Battlesteads pub, hotel and restaurant in Wark, near Hexham in Northumberland, has been declared the UK’s Considerate Hotel of the Year 2010/11 by the Considerate Hoteliers Association (CHA).
The coveted national awards celebrate the best in environmental, sustainable and socially responsible performance and are open to all UK hotels and small accommodation providers.
Beating off competition from nine other UK hotels, including some of the largest and most high end operators and groups, Battlesteads received the CHA’s highest accolade, sponsored by Gilchrist & Soames, for being the best ‘all-rounder’ establishment considered to have succeeded in a wide range of environmental and social initiatives.
The judges commented: “Battlesteads provided an outstanding entry and is a very worthy winner. They have tackled difficult issues such as waste and energy use, and addressed many areas of their business in their mission to improve their sustainability. Their entry described some really innovative approaches – such as channelling waste heat into a polytunnel used to grow crops for the restaurant.
“Richard and Dee Slade investigate the sustainability of their suppliers and really promote to their guests what they’re doing by, for example, giving tours of the biomass boiler! They also spread the word to the wider community by, for instance, assisting the local primary school children with their allotment.”
Renowned hospitality industry environmental and food safety consultant, CHA Ambassador and leading member of the 2010/11 CHA awards panel of judges, Professor John Forte OBE added: “Of the many worthy contenders for this title, we chose a business that has demonstrated over the past three years a steady progress on sustainable environmental improvements across the board.
“Richard and Dee Slade have recognised that there are many sustainable improvements that still need to be made and have a positive, realistic and achievable programme to work towards achieving their end goals. Personally, I was particularly taken with the element of fun that they have injected into their endeavours and their obvious enthusiasm for what they do and have achieved.”
To mark the achievement, Battlesteads owners Richard and Dee Slade attended a ceremony at The Savoy in London where they received an inscribed Dartington Crystal decanter to add to their impressive collection of prestigious trophies.
