BH Live has been awarded five stars, the highest possible accolade, from the Sustainable Food City Partnership.
This is for its outstanding commitment to sustainable food purchasing and activities in venues across the south.
The Sustainable Food City Partnership promotes and rewards businesses in the Bournemouth & Poole area for embracing sustainable food business practices. It assesses organisations across five key categories: sourcing local products, sourcing sustainably, managing waste and recycling, working with communities and communication.
To achieve a five star status an organisation must demonstrate its commitment to each of the five categories and give examples of how it is achieving results.
BH Live has demonstrated that it is committed to buying ingredients from sustainable sources, and locally wherever possible. It supports Dorset and Hampshire dairy farmers to get a fair price for their products and purchases local vegetables including asparagus, Dorset leaves, New Forest Mushrooms, Hampshire watercress and Isle of Wight tomatoes.
It plays an active role in the Sustainable Food Cities/Fish Cities partnership, paying particular attention to sustainable fishing and farming methods and supporting local initiatives and events to promote provenance, such as New Forest Marque Food Safaris, Sustainable Food Cities Restaurant Hops and Bournemouth’s Food Festival.
Fresh, locally produced ingredients are sourced from businesses operating sustainable and ethical processes. And food miles are reduced by sourcing ingredients within a 60-mile radius of the venues, where possible.
Its procurement strategy favours suppliers with strong environmental and social ethics and last year the supply chain was rationalised to incorporate as many local producers and products as possible to include Hutchings Bros Seafood and Game, Wrights Dairies, Springfield Butchers, Purbeck Ice Cream, Capreolus Fine Foods, Chalke Valley Cheese, Dorset Blue Vinny, and Harvest Fine Foods. Southbourne ales are also used in many of its dishes for large banquets, awards and events at Bournemouth International Centre and Bournemouth Pavilion.
Sustainability is a prevailing factor in all BH Live’s operations, including procurement, facilities management, venue operations and catering. Divine Chocolate, Belu water, Fairtrade products and ethically sourced coffee beans are procured to sell across its venues. This has a direct impact on farming communities around the world.
In signing the Sustainable Fish Cities pledge too, BH Live is committed to source its seafood products only from accredited sustainable producers. And when catering for London-based events, BH Live works with Southbank Fresh Fish, the most sustainably accredited fish provider in the UK.
Packaging, cardboard and food waste is recycled in conjunction with Bournemouth Borough Council. And recycled, compostable and recyclable packaging is used across its Terrace cafés. Customers at conferences and exhibitions are encouraged to recycle plastics and staff encouraged to recycle where possible.
In the community BH Live supports Grounded Enterprises in a project that will educate people how to grow their own food and provide locally grown produce to the community and local business.
“We’ve always believed in buying ingredients from local producers who follow sustainable farming and production methods. With Dorset and Hampshire’s larders being so plentiful, it’s an easy practice to follow,” says BH Live’s Group Executive Chef, Stewart Parker.
Alex Robertson, BH Live’s Head of Hospitality adds, “The Bournemouth and Poole Sustainable Food City partnership is attracting widespread support across the region, and we’re very proud to be part of it.”
As well as sustainable purchasing, BH Live is reducing energy dependence, costs and CO2 emissions through a comprehensive and sustainable energy-saving strategy in conjunction with Bournemouth Borough Council. This is achieved using proven, state-of-the-art technology in energy production, lighting, heating and air conditioning. Such initiatives include a solar PV installation on the roof of Bournemouth International Centre, a CHP unit at Littledown Centre, LED lighting schemes, variable speed drives, sensors and thermal insulation.
Performance is monitored and an energy saving culture promoted across the business. By taking advantage of government funding and investing in a blend of established and newer technologies, BH Live is already reaping dividends in energy consumption and reducing environmental impact.
“This 5-star accreditation celebrates BH Live’s commitment to sustainably sourced food across all five of our qualifying categories, says Sarah Watson, Sustainable Food City Partnership Manager.
“We hope BH Live’s example can help encourage other local businesses to join the partnership and adopt sustainable food strategies. Collectively our members, or “Sustainable Food Army,” are helping to drive Bournemouth & Poole’s transition towards a low-carbon, green economy in the fight against climate change and we think it’s important to shout about these great achievements.”
For more information on the Sustainable Food City Partnership visit sustainablefoodcity.org
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Notes to Editors:
Photo-caption news home page:
Nick Day from Sustainable Food Cities presenting the five star certificate to Stewart Parker, BH Live’s Group Executive Head Chef and Alex Robertson, BH Live’s Head of Hospitality
For more information about BH Live please contact:
Elizabeth Symmons, PR & Corporate Communications Executive
E: press.office@bhlive.org.uk
T: (01202) 055562
About BH Live
BH Live is the south coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues; a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives.
With more than three million visits a year and over £36.5 million turnover, the organisation is changing lives – placing it at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
Its Terrace cafés and bars are in nearly 40 locations across the south of England including Bournemouth International Centre, Lighthouse Poole’s Centre for the Arts, Portsmouth Pyramids, London Aquatics Centre and Copper Box Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
In 2015/16 BH Live hosted more than 500 events, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets. They had 2.6 million visits into its leisure centres and welcomed 118,000 conference and exhibition delegates into its venues. This contributed an estimated £66.3 million to the local economy through business and cultural tourism. For more visit bhlive.org.uk
In 2017, BH Live was awarded with the ‘Green Initiative Award’ sponsored by Waste Management Facilities for its commitment to reducing energy consumption through a variety of activities including renewable energy, sustainable purchasing and recycling.
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