster. One of their associates - Let’s Go Let’s Grow - turned a 500sqft concrete space into a food garden and the hotel started sponsoring them in October 2010 and have continued supporting them ever since. This culminated in them being able to mend their greenhouse in the Abbey Road Community Mental Health Unit. At a later date Clare invited members of Let’s Go Let’s Grow for Afternoon Tea and a viewing of the bees and they have since developed an excellent relationship with Lancaster London.


Montague Arms Sustainable Food Winner

Montagu Arms HampshireTHE SUSTAINABLE FOOD WINNER 2012

Head Chef Matt Tomkinson puts their winning entry before you.As the head chef within the Montagu Arms Hotel I am solely responsible for the purchasing of the food. We purchase the vast majority of our food from local suppliers. With the benefit of Hampshire having a coastline we are able to source locally caught fish, whilst our meat can be sourced from the plentiful supply within excellent settings of the New Forest National Park. We are also lucky to have a number of suppliers locally who grow tasty fresh fruit and vegetables, the ability to pick and deliver quickly to our site means the food has a real freshness in the taste. In addition to the freshness of the produce, having the ability to order our produce from local suppliers allows me to pick the specials of the day by determining what is available that day from our suppliers, fresh fish and game can be seasonal which will have an impact on our menu choice. As for the beverages within the hotel, this is all sourced by our Front of House manager, working within our bar setting.

We source the highest quality fresh, free range and organic produce available to us; we take game, beef, pork, lamb, vegetables, fish and shellfish locally, we source a number of fruit and vegetables from local suppliers as well as growing a variety in our own kitchen garden and also use local sourcing

companies for produce that must come from a field. We have strong links and friendships with our local producers and strive to support each other in anyway possible. I may be a relative newcomer to the Hampshire food scene, but in the three and a half years I have been living and working here, I have been inspired by the quality of produce that can be found in our region. The waters around our coastline provide the best shellfish, wild seabass and oysters I have ever tasted, while our meadows and woodland serve as rearing grounds for some of the UK’s highest quality game, beef, lamb and free-range pork, as well as a natural source of wild foods including mushrooms and



wild garlic. We’re also lucky to benefit from a plethora of specialist producers such as John Kennard at New Forest Salads, who grows staggeringly tasty seasonal vegetables that are delivered to the Montagu’s door within minutes of picking, and Peter Niccolls, whose Hatchet Herd of free-range Dexter cows produce beef of unparalleled taste and texture. I can honestly say that writing menus for our restaurants and event catering team is a pleasure with the help of the local suppliers in the region. Our very own kitchen garden provides the restaurant with a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs, and this allows us to personally monitor the quality of the ingredients providing a

superior taste to any dish we use.

Given that farming livestock is a major contributor to climate change, how much do you take this into consideration when constructing your menus?

We make sure that we use as much of the animal as possible so we are not always demanding the prime ingredients, we take whole animals to help further this and gain maximum yields. We also serve well-balanced menus that have protein as part of the meal. Using many of the off-cuts of meat help to make tasty stocks for use in a number of dishes



“During the first few months of the year we extended the size of our kitchen garden to allow us to produce more fresh vegetables to be used in our dishes. By using home grown vegetables we know exactly what has gone into our dishes and we cut down on the effect of transporting products from other suppliers”

The kitchen garden at the Montagu Arms, Beaulieu



including the gravy we use. As a result of sourcing produce locally we are also considering the environment by cutting down on emissions caused by transporting meat from around the country to its destination.

Sustainable Fish – What measures do you take to ensure purchases come from sustainable sources?

We have very close links with our fish suppliers and take advice from them. Being so close to the south coast we are in the ideal position to be able to pick and choose from only the best produce of the highest quality. Our links with local suppliers and fishermen allow us to use their expert advice to plan and create fantastic menus for the restaurants. We always choose fish that are in season, sustainably caught, free-range and organic rather than farmed fish. Again the superior taste created by this caring attitude to fishing allows for the produce to have a much better taste and to have a much lower impact on the local environment.

Indicate and give details of any new sustainable food initiatives that you have taken up during 2011.

To expand on our sustainable ethos, 2011 was a year we looked to expand on both our home grown products and our sustainable cooking methods. During the first few months of the year we extended the size of our kitchen garden to allow us to produce more fresh vegetables to be used in our dishes. By using home grown vegetables we know exactly what has gone into our dishes and we cut down on the effect of transporting products from other suppliers.

In terms of cooking methods we spent 2011 looking at ways in which we could be more effective on site. Recycling old parts from around the hotel and restaurant we were able to build a smoker, ideal for us

to smoke our own fish and meat for use in our restaurant. We utilised parts from an old washing machine, fridge and the extractor pipe from a tumble dryer to produce a useful piece of equipment. All the food we smoke is brought locally from organic suppliers before being hand smoked by our team in the kitchen. Again this allows us to smoke the food to exactly how we want it and with the knowledge that the end result will complement the meals on our menu.

“We have strong links and friendships with our local producers and strive to support each other in anyway possible.”


Landmark London Green Team 2012

Landmark decision as Green Team are triumphantTHE CONSIDERATE GREEN TEAM AWARD 2012

How is the team selected?All members of the green team are involved on a voluntary basis. We got together to create this team because we are passionate about the environment. We share a common goal in wanting to make The Landmark London a greener work place and to promote this awareness to our colleagues. We strongly believe through our actions as a team we are able to influence our other colleagues to participate and convince them to also be a member of the green team.

Who is the Green Champion Team Leader?Sally Beck is the Green Champion and team leader. What makes it successful?The success is due to the breadth and depth of the team, who represent the whole of the hotel

and the commitment of each of the team members. What sets us apart is that we are consistent in our communication and we are passionate about what we do. Each member feels empowered and has the ability to make an impact. For instance, one of our team members, Margaret felt that it was vital that all employees were made aware of the consequences of the climate change we are facing and how as individuals we can play our part to reduce the impact of the climate change. Hence, she organised a week-long event at the hotel to educate staff through interactive activities and competitions. Her efforts were supported not only by the green team but by all members of staff from senior management right through to the front line staff. In a nutshell, we have the momentum and like to keep things moving, there is an eagerness to see results.



Who is in the Landmark London’s Green Team?Francis Green – General ManagerSally Beck – Director of MarketingNicola Forshaw – Director of Human ResourcesPaolo Mendes – Back of House ManagerMangala Wickramasinghe – Purchasing ManagerMargaret Kaggwa – Laundry SupervisorMaarten Geschwindt – Sous ChefLeah Rose Davis – ReceptionistSimon Fache – Senior Conference and Banqueting Co-ordinatorYan-Ping Mew – Sales and Marketing Manager



Recycled handmade bags made by our seamstress Name from old curtains, fabrics and slippers – raising funds for the Church Street Ward

Tree of Wishes – an idea from our HR Manager Cristina Martin-Bianchi

Recycling competitions – Margaret Kaggwa - Laundry

Green Team teas – MangalaWickramasinghe – Purchasing Manager

Rent a bike - own a bike – Nicola Forshaw – HR Director

Daily Brief Print reduction – Jaime Puertolas Arbona

Information Screens for team members – Louise Uys-Jones – Financial Controller

Initially when the Green Team was set up there was great scepticism on three fronts:-Purpose-Direction-Level of commitment

However, with the advent of the “Staff Green Zone” at the Staff entrance, and clearly defined “General Trash”; “Recycled Waste” and “Food Waste” areas, the Staff has a much greater insight into the Purpose, Direction, and Commitment of the Green Team. As a matter of fact in a recent internal survey, our colleagues in the hotel viewed the green team in a very positive light and appreciated the initiatives that we were undertaking.

Why is your Green Team the most outstanding?We believe our Green Team at the Landmark London is outstanding because of the way we work which can be best described as “the butterfly effect”, where a small change in one place can result in large differences to a later state.The Landmark London Hotel has an average of 300 permanent employees not to mention around another 300 casuals. That together with turnover, due to being set in a very competitive and dynamic city, makes immeasurable the number of people we have an impact on. What makes our Green Team strong, therefore, and the reasons for why our colleagues believe, follow and support us are many. Most important and significant, however, is the clear dedication that all the Green Team members show, including the noteworthy full commitment of three of our Executive members of the company who take part in it. The dynamism, the contagious fun and strength sets us apart.

Our team members are creative in their approach in delivering environmental awareness. For instance, our team members were the ones who came up with ideas such as the Tree of Wishes, recycling day (a monthly event where colleagues are encourage to bring in things that they no longer use and to swap it with other items brought in by others) and our Landmark Green Shopping bag - our laundry department makes unique shopping bags using recycled bed sheets, curtain fabrics and pillows. These handmade bags are sold to staff and guests and the proceeds collected from the sale have been used to support the hotel’s local charity initiatives. Our goals, for that reason, are not the accreditations, the savings or the awards, although these are valuable, but what makes us move forward is the impact, the consequences of our initiatives, the results of our ideas and, above all, knowing that as a big company we can do tons in order to work towards the sustainability of our world, our future and that of generations to come.

Other ideas generated and implemented from our team



Zero to LandfillNot only have we been able to achieve zero to landfill in 2011, at the same time we have been successful in reducing our daily general waste output. As of 2012, we have been able to reduce our daily general waste from 12 loads per day to just four per day. Each load is an equivalent of 200kg and this translates to a reduction of 1,600kg of waste per day. The eight daily general waste output was converted into recyclable waste. All this was achieved within one year of setting our target.

Corporate Social Responsibility2011 was a very successful year for us in terms of our Corporate Social Responsibility. For instance we managed to fundraise over £12,000 for our local charity – The Church Street Ward through our £1.00 guest donation initiative as well as our Tree of Wishes campaign during Christmas.

Through these proceeds we were able to financially support various positive causes such as the Church Street Ward’s Fourth Feathers Youth Club. The Club provides a range of educational and recreational activities aim to divert young people away from anti-social behaviour and promote their self-esteem and well-being. Our proceeds were used to enable the club to remain open to the young people throughout the holiday periods. Apart from financial support, our staff also volunteer their time to help the Church Street Ward in the various activities they organise such as the “Stitches-in-Time”, an initiative that aims to offer marginalised members of the community a chance to interact and improve their conversational English whilst learning sewing and textile skills. In November and December, we also fundraise for StreetSmart, a charity which aims to provide comfort and hope to people who live on the streets.

Reducing our carbon footprint We have placed motion detectors for lights and dimmers in most part of our public area. Additionally, we started implementing an initiative to replace all the lights in our bedrooms with energy saving lights instead. We are also ensuring our procurement process is environmentally friendly. We managed to convince our suppliers to reduce their packaging when they deliver their goods and also support local British producers.

And the three achievements of which the team are most proud of in 2011?


Hotel Petit Champ Small Accomodation of the Year

Hotel Petit Champ

THE CONSIDERATE SMALL ACCOMODATION PROVIDER OF THE YEAR 2012As a company we have always taken sustainability into consideration but it wasn’t until June when a business associate came over and suggested to the management team that we should look into sustainability that we began this whole process and embedded it into the heart of the company. In August 2011 Hendrik Lessing was appointed as Sustainability Manager. His job was to monitor what the business was currently doing and come up with and implement ways of improving our environmental credentials. This was to include everything from energy and waste management, sourcing local produce, using only ethical and environmentally friendly products and improving our corporate responsibility.

Since then he has come up with a number of policies such as:

Environmental policy Sustainable Sourcing policy Waste Management policy Sark Fishing policy

One of the greatest stories of 2011 is the amount of initiatives we have managed to implement - 80+. The most impressive part being that the majority of these were implemented within the first three months of us establishing a sustainable approach.


What are your green highs of 2011?

Achieving our 3 Star Sustainability Champion status from the Sustainable Restaurants Association in our first attempt The harvesting and production of our first wine, although only a small amount the wine was tasted by a number of industry experts who predict good things to come The first production of our very own Sark honey and the way the bees have improved the natural biodiversity of Sark as there were previously no bees present The re-insulation of the front part of the building to improve energy management

Due to the high quality and freshness of the produce purchased and used we were awarded 2AA Rosettes

Setting up our recycling plant which up-cycles and recycles as much of our waste as possible, it was not an easy task but it has been an enriching experience knowing that our waste is being dealt with properly.

What are your green lows of 2011? Although we achieved a lot, the fact that we started on our green

mission late into the year has meant that we were unable to achieve as much as we could’ve if we had started earlier.

What are your green plans for 2012?

In 2012 we aim to further improve our environmental credentials with major renovations planned for the hotel that will improve insulation and energy usage.

These will include things such as motion censors and timed lighting We will look to improve our already impressive recycling credentials by training staff and updating facilities

H2OK a company that has supplied our other hotels within our group with water treatments plant are to upgrade our water treatment facilities so that once complete will convert all sewage water into grade A river water

We are in talks with the same company with regards to a prototype anaerobic digester that they would like to bring over to the island which will then be used to convert all food waste and grass trimmings into energy.

Next year will see the commissioning of our very own state of the art laundry facilities which will dramatically reduce our cost and impact on the environment as none of the laundry will need to be shipped off the island.

Next year will also see us focusing on using more renewable energies such as solar panels and ground source heating

Who or what is your inspiration?

The island is what inspires us. Unspoilt by cars and with dark skies status due to low light pollution, we are fortunate enough to be living on an amazing island that has a lot of potential to become sustainable; unfortunately it isn’t as yet and unless we take control of the situation it never will be.

We aim to be at the forefront of sustainable tourism and encourage the local community to get on board with us. These are issues that affect everyone on the island, therefore we all need to make a stand – and we are!

Hotel Petit Champ Small Accomodation of the Year

The smiling faces of the Hotel Petit Champ team says it all – one could say they are quite pleased!


Lasswade Green Marketing Initiative

Serial Winner Lasswade charges up for another award


Lasswade Green Marketing Initiative

Serial Winner Lasswade is a small country house hotel tucked away in the delights of Mid-Wales that has developed an annual bout of award winning ways and 2011/12 has been no exception. Here they tell you about it.

P.SThe Morgan Car Company in Worcestershire, have just built an

electric car and they have just informed us that they will be using the W.R.T. network to test the car in Wales. The Welsh Assembly have also just informed us that they will be using photographs from our locations for charging stations in all their P.R. relating to the subject.

As a spin off of Green Tourism Business Scheme and Green Holidays Wales, three GTBS Gold award holders set up “Welsh Road Trips” www.welshroadtrips.co.uk a destination marketing tool aimed at attracting visitors/guests through public transport and the developing market of electric cars. This included the installation of 32 amp car charging points, the first in mid Wales and allowed for the provision of electric bikes and integrated I.T. technology through sat nav for the use in conventional cars, mountain bikes and walking. This enables people to explore pre-set routes allowing them to experience everything from landscapes, buildings and fauna and flora on pre-set routes and of course geo-caching. W.R.T. is very closely associated with the development of the B-bug, a small FUN electric legal road buggy carrying two passengers. This was used also by Emma Kennedy, journalist for the Guardian who has already written on the subject with a full article about this and Lasswade’s green credentials.

W.R.T. is also working very closely with Zero Carbon World (ZCW), the provider of our hook up points. We also established a contact in Bristol City Council with Peter Fryer, Green Development Officer. This was because Bristol is the second largest group of electric car users. W.R.T. has now opened up Wales to those owners, giving us a unique selling point. We also assisted Peter in his green programme by informing him of all the GTBS members in Bristol. As a result, he publishes details of W.R.T. and our businesses in their literature.

We are also assisting him with their Green Week in June. Z.C.W. now acknowledge us as the prime movers in tourism for the use of electric vehicles and have given us 100 re-charging sets for Wales. These are being distributed at this moment in time and Welsh Water

has already expressed an interest in these re-charging points for their visitor destinations across Wales. We should perhaps mention His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, will also install one at his home in Wales.


Sunlight National Green Supplier of the Year

SunlightNominated by the Strand Palace London

All the entrants who made it onto the illustrious short list were asked to nominate their Considerate Green Supplier of the Year, both nationally and locally. Sunlight was nominated by the Strand Palace and in a closely fought contest emerged triumphant as the judges’ choice. It’s great to see a laundry at the forefront of things as use of detergents invariably means synthetic and toxic chemicals in use, but here we see it being done in moderation whilst still maintaining high standards of cleanliness, saving on resources and a programme of constant improvement in place.

Strand Palace said - Sunlight is one of the UK’s leading supplier of textile rental and laundering services to the hospitality, industrial, commercial, healthcare and public sectors, operating from a national network of over 60 processing facilities across the UK. Sunlight is currently our only Linen supplier providing the Strand Palace Hotel with bathroom, bed and table linen. The value of the business we do with Sunlight is approx £40k a month (or £500k a year!) where we have about 4000-5000 pieces of linen delivered every day!

CONSIDERATE NATIONAL GREEN SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

A major achievement they have made since 2006 has been recognition by The Carbon Trust. They are one of the first UK companies to have achieved the Carbon Trust Standard Certificate. Sunlight has invested more than £4 million in energy saving measures in recent years. This, plus other projects, have reduced their carbon footprint by 5.8 per cent and cut water usage by 60.4 per cent. That’s 1.6 million cubic meters saved every year – the equivalent of 640 Olympic size swimming pools. Their

annual carbon saving is 32,645 tonnes.

Also all water used by Sunlight, comes from their own boreholes. The water hardness fluctuates between 16 and 18 degrees of hardness, however the water is softened to zero hardness before use in processing, this reduces substantially the use of detergent product in the process.

Chris Hancock and Peter Woolstenholmes of Sunlight

page title


looking to go greenand save money?

To fi nd out how working with beacon as your purchasing partner can help your business

Please call: 01904 695588 or email [email protected] Visit www.beaconpurchasing.co.uk‘ *Discounted 2 years beacon membership for the price of 1 offer available to new beacon customers only’

2 years membership for the price of 1 In partnership with the Considerate Hoteliers Association, beacon are delighted to offer Considerate Hoteliers members discounted membership to join beacon*.

Reciprocally, Considerate Hoteliers also offer beacon members 10% membership discount.

Diane Webster, Director of Marketing at beacon said ‘Our ongoing relationship with the Considerate Hoteliers Association brings great value to our business’s and our respective members through our reciprocal offer.

‘We hope to encourage those already committed to sustainability, through Considerate Hoteliers, to join us.’

Special offer for Considerate Hotelier membersAt beacon we believe in responsible purchasing and we are fully committed to helping businesses in ways that help protect and preserve the environment. Going green doesn’t need to be expensive and after all the health, well being and future of our planet depends on how we shape our businesses today.

beacon aim to make taking steps towards being a greener business easier. We do this through sharing supplier and industry knowledge with our customers on a daily basis, through our award winning website.

Please visit www.beaconpurchasing.co.uk and enjoy...• An interactive virtual tour of a ‘green’ hotel - ideal for

learning and sharing• The ability to jump from room to room to tailor your visit• Handy hints and tips• Green product solutions• An interactive blog containing information on supplier news,

forthcoming events and industry regulations• The option to ‘shop for information’, providing you with

detailed product news from our suppliers.

COMING SOON!Coming soon to www.beacongreenhotel.co.uk and www.beaconpurchasing.co.uk/greenhotel is the beacon green hotel pledge. This new tool will; • Allow you to pledge to fi nd out more about greener

product alternatives• Calculate the associated fi nancial savings• Show carbon reductions

Look out for further updates, coming soon from the Considerate Hoteliers Association.

BEA_A4_AD_Considerate.v2.indd 1 13/07/2012 17:09


Sark Estate Local Green Supplier of the Year

Here is what Sark Island Hotels had to say about their local supplier.

We have chosen SEM Market Gardens because of its consistency of supply and its increasing adherence to organic principles. Its dedicated team of growers have a positive attitude towards creating a natural balance within their operations. The gardens are within walking distance of our hotels which means that the produce we receive is fresher than ever.

Highlight the special qualities that make this supplier stand out: Sark Estate Management’s approach to all its activities is one of sustainability .From water catchments and state of the art water management systems, to the reuse where possible of recycled building materials, from low power consumption to the recycling of all waste, the market gardens ethos fits into this approach.

SEM Market Gardens’ team of gardeners is varied in terms of

qualifications and experience. However each team member is passionate about their garden and each of them is keen to learn more. Recent input from the UK’s leading organic gardening charity has redoubled the determination of the gardening team to create a biodiversity that will lead to better yields and improved husbandry of the garden.

A 1600 square metre area of raised beds gently sloping towards the North West presents real challenges for the growers. With finite source of water on such a small island the SEM Market Gardens’ irrigation system provides a carefully controlled quantity of water to each raised bed using an electronically controlled management system. Not only does this system deliver the “just enough” regime but it also draws its supplies from rainwater harvesting tanks and from a previously unused deep well, sunk more than 200 hundred years ago by some of the earlier settlers on the island.

The SEM Market Gardens also help us to reduce our waste by taking back all the packaging and trays used to deliver the produce to our kitchens in order to be reused. They also take back any of our green kitchen waste and grass trimmings to use in the production of their very own compost, which is also peat free.

The home-made seed and potting composts, formerly imported from Guernsey and the UK mainland, substantially reduce their carbon footprint.

What really makes them stand out as a supplier is the fact that they consulted with the various chefs from the islands hotels in order to establish their product preferences. The result of this was a joint study of the quantities required of each of their products during each week of the harvesting season.

By being almost entirely demand led SEM Market Gardens have

Sark EstateManagement Market GardensNominated by Sark Island Hotels.

There really were some gems to choose from, and it is heartening to know that there are many incredibly worthy small local companies out there fighting their corner and also receiving the support of considerate hoteliers throughout the UK.


Sark Estate Local Green Supplier of the Year

been able to supply the majority of the chefs’ salad and vegetable requirements. An example of their demand-led approach has been the recent planting of nearly a hundred soft fruit bushes and eight hundred asparagus crowns.

The Market Gardens have developed a complementary sourcing strategy that benefits the entire community by agreeing not to grow any products that are currently being grown by other smaller suppliers on the island thereby giving them a chance to increase their revenue and indirectly creating more job opportunities within the island. By adopting this strategy they are improving the diversity of produce grown on the island which means that even fewer products will need to be shipped in from other locations reducing packaging and carbon emissions.

What do your staff have to say about this supplier?

“The staff love working with the SEM Market Gardens and we have built strong working relationships with them.”

“The fact that we can actually go down to the gardens to see their operations, interact with them and even discuss what we’d like them to grow is just amazing; how many others suppliers can you do that with?”

“They also love the fact that they can pick up the phone and within a few minutes their order will arrive and it will be some of the freshest produce we have ever seen. This is island living at its best!”

“The gardeners are all a great bunch of people, led by Jude, the loveliest woman you’ll ever meet; they are a joy to work with and we look forward to working together with them in the future.”

Give examples of products supplied by your nominee that reflect the qualities highlighted

Particularly popular amongst our chefs are the micro herbs which, under controlled conditions, are supplied fresh daily on demand, from greenhouse to kitchen in a matter of minutes rather than hours.

The greenhouses also supply our hotels with fresh flowers and hanging baskets that are used to decorate the grounds and buildings The companies’ preference for SEM Market Garden produce is not only because of quality and reliability but also because of the short distance the produce has to travel to get to our kitchens. When the rest of the world talk about reducing their food miles, over here on Sark we talk about reducing our food yard.

CONSIDERATE LOCAL GREEN SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR 2012

SEM’s Daughters of the Soil


Gary Logan Good Egg

Gary Lohan isa Good Eggand so say all of us!

Rounding off the 2011/12 Considerate Hotel of the Year Awards was the third ever presentation of the special ‘Considerate Good Egg of the Year Award’, which this year went to Gary Lohan, Chief Engineer/Sustainability Manager, One Aldwych, London. The award – a rhea egg mounted in a large locally hand-crafted English oak egg cup – is intended to recognise those in the hospitality business who have inspired and encouraged others to embrace certain principles of life relating to environmental, sustainable and socially responsible performance. As far as CHA is concerned, those principles involve a dedication and willingness to impart to others the absolute need: to always try their best; that good enough is not enough; and to be ultra considerate at all times. Additionally, if people give help to others to achieve excellence in what they do, then CHA believes that they are thoroughly deserving of the ‘Good Egg Award’.

Commenting on Gary’s award, CHA Director and Association Secretary John Firrell said: “Gary becomes our third ‘Good Egg recipient’, following in the hallowed footsteps of Raymond Blanc OBE and Vanessa Scott,

Director of Strattons Hotel and Restaurant in Swaffham, Norfolk. Gary has been at the forefront of innovative and positive thinking on the environmental front for many years. Known at One Aldwych as the ‘Green Guru’ or the ‘Hotel Hippy’, he has been instrumental in reducing energy, water and other utility costs whilst introducing equipment, programmes and procedures that apply a much lighter impact on the Earth’s valuable resources.

“Gary is also extremely generous to other hoteliers both in time and imparting knowledge and assistance. To Gary such things are not a competition. He believes that by working together for the common good we really can make a difference. Recent awards have included receiving the coveted ‘Considerate Hotel of the Year’ on behalf of One Aldwych in 2008 – a prize shared that year with the then Radisson SAS Hotel Edinburgh (now called the Radisson Blu Edinburgh). The following year,

One Aldwych received the Green Hotel ‘Catey’, and in 2010 went on to achieve a Gold Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) award. One Aldwych is the first and only hotel in the UK – one of only eight hotels worldwide – to achieve the ‘Sustainable Travel International’ accreditation ‘LECS’ (Luxury Eco Certification Standards). Gary has so much still to give – perhaps this Good Egg award should be double yoked!”

“It’s all about conservation for the future for our children to enjoy, I want to make a difference and inspire others to make a difference.”Good Egg 2012 Gary Lohan


‘I have been following Gary’s career and am so impressed with his achievements at a city centre hotel combining a luxury product with a comprehensive approach to all things environmental and as an engineer he really know his stuff and has pushed the boundaries of what’s achievable in terms of the green agenda’.

Last Year’s Good Egg Vanessa Scott – Director, Strattons Hotel, Norfolk.

Gary’s influence extends far beyond One Aldwych.

“Gary has been working with Global Action Plan for almost 3 years and has truly embraced the GAP ethos, and he has really spearheaded the change at One Aldwych as well as helping to inspire and educate his peers throughout the Hotel and Tourism sector as a whole.

We recently held our Global Action Plan Smart Work’s awards ceremony to reward the top performing businesses over the last 4 years.

Gary and One Aldwych won our award for the ‘Biggest Overall Carbon Savings’ boasting some extremely impressive carbon savings across all areas of their business. We would wholeheartedly support Gary being named as this year’s Good Egg as his effort and commitment throughout this process have been truly inspirational.”

Paul Warner Senior Business Engagement and Project Manager, GAP Global Action Plan

“I met Gary Lohan at his last Green Tourism grading and I was impressed with his knowledge and experience. The successful implementation of technical best practice in a 5 star hotel is what makes him a real innovator in the sustainable tourism sector.

Technical improvements include One Aldwych pioneering work introducing its chlorine free swimming pool, its vacuum-process waste drainage system and its water-based cleaning systems. These make One Aldwych a leader in sustainable tourism and Gary is a true champion in making it all happen. What’s so good to see is that he’s willing to share his best practices not only within the hotel but to the green tourism community at large.”

Jon Proctor, Technical Director, Green Tourism Business Scheme

Gary Logan Good Egg

“I can honestly say that Gary’s genuine enthusiasm made a substantial contribution to ensuring One Aldwych achieved accreditation to the Luxury Eco Certification Standard (LECS). Gary showed a real interest and commitment to sustainability and was passionate in his desire to bring this to the fore. I just wish every hotel had a ‘Gary’; the world would be a better place for it!”

Nicholas Underwood, Operations Manager, Leading Quality Assurance

Whose else thinks Gary is a Good Egg?

Inspire the next Generation Gary is currently working on an incubation project to help develop a system to re-cycle water from waste water - this is an international project


Mike LeRoy Lifetime Achievement Award

Making a difference it can take a lifetime

It doesn’t happen every year which suggests a Lifetime Achievement award is not easily given, but this year we are delighted for the award to make an appearance.

A Considerate Hoteliers Special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Mike LeRoy, who recently retired from being Environmental Policy Manager, Westminster City Council (WCC). Whilst in this role, he had played an important part in the success of the Considerate Hoteliers Association (CHA) – right from its inception in 1990. Commenting on the award, CHA Director and Secretary John Firrell MIH said: “Mike has been involved with the Considerate Hoteliers Association since it began in 1990, over 21 years ago. CHA grew out of the Considerate Initiative created by WCC, which at the time included restaurants, theatres and builders. Mike was WCC’s environmental representative on the CHA General Committee; and when WCC allowed their fledgling to fly independently in 1995, Mike remained on the Committee and became an

invaluable advisor and mentor to myself as the then CHA Chairman, and later in my current role as CHA Secretary and Director.

“Mike has brought both wisdom and much common sense to the table in his time with CHA. He has supported, cheered on from the sidelines and occasionally nudged the Association in the right direction. We hope in his retirement he will maintain his contact with Considerate Hoteliers, and that he will become a CHA Ambassador. This lifetime achievement award is a small token of our thanks and appreciation. It must surely be said of Mike – he really did make a difference!”

Prof. John Forte OBE and Mike LeRoy

Mike LeRoy Lifetime Achievement Award


Making a difference it can take a lifetime

Mike’s response post the Awards

Thanks Mike – rest assured you have been a part of CHA’s success!


Comments What the Judges Said

What the Judges said!

Lancaster London

Lancaster performed well in a highly competitive category. They were strong in all areas, saving money and reducing environmental impact in these difficult economic times. Achieving zero waste to landfill through waste prevention, procurement changes, re-use and recycling was particularly impressive. A very worthy winner.

Lancaster London has covered all the required aspects for the award in a most commendable fashion, but I was most swayed by their communication and spreading the environmental message to suppliers, guests and staff, as well as their willingness to share their experiences with their competitors.

Clare Wright

Green Champion Clare Wright’s work with Suppliers is particularly influential. Suppliers talk to other hotels and can spread the Gospel very effectively. She has been progressing on the ‘green’ agenda path for many years now and, by all accounts, she recognises that there is still much more to do.

There you have my judgement. For her sheer ability to influence so many, Clare is my choice.

Clare Wright has demonstrated that on many levels that she has spread the green message. Founding the Purchasing Managers Forum is itself a huge task and shows her on-going commitment to improving the industry.

Despite all the challenges presented by these straitened times, excellent hoteliers are combining the skills of great guest care and a strong business ethic with the application of responsible practices and initiatives. Much progress has been made and continues to be made in the field of sustainability within the hotel industry. With these practices in place, we are all winners through the efforts of these fine establishments and individuals. Guests can now book with confidence – knowing the ‘considerate’ hotelier is alive and well and, more importantly, making a difference. It makes me very proud to see what they have achieved.

Considerate Hoteliers must now look to the future. As we look to new horizons, we hope that what to date has been consistent growth will gather pace. In keeping with our intent to represent everything a ‘considerate’ hotelier should stand for, we will be adding accessibility as a new award category in 2013. In addition, we are setting our sights on Europe and beyond. Watch this space!


Hotel Petit Champ

We have suggested that Hotel Petit Champ ought to be considered as the winner for this Small Accommodation Provider category.

We were impressed by the 80+ initiatives they implemented, to not only reduce their environmental impact but also to help the island community they live in. From producing their own honey to recycling vegetable oil into biodiesel to run their tractors, they seem to have been very dedicated to employing as many green initiatives as possible.

Lasswade Country House Wales

I particularly like the idea of getting three GTBS gold award holders to promote together their unique offering. It looks very attractive and I am sure get extensive coverage when Morgan Cars & the Welsh Assembly use it in their PR

Green Marketing Initiative

www.welshroadtrips.co.uk is a marvellous initiative, which helps visitors to Wales have a great stay and reduce the impact of their trip. Its helpful and fun approach could have wider application.

Montagu Arms

I am very impressed with the menu planning by the Chef of the Montagu Arms. His surprise menu idea is clever and a very good way of being able to make full use of the produce available to him on a daily basis. He’s not constrained by fixed menus requiring the purchase of ingredients that may or may not be fully utilised, depending on trading levels. The “mix-and-match” concept which allows him to use much more parts of animals is another good example of the innovative thinking that needs to be practised by Chefs, and I heartily applaud the production of home-made stocks.

Sark Estate Management

Green Supplier SEM: - SEM run their business with a strong focus on customer delivery and reducing environmental impact. They show that this approach not only makes business sense, but goes down well with customers.

Sunlight

Green Supplier: Sunlight: - Sunlight is a strong all round performer, which is appreciated by its customers. It has a clear strategy, made measurable reductions in environmental impact and has clear plans for further reductions in the future.

Landmark London

This Green Team is certainly not a talking shop. They decide what they are going to do and get on and do it with the full support of the hotel management and staff.

“Great to read such a wealth of initiatives deployed by all these exceptional finalists.”

Comments What the Judges Said

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers (& sisters!)”


Feedback Awards

Awards FeedbackI just wanted to say a huge thank you for yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed the lunch and the awards presentation. It also gave me a fantastic opportunity to promote the case about accessibility and I was very encouraged by all the compliments I received afterwards and the number of requests for my card. Thanks again and congratulations on a great luncheon.

It was nice to finally meet you and put a face to a name. We are all still over the moon with our achievements, and it was a great afternoon enjoyed by all of us. I look forward to seeing where the CHA will branch out to next and who knows maybe one day we’ll be in touch while I’m down under in Australia or even from South Africa when I eventually go back home. I think it’s a great idea to branch out, it helps to spread the message and encourage other businesses/countries which don’t have sustainability on top of their agenda to actually start thinking about it more and start putting it to action.

I must apologise for not saying goodbye today but I couldn’t find you as I was leaving. I am guessing that you had plenty to be getting on with!

Thank you so much for inviting me to such a splendid and auspicious occasion. The lunch and company were in themselves first rate - it was so good to meet a wide range of interesting people. The presentation from Arnold was very thought provoking and inspiring - it was a great idea of yours to invite him to present. The awards showed what is happening in the industry and also illustrate the inroads you have made in recent years. I was able to have words with most of the winners and they are an amazingly enthusiastic bunch. Many kindly wanted to meet with me to discuss the voluntary agreement so thank you for helping me on the networking front. We already have more than 30 signed up for the Hospitality and Food Service Agreement and I hope that CHA will shortly join them.

Thanks for a lovely lunch and it was good to catch up with people. I hope the event went well. I am so sorry I had to leave early but I had forgotten the running order of the CHA awards i.e. eat drink talk and awards at the end - if I am lucky enough to be invited next year I will make sure I can stay for the whole event

Just 1.5 hrs away from home and cuddles with Tarka - Jon’s assessment at Ecover went well and they found the visit inspiring!! That is a real plus if we can inspire such a green company as ecover - I shouldn’t be surprised Jon is so enthusiastic and he inspires me all the time. I hope you had a safe journey home and a sense of satisfaction that it went well but pleased it is over for another year

Just thought I would drop you a note to say that I’ve heard through the grape-vine that the Awards went really well yesterday so congratulations to you!

Also - The Montagu Arms was DELIGHTED with the win - many thanks for your input and many thanks indeed for your kind comments to James after the meal about the Award entry we submitted. All the best and have a lovely long weekend.

Congratulations to all involved, very worthy winners all round!

Yet another splendid day with Considerate Hoteliers. It was such

It is always very inspirational to be with other ‘considerate hoteliers’ and learn of how they succeed in implementing positive environmental policies with their teams, and the positive impact this has on their hotels.


Feedback Awardsa lovely surprise to receive this award. It is so nice to network with everyone and in such a lovely setting. Because somehow we missed our train connection, we had a couple of hours to spare until the next one so Roger suggested we had afternoon tea at the Lancaster Hotel. So all in all a lovely day in London. Thank you once again for all your hard work and a wonderful occasion Thank you very much for your kind words. Our team is delighted to hear that the event was a success and the participants enjoyed the food and service. We appreciate the opportunity of hosting The Considerate Hotel of the Year 2012 Gala Lunch.

Finally able to spend a few moments reading about the CHA Awards; really pleased for the Lancaster London as I was impressed reading their Sustainable Catey last year.

It was good to meet with you last week both at a lovely venue and super event. In addition it was good to see 2 of our customers winning awards.Hopefully we can return next year and be successful too.

Please excuse my tardy note of thanks for having invited me to join you last week at the awards lunch. It was most kind of you to have included me in the celebrations, and I much enjoyed the occasion. I look forward to seeing you again soon, and please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss ways in which the Institute might assist with your planned expansion.

Thank you once again for a fantastic day, all worthy winners and a thoroughly enjoyable lunch. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Hope this finds you well and recovered from last weeks exertions?

Many thanks for sending the photographs from what was an extremely enjoyable day.As discussed on the day Gram would be delighted to assist you in any way we can for next years event. I look forward to meeting up with you soon

Stephen Kyjak-Lane, General Manager at Lancaster London said: “I am absolutely thrilled that we have won the prestigious “Hotel of the Year” title, and would like to congratulate the whole team who have worked incredibly hard to achieve phenomenal results. In particular, Clare has been a true eco warrior, inspiring others to raise the green standard and single-handedly created a dedicated force that extends throughout the hospitality environment. She has consistently shown extraordinary dedication to every aspect of improving CSR practices, not just within Lancaster London but in the industry as a whole.”

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for the lovely lunch. It has been such an interesting afternoon and although we haven’t won we definitely got inspired by the winners and in fact we are already working on what we can do this year to top 2011.

We had such a great time at the Four Seasons and enjoyed a wonderful meal and got chatting to some of your lovely guests. We bumped into Brendan Hunter from WRAP who is coming to Le Manoir in July to advise us on how we can get more involved with their initiatives which is exciting.

It’s hard to say we were not disappointed with regards to the award, but seeing and hearing of the great work that our colleagues at The Lancaster London are up to, we too must applaud their efforts at what they are doing and we know they thoroughly deserved the award.

Thank you very much once again for looking after us so well and extend our thanks to the great team at the Four Seasons for their great hospitality and food. We will certainly keep ploughing on and we very much look forward to hearing from you soon.

Hope you are well. Thanks as always for a wonderful event. It is always very inspirational to be with other ‘considerate hoteliers’ and learn of how they succeed in implementing positive environmental policies with their teams, and the positive impact this has on their hotels.

Many thanks for your kind words. We will keep on with the journey.Our hardest bit is now finding new initiatives whilst continuing with the old.

Yes I’m back to earth - what great awards - we are all so thrilled here. It does makea huge difference when you achieve these accolades. Thanks for all your support and encouragement

Yes, I had to leave just before the end of the formalities to pick my kids up from school, so didn’t get a chance to talk to you. But many, many thanks for the invitation and for such a great event – I was well looked after by your colleagues.

The awards showed what is happening in the industry and also illustrate the inroads you have made in recent years.


Winners 2012

Our 2011/12 Award WinnersThe Considerate Hotel of the Year

The Small Accommodation Provider of the Year

Green Champion of the Year

Sustainable Food Award

Green Team of the Year

Best Green Marketing Initiative

National Green Supplier of the Year

Local Green Supplier of the Year

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Good Egg Award

The Considerate Hotel of the Year The Green House Bournemouth Strand Palace London La Moinerie – Sark Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons – Great MiltonAlexandra Hotel – Lyme Regis Radisson Blu Portman London Crowne Plaza London – The City Park Plaza County Hall London The Savoy Trenython Manor – Cornwall

Green Team Wilton Court – Ross-on-Wye Devonshire Arms – Yorkshire Radisson Blu Portman LondonCrowne Plaza London – The City

Lancaster London

Hotel Petit Champ Sark

Clare Wright Lancaster London

Montagu Arms Beaulieu

Landmark London

Lasswade Country House Llanwrtyd Wells

Sunlight

SEM Market Gardens

Mike LeRoy

Gary Lohan One Aldwych

Green ChampionGary Lohan – One AldwychSally Beck – Landmark LondonHendrik Lessing – Sark Hotels

Sustainable FoodAval du Creux - SarkThe Bingham - Richmond

Small Accommodation ProviderLasswade Country House - WalesWilton Court – Ross-on-Wye

Applause and congratulations please for our Runners Up:-


Sponsors 2012

Awards Sponsors

Green Tourism Week

Lancaster London

Hotel Petit Champ Sark

Clare Wright Lancaster London

Montagu Arms Beaulieu

Landmark London

Lasswade Country House Llanwrtyd Wells

Sunlight

SEM Market Gardens

Mike LeRoy

Gary Lohan One Aldwych

The Considerate Hoteliers Association hugely appreciates the support and assistance of WRAP, Sustain, and our category sponsors Gilchrist & Soames UK Ltd, Beacon Purchasing, and Gram UK.

Our partners at GTBS held their Green Tourism Week in May which culminated in the presentation of GoldStar Awards in Edinburgh on Friday 25th May. Huge Congratulations to Lancaster London (again!) on winning the Hotel GoldStar and to The Old Rectory in Cornwall for the B & B GoldStar

And just to show that GTBS and CHA sing from the same hymn sheet, Andrea Nicholas of GTBS (pictured with Roger St John of sponsor Beacon Purchasing presenting the Green Team Award to Landmark London) was a judge at the CHA Awards and John Firrell was a GoldStar judge for GTBS.

Sponsor of the Considerate Hotel of the Year and Small Accommodation Provider

Sponsor of Green Champion of the YearSponsor of the Green Supplier of the Year (National & Local) and Green Team of the Year

Julian Maslinski – Considerate to the last

As I write the final pieces for The Considerate Hotelier I have received the sad news that my dear friend and ardent CHA supporter Julian Maslinski has died after a lengthy and valiant battle with cancer. Julian who at the time was the owner of the Elizabeth Hotel on Ecclestone Square, London, joined the CHA Committee during the 90’s. He also served on several other hospitality industry committees and was for many years the Chairman of the Westminster Tree Trust. Always full of common sense and steely resolve Julian contributed much to the welfare of CHA and even when he had to stand down through ill health, he kept up with CHA happenings and stood by his other commitments as best he could. Our thoughts are with Rani, his wife of many years who acted as carer and chin keeper-upper during the highs and lows of his long battle, and with Julian’s family.

I suspect Heaven is about to become more considerate!

Are you Accessible?When I attended a recent IOH update at Chewton Glen in Hampshire (typical IOH – go to all the cheap places!) there was a presentation on accessibility given by Arnold Fewell of AVF Marketing. Arnold himself is in a wheelchair so is incredibly well placed to know if a hotel is ticking all the right boxes when it comes to being accessible,

Arnold agreed to make a presentation at the even more recent Considerate Hotel of the Year 2012 Awards and nobody left that room failing to be impressed with Arnold’s message and also humbled by what Arnold himself has achieved in overcoming the “inconvenience” of being in a wheelchair. Arnold is a graduate of the art of Laughology believing that many of life’s mountains can be conquered with a smile on your face. Well, if Arnold can, so can I!

As a result of Arnold’s presentation and the message it puts out we will be adding another category to the 2013 CH Awards – The Considerate Accessible Hotel of the Year 2013 with Arnold as one of the judges. If you think your hotel is accessible, perhaps then will be the chance to put it to the test.

Arnold has just been presented with a Special Catey Award for his services in promoting accessibility. No award could be more thoroughly deserved.


CHA Vision of the Future

The Vision of the FutureConsiderate Hoteliers Association

Just prior to the Jubilee Weekend, The Considerate Hotel of the Year 2012 Awards Gala Lunch was held at the Four Seasons London at Park Lane. It was a joyous event, much enjoyed by all and especially by the winners. What CHA member hotels have achieved over the years has been awe inspiring. Every year the standard gets ever higher and those that are winning now have served their apprenticeship well. Congratulations to all who entered – we are very proud of you.At the end of my presentations, I alluded to CHA’s consistent growth in recent times, its ability to retain members over many years, the friendly and professional nature of the association and our future plans to expand into Europe. ‘Watch this space’ was the expression I used. CHA is now in its 22nd year and I have been involved since 1991 both as a member and an officer. Building on the massive potential that CHA surely has available to offer its members, present and future, it seems appropriate to take the association further afield. In order to achieve this CHA needs to expand its horizons and what it

has to offer. Now more than ever, there is a need for responsible organisations such as CHA to take the lead, and this is our cue to take on such a role. No man is an island, and if the full potential is to be realised then additional personnel/partners must be brought onboard.

Luckily I have already found two of these new partners in Xenia Hohenlohe and Benedetta Cassinelli who will act as my fellow directors. Both Xenia and Benedetta not only have extensive experience in the hotel and travel industry, access to a network of contacts who will bring much to the party they also share the same ethos. They understand what makes CHA tick, why it is

successful and why it can be successful in other arenas. They are committed professionals and I thoroughly enjoy working with them.

We have for several months now been doing extensive market research as well as talking to a number of colleagues in the sector on how best this can be achieved. Our discussions have been most positive, and with the additional person power, increased enthusiasm, innovative thinking and industry experience we believe we are now in a position to take CHA, its ethos and objectives, forward into a wider world.


CHA Vision of the Future

The Vision of the FutureConsiderate Hoteliers Association

Having said all that and in an effort to clarify what activities we are planning in order to turn our intentions into a reality, we have put these following Q & A’s together for you:

What do you mean “expand its horizons”?

Whilst there are still many hotels in the UK that we would like to seek out and persuade to become members, and we will certainly be doing that by utilizing an increase in personnel, we also have an ethos and formula that we feel will appeal to hotels in Europe, and other parts of the world. This will take time and is not going to be rushed – Europe first then the world. What does this mean for me as a member?Little will change immediately but once further activity is underway you can expect increased services to be available. Your ability to have one on one contact with me as you do now will continue but my fellow directors will also be on hand to help. Additionally there will be a couple of financial advisors who will guide us through potential minefields. Your subscription will continue to contribute towards the running of CHA and beyond that you will have no liability towards the viability of the company. CHA will remain the friendly, helpful and considerate hoteliers organisation I hope that it always has been.

What additional services can we expect from the “new” CHA?The member’s area of the website is already being upgraded to include more information, case histories and available services. There are plans for training and advisory services, online booking services, suppliers directory, international buddying, forums and help desks. CHA will become an international organization with the credibility to match – once again run by hoteliers for hoteliers – whilst still maintaining that “local” one on one relationship with its members. As you are already a part of CHA’s established infrastructure – a revered member – you will become the bedrock of a revitalised CHA as it expands its horizons.

Why can’t things go on as they are now?If that were to happen there is a risk that this may ultimately lead to CHA “withering on the vine” and

being overtaken by others who may trade on CHA’s successful blueprint. We are the only truly hotel organization (run by hoteliers for hoteliers) in the UK and indeed worldwide that majors via its network of members on the environment, ethical trading and social responsibility together with that essential ingredient – being a damn good innkeeper to boot! On that basis we should not fail in our new ambitions, and rest assured it will not be for the lack of effort on our part. What structural changes will there be?

Currently the association is funded by member subscription and award sponsorship. It provides for current commitments. This will continue but by taking on an expanded role we would hope to increase our income stream by offering various additional services. To this end CH will become a limited company, will have three working directors including myself and an advisory board who will meet periodically and be available to offer advice on the overall direction of Considerate Hoteliers.

When is all this likely to happen?

Over the coming months we will be looking at the branding of the website and how both the design and technology of the website can be adjusted and utilised to best effect. Once this is complete we will re-launch what we hope will be a revitalized communication and information source and keep you fully informed of events. The changes will happen slowly because we intend to get them right – we will not be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We will also be seeking your views on the changes made so you will have a chance to comment on how useful or effective (or otherwise) they are. We do not presume to know better but we hope the end product will be seen as a real coming of age as Considerate Hoteliers matures and blossoms as a fully seasoned member of the responsible, nay, considerate global fraternity.

John Firrell MIH


Consider This

Consider ThisChina is poised to become the world’s largest economy by 2025 – The earth does not have adequate resources to support its projected population of 9 billion, particularly not at the living standard to which many hundreds of millions of people have grown accustomed.

As of 2010 an estimated 5.3 billion mobile phones were in use worldwide accounting for approximately 77 per cent of the world’s population.

Each day about 1 billion people go hungry; 1 billion are clinically obese. 40% of all food produced in America is thrown out and Britain wastes 30% of its food – enough to feed the world’s hungry many times over.

Africa is the only region where famines have repeatedly occurred over the past 30 years, leaving the continent the only one in the world unable to feed itself. Yet one third of the remaining untilled arable land left on earth is in Africa.

Forecasts suggest that in 40 years the global demand for water could exhaust the world’s supply.

At current levels of production the world’s 847 billion tons of coal reserves is enough to last us just over a century.

Recently discovered veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium in Afghanistan have been estimated to be worth about $1 trillion dollars!


Welcome New Members

Consider This Welcome New MembersBlanch House (Sussex), Jurys Inn Manchester, The Broadway Hotel (Wales), Craibstone Estate (Scotland), Tewin Bury Farm Hotel (Hertfordshire), La Moinerie Hotel (Sark), Hotel Petit Champ (Sark), Aval du Creux (Sark), St. Ermin’s Hotel (London), The Zetter Hotel & Townhouse (London), Roslin Beach Hotel (Essex), The Camberley (Yorkshire), Trenython Manor Hotel & Spa (Cornwall), Colton House (Staffordshire), Hustyns (Cornwall), The Draycott (London), Rezare Farmhouse B & B (Cornwall), Bryn Elltyd Eco Guesthouse (Wales), Blakes Hotel (London), Sands Hotel (Kent), Campanile Hotel Birmingham, Dixcart Bay Hotel (Sark), Fairwater Head Hotel (Devon) and Gidleigh Park Hotel (Devon).

The QueenGod bless her!

24 THE CONSIDERATE HOTELIER SUMMER 2011

AWA R D W I N N E R S

There are many levels of “green”. Regardless of

your shade, Gilchrist & Soames has an amenities

programme perfect for your distinguished property.

From low-waste to no-waste packaging to propri-

etary Signature and Naturally Kind™ formulations,

let us help you choose a programme that is right for

you and your guests. We offer unique amenity

programmes with distinctive and singular style.

With our broad spectrum of designs spanning the

toiletry needs for both contemporary and classical

hotels, bound together with an uncompromising

eye for quality and detail, Gilchrist & Soames will

be sure to provide a range to suit your property.

At Gilchrist & Soames, our mission is to provide

luxurious hotel toiletries and service solutions that

enhance guest experiences at the finest hotels and

resorts around the world. We blend rich English

formulations, botanical ingredients and unique

aromas from around the world to create truly

memorable hair, bath, and body products.

When comparing Xela Packs to bottles and tubes

of similar product capacity, there is a significant

overall reduction in packaging materials.

A 30ml plastic bottle with cap weighs 9.26g, while

a 30ml Xela Pack card weighs 3.83g – this repre-

sents a 52% reduction.

A 30ml plastic tube with cap weighs 7.1g, while a

30ml Xela Pack card weighs 3.74g – this represents

a 47% reduction.

The Xela Pack uses approximately 93% less plastic

than similar sized bottles and tubes. Additionally,

the plastic used most often in Xela Pack samples is

LLDPE and HDPE. According to industry leaders,

these are the two most preferred types of plastic to

use when creating an environmentally conscious

package.

In addition to ensuring the best possible eco-

friendly process to make and distribute BeeKind™,

Gilchrist & Soames donates a

portion of the proceeds of

BeeKind™ to support the

global research of pollination

and the sustainability

of the honey bee.

WHAT IS YOUR SHADE OF GREEN?

Gilchrist & Soames has partnered with Clean the

World® as a strategic alliance to help realise their

mission to prevent infant mortality in developing

nations.

As part of the alliance, Gilchrist & Soames is help-

ing to fund the infrastructure for Clean the World®

to build their network of Recycling Operation

Centres for sanitising and repacking partially used

guest amenities.

Clean the World® is the largest global recycler of

hotel amenities. In less than two years, Clean the

World® has distributed more than 7 million bars of

soap to children in more than 40 countries world-

wide. Included in this number are 1.5 million bars

of soap sent to Haiti since the earthquake in Janu-

ary 2010, with 300,000 soap bars delivered since an

outbreak of cholera in October.

Since its founding in 2009, Clean the World® has

partnered with nearly 770 hotel properties in

North America to provide soaps and bottled

amenities to people in need. While doing so, Clean

the World® has also fulfilled a valuable

.

[email protected] | www.uk.gilchristsoames.com | +44 (0) 1733 384 156

BeeKind™ is one of our award winning environ-

mentally friendly collections. Ever popular with

hotel guests for its citrus fresh and gender neutral

appeal.

WHY IS XELA PACKAGING VITAL

FOR A GREENER FUTURE?

WORKING TOGETHER TO

CLEAN THE WORLD®

If you would like to learn more about Clean The World® please visit www.cleantheworld.org.

If you would like to take part in the Clean The World® programme or want a better understanding of the work

Gilchrist & Soames and Clean The World® are doing together, please send us your details.

environmental mission by diverting a

estimated 550 tonnes of hotel waste

from polluting landfills. The organisa-

tion is literally turning rubbish into

riches for people in need of better

hygiene and a cleaner world.

“Each day, 9,000 children die from

preventable diseases because they do

not have access to soap for proper hand

washing,” says Shawn Seipler, Executive

Director and Co-Founder of Clean the

World®. “Clean the World® aims to

change that and our hospitality partners

throughout the world, large and small,

are making a tremendous positive

difference for children and families

everywhere.”

BeeKind™ contains honey

and certified organic extracts of

red clover, calendula, lemongrass

and chamomile ensure it soothes.

SIGNATURE AND NATURALLY™

KIND FORMULATIONS

Documents

Considerate Hoteliers