Client Focus | 11 December 2022
Top Brands for Sustainable Food & Drink
Here are four high-end brands providing their customers with leading sustainable luxury food & drink products.
Increasingly, purveyors of high-end consumables are making circularity, durability, and responsible sourcing integral to their ethos, and are adopting purpose-driven business models.
Here are four high-end brands providing their customers with leading sustainable luxury food & drink products.
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Balfour Winery
Located on a 400 acre estate in Kent, sustainability has always been at the heart of Balfour wines. The vineyards have been cultivated in congruous with the surrounding nature, and the wine produced is complemented by a range of beers and ciders from their orchards as well as honey from their bees and the 100 acres of wildflower meadows they enjoy.
That harmony is key, says Adam Williams, Balfour’s Sales Director. As well as championing UK-sourced and delivered wines with a significantly lower carbon footprint than imported tipples, Balfour is a founding member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain initiative, committed to defining and maintaining sustainable best practices. “That’s really where our measurables come from,” says Adam. “We’ve also employed a full time Sustainability Manager who keeps us to those criteria and who is constantly looking at where we can improve.”
Practically that means the bottles and corks used are predominantly recycled material, and the functioning of the estate is designed around renewable electricity and grey water systems to limit wastage.
But there’s a bigger picture to be painted in this corner of English terroir. “When our visitors come and see the estate and take a tour, they get a sense of what we’re trying to achieve,” says Adam. “They can see it’s not just a wine business but a working countryside estate enjoyed by the likes of wild deer and birdlife as well as people. We don’t promote that to sell more wine, it’s to make a much more important difference.”
The focus on quality sustainable vintages clearly starts at home but is being appropriately echoed, and enjoyed, around the world: British Airways selected Balfour’s wines for their First Class cabin and they’re also being enjoyed at numerous British Ambassadors’ receptions.
As well as charitable giving opportunities, Coutts clients that hold a Silk Charge card or Silk Credit Card can enjoy luxury rewards with all these brands through our reward scheme – THANK YOU FROM COUTTS
There’s an old saying, “retirement is wonderful if you have two essentials – much to live on and much to live for.” Having worked hard to build your wealth, it would be remiss not to make sure you and your family can make the most of it as time goes on.Stagflation became financially synonymous with the difficulties the UK and other economies faced in the 1970s. The oil producing organisation OPEC embargoed oil exports to many western nations, pushing up oil and energy prices dramatically. The rise in the cost of living, fuelled in part by wage price spirals, coincided with stagnant economic growth, and unemployment was high while things got more expensive. This resulted in stagflation.
Although we currently have an energy shock, especially in Europe, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the main driver of today’s inflation pressures was the pandemic. It led to a large demand for goods when strained and locked-down supply chains couldn’t cope.
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Daylesford Organic
The British flagship for high-end organic farm produce, Daylesford have built their offering around the sustainability principles of regenerate, protect and inspire. That’s embodied in the careful consideration for the end of life of new products and their zero food waste policy. Externally, to ensure they meet the highest standards of animal welfare and food quality, they are also assessed and certified by the Soil Association.
The practicality of owning much of their supply chain helps, says Head of Sustainability Will Dennis. “Our primary focus is items grown and made on our organic farm, where we own the whole story from farm to fork,” he says. “When we are unable to produce something ourselves, we work with trusted suppliers who share our commitment to quality and sustainability.”
By farming organically, Daylesford’s products and animals benefit from being grown and reared in a chemical-free environment, rich in biodiversity. Their sustainability principles also extend to packaging – 91% is now made from fully recyclable materials. Through packing innovation they’ve also removed 25 miles of plastic strapping, 14 tonnes of card and 12 tonnes of glass from their supply chain.
Beyond that they’ve also recently completed a full carbon assessment of the business and are now measuring the capacity of the farm’s soil to sequester carbon. They’re also extending the reach of their education programme with local schools to inspire young minds. And, as well as celebrating their 20th anniversary, this year has seen their Cotswolds-based farm shop enter the final stage of B Corp accreditation.
If customers want proof of the benefits of Daylesford’s sustainability endeavours at Christmas, they need look no further than their puddings, says Will. “Daylesford is a wonderful destination to get into the Christmas spirit, we love creating opportunities for people to make treasured memories. Our high welfare turkeys raised on the farm, Christmas puddings and mince pies from our bakery and truckles of Cheddar from our creamery are always popular in the weeks before Christmas. We have a wide range of gifts from organic hampers in our signature white wicker baskets to stocking fillers and experiential gifts such as gift cards for our Cookery School and Bamford Wellness Spa.”
In 2023 they’re also looking forward to celebrating 20 years on 17th and 18th June, with a two-day Summer Festival at the farm.
As well as charitable giving opportunities, Coutts clients that hold a Silk Charge card or Silk Credit Card can enjoy luxury rewards with all these brands through our reward scheme – THANK YOU FROM COUTTS
There’s an old saying, “retirement is wonderful if you have two essentials – much to live on and much to live for.” Having worked hard to build your wealth, it would be remiss not to make sure you and your family can make the most of it as time goes on.Stagflation became financially synonymous with the difficulties the UK and other economies faced in the 1970s. The oil producing organisation OPEC embargoed oil exports to many western nations, pushing up oil and energy prices dramatically. The rise in the cost of living, fuelled in part by wage price spirals, coincided with stagnant economic growth, and unemployment was high while things got more expensive. This resulted in stagflation.
Although we currently have an energy shock, especially in Europe, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the main driver of today’s inflation pressures was the pandemic. It led to a large demand for goods when strained and locked-down supply chains couldn’t cope.
FIND OUT MORE
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Ellis Wines
“Customer service and sustainability are at the forefront of our company’s ethos,” says Director Robert Ellis of his family’s 200 year-old purveyor business. “We strive to offer wines that have been farmed in a sustainable manner and are organic or biodynamic.” Today, that sees Ellis source sustainable wines from all over the world. Among the producers they work with, 39 farm organically, 43 are sustainable, 17 follow biodynamic principles and two are now certified carbon neutral.
The growth of accreditation and sustainable metrics means it is now much clearer and simpler to filter out the wines that don’t hit the markers they’re looking for. That’s allowed them to meet the huge rising demand for sustainable wines, says Sales Manager George Lee. “We have even seen a good number of clients shift to 100% sustainable wine lists. This has been received well by consumers and has certainly increased an awareness of what makes a wine good for the environment,” he says. “We find that people appreciate a good story about where the wine has come from and how it’s been made, and when sustainability is at the forefront, it’s definitely a big win!”
Internally, Ellis’ own operations have benefitted from implementing more sustainable delivery through electric vans and charging points. Something they have already rolled through their London delivery systems. It’s a foundation they hope will support their goal of becoming a carbon neutral wine importer and distributer during 2023, as well as ultimately achieving B Corp certification.
Looking ahead, they’re excited to offer a range of sustainable fizzes to complement any festive table. “Our dear friends at Champagne AR Lenoble have been sustainable since the mid 1990’s and make stunning Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines with the help of the bee colonies living in the vineyards,” says George. “Nyetimber is also a champion of English Sparkling wine, and are leading the way in luxury fizz that is kind to the environment. Whether it is their Classic Cuvee, or their 1086 Prestige Cuvee, all their wines are made with quality and the environment at the forefront.”
Responsible enjoyment really does mean sustainable enjoyment, says George. “There are many wine regions in danger because of climate change and there won’t be a lot of wine to enjoy if we aren’t careful, so everyone must do their part!”
As well as charitable giving opportunities, Coutts clients that hold a Silk Charge card or Silk Credit Card can enjoy luxury rewards with all these brands through our reward scheme – THANK YOU FROM COUTTS
There’s an old saying, “retirement is wonderful if you have two essentials – much to live on and much to live for.” Having worked hard to build your wealth, it would be remiss not to make sure you and your family can make the most of it as time goes on.Stagflation became financially synonymous with the difficulties the UK and other economies faced in the 1970s. The oil producing organisation OPEC embargoed oil exports to many western nations, pushing up oil and energy prices dramatically. The rise in the cost of living, fuelled in part by wage price spirals, coincided with stagnant economic growth, and unemployment was high while things got more expensive. This resulted in stagflation.
Although we currently have an energy shock, especially in Europe, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the main driver of today’s inflation pressures was the pandemic. It led to a large demand for goods when strained and locked-down supply chains couldn’t cope.
FIND OUT MORE
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Lucky Saint Alcohol Free Beer
“Sustainability as Second Nature” sits at the heart of the Lucky Saint mission. Having set out to provide non-drinkers with an enjoyable pint, their business scope now encompasses providing environmentally friendly, as well as socially friendly, refreshment.
To do that the dedicated alcohol-free beer brand has focused on building a more sustainable delivery process. As well as moving to fully recycled packaging, a simple redesign has saved the equivalent weight of five adult polar bears in additional cardboard in 2022 alone.
Lucky Saint have also worked to counter the carbon that has entered the atmosphere from their operations since they launched in 2020. This has seen them move to being climate positive – partnering with natural investment consultancy Earthly to remove 110% of that carbon amount. As a result, Lucky Saint now supports three Earthly projects: Brazil Nut Concessions in Madre de Dios, Mai Ndombe and Eden's Mangrove planting in Madagascar.
To help their sustainability mission grow with, and support, the business, they’ve also applied for B Corp status. “We are making improvements wherever we can,” says Marketing Lead Emily Laws. “We ensure sustainability within our consumables by having constant and honest conversations with our suppliers and making sure they adhere to the values of B Corp in the same way we do.”
Best of all though has been the support from their customers. “The reaction has been fantastic,” says Emily. “They love that we are working every day to make our business more sustainable.”
The social and governance principles of B Corp are already held by Lucky Saint, they’ve partnered with cycling and mental health charity ASCND and restaurant Beder to raise awareness around mental health and suicide. The result has been external sharing of experiences and the internal training of a number staff in mental health first aid.
“We then wanted to train the rest of the business, that’s how strongly we felt it was the right thing to be doing,” says founder Luke Boase. “The extension of that is we we’ll take it into the hospitality industry – this year we’ll train hundreds of people with the idea that if we train hundreds then that will touch thousands of people.”
As well as charitable giving opportunities, Coutts clients that hold a Silk Charge card or Silk Credit Card can enjoy luxury rewards with all these brands through our reward scheme – THANK YOU FROM COUTTS
There’s an old saying, “retirement is wonderful if you have two essentials – much to live on and much to live for.” Having worked hard to build your wealth, it would be remiss not to make sure you and your family can make the most of it as time goes on.Stagflation became financially synonymous with the difficulties the UK and other economies faced in the 1970s. The oil producing organisation OPEC embargoed oil exports to many western nations, pushing up oil and energy prices dramatically. The rise in the cost of living, fuelled in part by wage price spirals, coincided with stagnant economic growth, and unemployment was high while things got more expensive. This resulted in stagflation.
Although we currently have an energy shock, especially in Europe, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the main driver of today’s inflation pressures was the pandemic. It led to a large demand for goods when strained and locked-down supply chains couldn’t cope.
FIND OUT MORE
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Although we currently have an energy shock, especially in Europe, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the main driver of today’s inflation pressures was the pandemic. It led to a large demand for goods when strained and locked-down supply chains couldn’t cope.
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