Finalists announced in the 2022 Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards

The shortlist for the 2022 Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards has been announced! 

At Matthew Clark, we believe that sustainability should be embraced at every step of the value chain, which is why our C&C Group ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) vision is ‘Delivering to a better world’. It is important to recognise those who are raising the bar in sustainable business and encouraging others to do and be better. This year Matthew Clark, as part of C&C Group, have sponsored two major categories in the awards: On-Trade Operator of the Year and On-Trade Supplier of the Year. 

Now more than ever, consumers want to be environmentally friendly, but this needs to fit in with busy lifestyles and tightening budgets. The burden of sustainability falls on brands and businesses to make these environmentally friendly choices easy and convenient for consumers. 

Congratulations to all those who have made the shortlist in each category. The winners will be announced at the Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards Dinner on Wednesday 21st September in London. 

For now, let’s learn a little more about some of the finalists in the C&C Group sponsored categories:  

On-Trade Operator of the Year  

Revolution Bars Group  

Revolution Bars Group endeavour to conduct their business in a way that is sympathetic to the environment. This includes recycling all glassware, bottles and cardboard packaging where possible, fitting energy-efficient LED lighting in their venues, and fitting smart metres to monitor hour energy consumption daily. At the end of 2021, the Group announced they would be removing the passionfruit garnish from their cocktails, a move that saves more than half a million passionfruit per year and reduces the bar group’s carbon footprint by more than 100 tons of CO2. This is just a part of their ongoing commitment to sustainability and a promise is to be a Net Zero business before 2030. 

By The River Brew Co.  

Nestled beneath the world-famous Tyne Bridge in the iconic setting of Hillgate Quays, Gateshead, By The River Brew Co is an independent container settlement that consists of a Brewery & Tap Room, Träkol Restaurant, and the Backyard Bikeshop. The Brewery and Taproom place an emphasis on freshness, with the majority of their beer sold directly on-site while the Träkol restaurant operates on a seasonal basis. Growing their own produce, foraging, composting, recycling and up- cycling suppliers the By The River e menu, but it also contributes towards reducing their carbon footprint. Working with One Carbon World, a United Nations initiative, they measure, reduce and offset their carbon so they operate ‘Carbon Neutral.’  

Apricity  

Apricity, the latest restaurant from multi-award-winning chef owner Chantelle Nicholson and her team is a restaurant with a purpose - to create a sustainable community. The restaurant is a low-waste operation: from using renewable energy sources and monitoring their energy usage and carbon footprint, to setting targets to reduce their output. They also reduce food waste with menus that incorporate all parts of their ingredients, from skins to seeds. They work with suppliers who are passionate about soil regeneration, agroecology, their people, and cultivating a sustainable future.  

On-Trade Supplier of the Year  

Accolade Wines  

Accolade sells over 150 million bottles of wine Europe per year and continually seeks opportunities to reduce its carbon footprint. Since September 2020, all of Accolade’s wines sold in Europe are 100% Carbon neutral.  They have also invested in on-site renewable energy, with the installation of solar panels at one of their Australian vineyards and the construction of a 2.5MW wine turbine at Europe’s manufacturing site.  

Avallen Spirits  

40 different varieties of apples are used to make Avallen Calvados and even goes to creating their label. With no added sugar, caramel, or boisé and minimal processing, Avallen also fiercely protect its biodiversity within its orchards. Every bottle made removes 2.73kg of CO2 from the atmosphere (without external offsetting). 

Ferrari Trento  

All of Ferrari Trento's wines are Trentodoc and are produced exclusively from grapes grown in Trentino at high altitudes using sustainable farming methods. The company’s culture of sustainability and respect for the terroir has, over the years, been shared by the more than 600 vine-growers who supply their grapes, thanks to a long–term process of training and education by Ferrari’s team of agronomists. 

Las Bodegas Ltd  

Las Bodegas specialises in importing South American wines. While the company formed out of a passion for wine, they were keen to find more eco-friendly ways of distribution. Shipping the same wines in larger quantities stripped out over 13 tonnes of CO2 from their Scope 3 emissions and they also work with a UK-based packaging facility that generates renewable energy. They understand that vineyards can be significant emitters, so it is vital improve the supporting processes of shipping, packaging, and bottling.  

Quintessential Brands UK 

All materials used at the site for production of Quintessential Brand products are fully recyclable and the distillery is proud to be a zero-landfill site. This year, one of their key brand’s, Greenall’s Gin, launched a new paper bottle version of their Original London Dry gin, that has reduced the weight, carbon footprint and water usage by more than 75%. This move follows years of climate positive action from the manufacturing team at G&J Distillers, where Greenall’s and many other Quintessential Brands gins and other spirits are produced. Today, G&J Distillers uses only renewable energy as it is powered using electricity generated solely by offshore wind farms. 

All the finalists in all categories are making great steps with impactful sustainability initiatives - we’re looking forward to seeing the winners announced in London on the 21st September.