WOODIES SUSTAINABILITY MISSION

---

HERE AT WOODIES WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD FROM THE START OF CREATION BACK IN OCTOBER 2021 THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY.. THEREFORE FROM THE OFF  WE STARTED OUR SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS BY MAKING SURE OUR SUPPLIERS AND PARTNERS CARRIED THE SAM ETHOS TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY.  WE HAVE LOOKED TO CREATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHERS WITH EQUAL VALUES. WE ALSO LOOKED AT FINDING  PRODUCE FROM LOCAL WAS A GREAT WAY TO START OUR REDUCTION IN CARBON FOOTPRINT AND SUPPORT OTHER LOCAL BUSINESS AND THE COMMUNITY.. WE THEN WENT ON TO CREATE  OUR PRODUCE FOR PRODUCTS SCHEME, ENCOURAGING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY OF ALL AGES TO GET INVOLVED AND SWAP SURPLUS  ALLOTMENT PRODUCE  AND RECEIVE IN EXCHANGE PRODUCTS MADE BY WOODIES, FOR EXAMPLE MARROW, FOR MARROW & GINGER JAM!  MOVING FORWARD WE WILL CONTINUALLY ASSESS  OUR PRACTICE  TO SEE HOW WE ARE DOING AND HOW TO CAN ADAPT OUR METHODS FOR NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.  WE MUST AS A BUSINESS BE READY TO ADAPT TO DAILY EXTERNAL CHANGES THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR WITH IN OUR STRATEGY TO ENSURE WE ARE DOING ALL THAT IS POSSIBLE. THIS MAY MEAN LONG TERM GOALS ARE EXTENDED OR CHANGED TOTALLY TO FIT WITH THE WORLD AROUND US.  WOODIES MUST ALSO BE READY TO ASSESS  AS WE GROW AND TAKE ON NEW DIRECTION BUSINESS  HOW WE CAN INTRODUCE NEW SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES  TO KEEP IN LINE WITH OUR PURPOSE AND VALUES. 

FROM THE  VERY  START OF CREATING WOODIES WE HAVE AIMED TO WORK WITH OTHER COMPANIES THAT ARE SUSTAINABLY FOCUSED. THIS HAS CONTINUED AND IS VERY MUCH OF OUR CURRENT, SHORT AND LONG TERM GOALS . 

• PRODUCE 

TO USE LOCAL PRODUCE FIRST IS A MUST FOR US AT WOODIES, 

AS PART AND PARCEL OF OUR  PRACTICE, WE USE OUR OWN VEGETABLE GARDEN IN THE SUMMER FOR ALL OUR HERBS, CHILLI PEPPERS  & VEG AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 

AN  IMPORTANT PART OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO BUILD LINKS WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND CUSTOMERS WHO GROW PRODUCE THEMSELVES AND HAVE AN EXCHANGE PROGRAMME CALLED PRODUCTS FOR PRODUCE. FOR EXAMPLE A GLUT OF MARROWS, CAN BE TURNED INTO OUR SCRUMMY MARROW & GINGER JAM AND USED IN OUR INDIAN COOKING DISHES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO MANGO CHUTNEY. WE THEN OFFER OUR SUPPLIER A NUMBER OF JARS IN EXCHANGE FOR THE VEGETABLES THEY HAVE SUPPLIED. 

AT WOODIES WE COOK OUR OWN DISHES, THIS IS A GREAT WAY OF  CUTTING DOWN ON FOOD WASTAGE.  WE COMPOST ALL FOOD SCRAPS FROM OUR PREP KITCHEN EACH WEEK.  AS WELL AS SENDING OUR DRY RECYCLING AND  GLASS EACH WEEK. 

WE ONLY USE GLASS BOTTLES FOR OUR DRINKS, AND OFFER FREE TAP WATER TO OUR GUEST

•  TAKE AWAY 

WOODIES ONLY USES COMPOSTABLE TAKE AWAY CUPS AND NOW HAVE ALSO MANAGED TO SOURCE COMPOSTABLE LIDS. ,

OUR COFFEE IS  GROUND LOCALLY BY A COMPANY WITH SUSTAINABLE ETHICS.  WE ENCOURAGE OUR CUSTOMERS TO USE THEIR OWN COFFEE CUPS WHEN TAKING AWAY BY GIVING THEM A DISCOUNT.

 WE ONLY USE WOODEN UTENSILS FOR TAKE AWAY FOOD.

FREE WATER REFILLS TO CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR OWN BOTTLES.

• OUR GARDEN 

WE HAVE ALSO LOOKED AT THE OUTSIDE OF OUR PREMISES, TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE SOME CHANGES. WE HAVE PUT IN RAISED BEDS  MADE FROM LOCALLY SOURCED SUSTAINABLE WOODEN SLEEPERS

.PLANTED THEM WITH LOCALLY SOURCED PLANTS  TO ENCOURAGE BIRDS AND INSECTS WHERE BEFORE THERE WAS NOTHING. 

WE HAVE ALSO IN THE MONTH OF JULY 2022, CREATED A NEW RAISED BED IN THE CAFE GARDEN AND PLANTED A NATIVE HAWTHORN TREE, TO ENCOURAGE THE LOCAL BIRDS AND WILDLIFE INTO THE GARDEN. THE GUEST SEEM TO VERY MUCH ENJOY WATCHING THE SPARROW FEED FROM THE WATER WE LEAVE OUT FOR PASSING DOGS TO DRINK FROM. SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE TO ENCOURAGE THE BIRDS A LITTLE MORE BY GIVING THEM A HIGHER PEARCHING POINT. 

THERE IS STILL MUCH TO BE DONE BUT FEEL WE HAVE MADE A GREAT START.  OUR CUSTOMERS  HAVE SHARED WITH US HOW THEY NOW LOVE TO SIT OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE SPACE. 

WOODIES HAS BECOME FOR THE RESIDENTS OF PADDOCK WOOD A PLACE TO WALK  AND MEET FRIENDS AND ENJOY WITHOUT HAVING TO GET IN A CAR. 

• OUTSIDE CATERING

IN THE SHORT TIME WE HAVE BEEN OPEN WE HAVE EXPANDED TO OUTSIDE CATERING EVENT. INCLUDING CHRISTMAS PARTIES, FESTIVALS AND WEDDINGS. WHEN WE PLAN THESE EVENTS SUSTAINABILITY IS STILL VERY MUCH PART OF OUR THOUGHT PROCESS. ONCE WE HAVE CONFIRMED THE MENU WE WILL LOOK AT WAYS TO SOURCE THE PRODUCE LOCALLY, AND SUSTAINABLY.  WE USE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE TO TAKE OUR FOOD TO OUR CUSTOMERS, AND TRY TO THINK OF WAYS AROUND USING TOO MUCH ENERGY, BY LOOKING AT MENU OPTIONS, AND ALTERNATIVE PRODUCE.  

• CURRENTLY  OUR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN ON BECOMING AN ACCREDITED MEMBER OF  THE SUSTAINABLE WEDDING ALLIANCE. ONCE WE HAVE ACHIEVED THIS IT WOULD MEAN  WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK TO REACHING OUR GOALS. IT ALSO SHOWS OUR COMMITMENT TO SHARE OUR JOURNEY WITH OTHER  IN A CLEAR TRANSPARENT EFFORT BY SHOWING OUR ACHIEVEMENTS AT THE SAME TIME RECOGNISING WE MAY NEED TO  CHANGE SOME GOALS TO EXTERNAL INFLUENCES THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO ADAPT OUR ORIGINAL THOUGHT PROCESSES IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW WITH NEW SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS. 
• ANOTHER SHORT TERM GOAL HAS BEEN FOR WOODIES TO PARTNER WITH THE JUST EAT PLATFORM. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO EXTEND OUR TAKE AWAY BUSINESS, TO REACH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY CURRENTLY UNABLE TO  TRAVEL TO US.  THIS NEW PARTNERSHIP ALLOWS  US TO SHOWCASE OUR MENU, WHILE  AT THE SAME TIME DELIVERING OUR FOOD IN SUSTAINABLE WAY. THIS HAS INCLUDED EFFORTS TO SOURCE COMPOSTABLE, AND RECYCLABLE PACKAGING AS WELL AS USING RENEWABLE ENERGY TO DELIVER OUR PRODUCTS. 
• LONG TERM GOAL WOULD BE TO  HAVE ALL COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING
• CREATE OUR OWN RENEWABLE ENERGY.
•  EXPAND OUR PRODUCE GROWTH
• CONTINUE TO GROW OUR DIRECTORY OF PARTNERSHIPS  WITH NEW  BUSINESS AND SUPPLIERS TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS AT SOURCING AND CREATING MORE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES.