
Woody Barlow
Hospitality Correspondent
1:00 AM 1st February 2025
lifestyle
Sustainability In Hospitality: Beyond Greenwashing
The Case For Local, Seasonal, And Conscious Choices
In recent years, sustainability has become one of the most talked-about topics in hospitality. But let’s be honest: the industry still has a long way to go. We’ve seen a lot of marketing buzzwords thrown around - “eco-friendly,” “sustainable,” “green” - and many businesses are quick to jump on the bandwagon.
It’s easy to throw a few “sustainable” labels on a menu or slap a “carbon-neutral” badge on the website. But sustainability isn’t a quick fix, nor is it something that can be achieved with a handful of buzzwords and a few recycled paper napkins. True sustainability goes deeper. It’s about genuinely changing how we think about sourcing, how we approach the food we put on our plates, and how we run our businesses. It means looking beyond the trends and focusing on what truly matters: local, seasonal, and conscious choices.
Greenwashing: The Problem with Quick Fixes
I’ve spent time with a lot of chefs, owners, and operators in the past year, and the message is clear: sustainability requires real commitment, not just a feel-good buzzword to fill space on a website. It’s not about adding a few plants to the menu or using more compostable packaging. It’s about rethinking your entire operation, from sourcing to waste management to the choices you make every single day. That means paying closer attention to where your ingredients come from and embracing the seasonality of local produce—something that far too many have overlooked in favour of convenience and year-round availability.
The Local Revolution: Supporting the Community, Reducing the Footprint
The real power of sustainability lies in local sourcing. When you work with nearby suppliers, you’re not just making sure that your food is fresh and flavourful, you’re also reducing the environmental cost of transportation. Think about it—how many times have you seen a menu item listed as “imported” or “from afar” and just shrugged it off? When we choose to rely on ingredients grown or produced within a reasonable distance, we’re supporting local businesses, keeping money in the community, and dramatically cutting down on the carbon footprint of transporting goods halfway around the world.
At Bear Inns we have embraced the ideal of local sourcing - not just as a trend, but as a fundamental part of our identity. At the Swan Tarporley, we’ve built lasting relationships with farmers within a 30-mile radius. The lamb comes from just up the road, the carrots are picked fresh from local farms, and the bread is made at Bradwall Bakehouse just a few miles away. The menu changes with the seasons and we are committed to the long haul. The result? The food tastes better, the business has a real connection to its suppliers, and the impact on the planet is far less than if we were relying on imported ingredients.
Embracing Seasonality: The True Taste of the Earth
Seasonality is the unsung hero of sustainability. It’s not enough to simply focus on sourcing locally if you’re not also tuning in to the rhythms of the land. Seasonal food doesn’t just taste better; it’s better for the planet. When you eat what’s in season, you’re not relying on energy-guzzling greenhouses or air miles to supply your kitchen. You’re working with nature, not against it.
![Head chef at Bear Inns]()
Head chef at Bear Inns
The challenge here, of course, is that seasonality doesn’t always give you a perfectly consistent menu. Some items come and go. It’s hard to imagine a spring menu without fresh asparagus, or a winter one without hearty root vegetables. But that’s where the creativity comes in. I’ve seen our chefs step up to the challenge by changing their menu with the seasons—adapting to what’s available and offering dishes that tell a story about what’s growing at the time. And when you taste something that was picked that morning from a local farm, you know you’re getting something special.
For some businesses, embracing seasonality means saying goodbye to certain foods altogether. And that brings us to a key point in the sustainability conversation: the issue of ingredients that just don’t make sense anymore. Take avocados, for example. Sure, they’re delicious and trendy, but the environmental cost is massive. The vast majority of avocados are grown in areas where water is scarce, and the carbon footprint of shipping them around the world is staggering. So, pubs like The Swan and The Lion have made a conscious decision not to include avocados on their menus. It’s a bold move, but it’s part of a larger commitment to sustainability. Avocados may be beloved by some, but the environmental cost is simply too high.
Embracing Change: The Path Forward
Sustainability in hospitality isn’t about jumping on a trend or adopting a few superficial changes—it’s about a complete mindset shift. It’s about taking responsibility for the food you serve and the impact it has on the environment. It means supporting local farmers, working with seasonal produce, and making difficult decisions when it comes to what’s on your menu.
It’s time to move beyond the greenwashing and make sustainability a true, core value in the way we operate. Yes, it’s hard work, and yes, it’s inconvenient sometimes—but if we want to see real, lasting change, we have to commit to it. And maybe, just maybe, that means saying no to the avocado toast.
![Woody Barlow]()
Woody Barlow
Woody (Edward) Barlow, founder of Bear Inns, has worked in the hospitality industry for over 30 years, opening and establishing a number of award-winning venues. Woody is a member of the voting academy for Top 50 Gastro Pubs and is passionate about creating amazing pubs that have a joyful, lively atmosphere created by people, not only its guests but those delivering genuinely great hospitality.