Sustainability

There is no Planet B

Our Mission

We have been committed to sustainable practices from day one at Farncombe, with B Corp Certification as the next destination on our journey. We are dedicated to doing better for people and the planet, including the environment around us, our team, and our suppliers. We are the custodians of 500 acres of Cotswold countryside and will do all we can to protect it. And whilst we will never be perfect, we will always do the best we possibly can to make a real difference. We pride ourselves on innovation and creativity. Our team is working each day to create an eco-conscious foundation for future generations.

The Planet
We strive to protect our Estate and the environment with positive action

Giving Back
Since 2020, we have donated over £60k to charity

Our Suppliers
We prioritise local suppliers and produce from within the UK

Local Employment
75% of our team live within 20 miles

Our People
We are dedicated to the support of our teams and value their contributions.

Our commitment to the Planet

Being the guardians of a 500-acre estate gives us a huge opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment around us. And with great power, comes great responsibility…
Farncombe Estate

Zero to landfill
In the past three years, we have sent 0% of our waste to landfill. Instead, we recycle 75% of all our waste and the remaining 25% goes directly to a waste incineration plant to generate electricity.

All our food waste goes directly to our close neighbours at Northwick Park, who have an anaerobic digester used to generate green electricity.

Reporting on energy use
We individually metre each building for gas, water and electricity usage. We also monitor high-energy use areas such as our spa and kitchens to look for irregularities. To comply with the UK Government Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) and Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) we audit the energy used by our buildings and report on our energy use. All these activities provide valuable data on our overall and individual building performance, as well as details on wood fuel, business miles travelled and fuel use for plant, equipment and generators.

Plant what we print
We’re committed to our tree planting programme where we plant what we print. Simple right? Our IT gurus diligently track monitor how many trees we use through print and for every tree we use, we plant a new tree in its place.

Creating a fully electric fleet
Our aim is to completely replace all diesel vehicles to a fully-electric fleet, so everyone can enjoy giving back to the environment during their stay. We have 17 electric charging ports at our hotels and we use Hybrid cars to help our guests travel around the Estate.

Preserving future wildlife
We’re happy to say that we have joined the Countryside Stewardship Scheme to support our projects on preserving insect life, animal protection and organic farming. We are currently working on a wildflower project and we have committed to rewilding 56 acres of former farmland, as well as leaving our hedgerows to flourish to promote further wildlife growth.

Giving back

From sponsoring our local schools and sports teams, pledging 100 hours volunteering to charity a year, fundraising for Hospitality Action to working with the Living wage foundation, we strive to repay those who support us most.
Farncombe Estate
Private dining

Proud supporters of Hospitality Action and Room to Reward

We have donated £60k since 2020 to our chosen charity Hospitality Action offers support to those working in the hospitality industry.

We also donate rooms to Room to Reward, which offers community heroes a well-earned break.

Match-funding and giving to local charities
As money is raised for our charities, Farncombe matches it. Plus, we give our teams the chance to choose a local charity and we donate half of the funds raised to their chosen cause.

Recently our HR team organised a Christmas Raffle, which raised a  £1167 for charity, as a company we matched that amount twice donating  £1167 to Hospitality Action and another £1167 to our local Dog’s Trust.

Supporting local

We prioritise local suppliers and source fresh produce from within the UK, reducing the carbon footprint of our food miles and offering our guests a responsibly sourced supper, lovingly created using fresh produce from sustainable sources.
MO gourmet food

Promoting local suppliers
Among our 23 main food and beverage suppliers, 13 are situated within a 50-mile radius, while all but two are located within 150 miles of the estate. Where possible, we prioritise local suppliers. Billy’s Eggs is a good example of a small local business that we gladly pay above market value to support the community.

Seasonal and local ingredients
Given the reputation of our restaurants, the high expectations of our guests, and the criteria for our AA accolades, a substantial 75% of our menus feature seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Many of the ingredients on the menus at Dormy House are also home-grown in the garden.

Our commitment to sustainability
We only use credited suppliers who are highly recommended or have a well-established reputation in the industry and favour suppliers and brands that themselves have achieved B Corp status. We ask all suppliers to agree to our code of conduct and make sure they are eco-conscious and share our values.

Sustainable and responsible sourcing
We buy all our fish and shellfish from Flying Fish, a company that is part of the Cornish Seafood Guide and follow MSC Fisheries Standards. Hook restaurant at The Fish is the only restaurant to be a member of the Cornish Seafood Guide outside of Cornwall. All our coffee and chocolate is sourced from Fair Trade suppliers and 95% of our meat is British.

Creating local employment

As a large business in a rural area, our workforce is deeply rooted in the local community and we are committed to supporting the local economy.
Farncombe Estate

75% of our employees live within 20 miles 
We are proud to have a workforce that is deeply rooted in our local community. The majority of our employees, 75%, live within a 20-mile radius of Farncombe, helping to foster a strong sense of community and support the local economy and reduced miles travelled to work.

Bridging the transportation gap
Due to the rural nature of the estate and limited public transport, we run our own shuttle service from Evesham and Broadway. This provides a reliable transport solution for those who do not have their own means of getting to work.

Support through on-site accommodation
17% of employees, live on-site. The availability of our on-site accommodation has also enabled us to extend support to vulnerable job applicants who may not have secure local accommodation, but now have a roof over their heads, receive meals while on duty and are provided with a well-paid job opportunity, to help stabilise their future.

Supporting our people

It is our belief that family cares for each other, and we strive to give as much as we get, so we are dedicated to the support of our teams and value their contributions.
Farncombe Estate

Providing a living wage for all
We ensure that 100% of our employees receive the living wage, as opposed to the minimum wage. This commitment reflects our dedication to our team and fosters a working environment that values their contributions.

Contacts for security and a healthy work-life balance
Contractually, 93% of our team are on permanent contracts, with 75% choosing to work full-time and the remaining 25% preferring part-time hours to effectively manage their work/life balance.

Investing in the future of hospitality
We work closely with three colleges – Gloscol, Swindon and Cardiff. Our Estate Culinary Director, Martin Burge, commits four days a year to each college, running masterclasses for the students, so they get to work with a chef from the industry and learn new skills. We also bring some of the students on-site for work experience weeks.

Training our teams
We offer job skills training across our Estate and actively encourage employees to gain as much experience as they can from other hotels and departments. We also sponsor many other recognised external qualifications, from Accountancy to Payroll, HR, Counselling, Mental Health First Aid, Wine Knowledge (Wines and Spirits Education Trust), the Master Innholders Aspiring Leaders Diploma, Painting & Decorating and Plumbing.

You’re hired…
We actively try to hire and support apprentices. Once recruited our apprentices are paid the full Living Wage, the same as the rest of our team. We also offer internal apprenticeships to our current team and have a cohort of approximately 16 apprentices each year working from Level 2 to level 7, so that employees can continue to gain recognised qualifications while at work.