Green bed & breakfast in Cornwall

Sustainable, ethical, eco-friendly, responsible. All are loaded words that encapsulate a variety of activities and approaches to life. They can inspire visions of worthy, earnest people dressed in sack cloth living by candle light. However, at the simplest level, they describe the application of common sense to the knowledge that we are gleaning about how our actions affect the environment we live in.

Living sustainably, for us, means acting in way that helps to ensure the continued survival of the community and environment that supports us, so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. It also means fostering a sense of place by utilising what the immediate environment and community produce, minimising energy consumption, and minimising waste. It is about making our lives more rewarding and enjoyable, not more difficult. It can also save us a few pennies !

A different shade of green

We have received a GTBS Gold Award in recognition of the measures that we take, and were one of just ten B&Bs to have been shortlisted for the 2012 GTBS Goldstar Award, which recognises the top 2% of 2,400 accredited businesses nationwide.

As well as the general actions that we are taking, some of which many of us undertake daily ( sourcing local produce, growing our own fruit and vegetables, encouraging visitors to spend time in the immediate area rather than sit in the car all day, recycling, composting, monitoring energy use etc etc ), we have implemented some slightly more unusual initiatives. A few of our favourites are listed below.

Apple juice for breakfast

Since 2008 we have been collecting apples from within a 3 mile radius of our B&B to produce our own, unique apple juice for breakfast.

Salmon alternatives

Since 2010 we have offered a number of sustainable alternatives to smoked salmon on our award-winning breakfast menu. Read about why we do this, and the options available.

Unique blankets

In 2012 we commissioned Cornish wool blankets to be woven for all of our bed and breakfast bedrooms. This involved meeting people, discussing requirements, using fleece from animals wandering fields in this county, supporting skilled, UK craftspeople. Putting our money where our mouth is.

Visitor gifting

In 2008 we started asking guests to contribute a voluntary donation of 25p per night to a not-for-profit organisation based in the Tamar Valley, set up to foster awareness of the area's market gardening heritage, and to encourage a revival of that enterprise.

An efficient AGA ?

In 2009 we researched how to reduce our reconditioned AGA's running costs, and whether to invest in a fancy bit of kit. It took a bit of time, meant recording regular gas meter readings, but the investment has paid off.

100% waste paper

In 2008 we received a letter that kick-started a bit of detective work to track down a particular paper stock produced from 100% post consumer waste paper. Not just any old paper, mind, it had to be this particular one. This is a story about how, if you pick up the telephone and speak with people, ask questions, you will eventually find what you are looking for.