It's not just a promise - it's how we operate
Future First Charter
At The Venues Collection, we’re passionate about creating exceptional experiences for every guest who walks through our doors. However, our responsibility goes beyond hospitality, we’re committed to making a positive impact on our guests, our teams and the planet.
Doing the right thing for people and planet isn’t just a promise; it’s how we operate every day.
We have four commitments to planet & people:
We ‘Swap at Scale’ – making climate conscious ingredient switches on a grand scale – possibly the most ambitious in the industry.
We ‘Source in Season’ - choosing fresh produce that is grown and served in the same country, wherever possible. We have banned air freight.
We ‘Avoid Surplus’ - preventing waste where we can.
We ‘Stir the Pot’ - sharing our success stories to inspire action from others.
Under ‘People’ and ‘Planet’ we are tackling the challenges of tomorrow through three strategic pillars of Nature, Environment and Health.
Our planet
Nature: it's all about the food
We craft menus that are responsibly sourced, plant-forward, and designed to reduce waste, all with carbon footprint transparency.
Our Actions in Action:
We prioritise plant-forward, with a choice of great-tasting alternative proteins. We aim for 60% of menus will be vegan, vegetarian, or plant-forward.
(A plant-forward recipe is one which prioritises plant ingredients e.g. vegetables, fruits, legume, and grains but doesn’t necessarily eliminate all animal-based foods. For a recipe to be defined as plant-forward, at least 50% of what would typically be an animal ingredient, is a plant ingredient. For example, the 120g of chicken in a typical chicken pie, is instead 60g chicken, 60g mushrooms).We believe in ethical sourcing. All red meat is sourced from the UK&I. Our teas and coffees come from responsible suppliers. Our chocolate is Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified.
Only Marine Conservation Society ‘1’ to ‘3’ rated seafood is on our menus.
Plant-based desserts across all venues – we won an award for it in 2024!
Our Planet
Nature: it's all about the food
Our Actions in Action:
No airfreight, prioritising fresh seasonal products.
Carbon labelling through Foodsteps.
Collaborating with social enterprises for specialty items like Rubies in the Rubble condiments.
Strategic supply switches that are better for you and the planet including Wild Farmed Flour, Glebe Farm Oat Milk and Chalk Stream Trout.
Partnerships with Ings Farm Biohub for regenerative farming.
We aim for 10% beef and lamb reduction year on year switching to products like venison which is a healthier and more sustainable protein option
We record food waste on a daily basis to help us manage and control.
Inclusive low and no alcoholic beverages available at every venue.
Our ‘Meetings for Change’ and ‘Better Banquets’ packages make it easier for customers to buy sustainable and inclusive events.
Our Planet
Environment: Prioritising our planet
Our venues run on 100% certified renewable gas and electricity, and we have a zero waste to landfill policy.
Our Actions in Action:
Daily room service on request only – saving water and energy.
Solar powered EV charging points to be installed across venues to reduce reliance on the grid.
Waste segregation bins are at every venue, to improve our recycling process.
Where possible we use eco-friendly cleaning products to minimise the effect on local ecosystems of chemicals being flushed into waterways.
Aerated compost systems turning food and paper waste into compost.
Wildflower areas, insect hotels and bat boxes to support local ecosystems.
CHP units installed at all venues to generating heat and power simultaneously, while reducing carbon emissions.
Voltage optimising systems are in place to reduce carbon emissions.
Installation of solar energy panels to reduce the use of other energy sources that have larger effects on the environment.
Live energy monitoring dashboard in place across all venues, to audit and reduce energy usage on site.
Our People
Healthier, happy teams
We care for our teams with nutritious meals, fair pay, and wellbeing support.
Our Actions in Action:
Real Living Wage employer.
Hot meals every shift.
Enhanced annual leave, plus their birthday day off.
Medicash & Aviva Digicare healthcare programme.
Access to an exclusive benefits and wellbeing platforms.
Rolling out the red carpet to recognise our teams with employee of the month recognition and ‘Be a Star’ awards.
Enhanced family leave.
Free Fiit Access for every team member which includes thousands of workouts, challenges, training plans and perks.
Community & charity
Our Actions in Action:
We give back through volunteering for causes that matter. For example, we share coffee grounds with local allotments and community gardens to enrich their soil. Each venue also supports a local charity, project or school through hours volunteered.
Our venue charities
Eastwood Hall: Base 51
Base 51 support the mental wellbeing for young people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Eastwood Hall are committed to supporting Base 51 through fundraising, including quizes and fun runs!
Sedgebrook Hall: Hope Northampton
Hope Northampton are an anti-poverty charity, providing immediate crisis support, such as hot meals, clothes, and showers.
Since 2019 Sedgebrook Hall have supported this amazing charity through volunteering and charity walks.
Milton Hill House: Play2Give
Play2Give work for the public benefit, providing relief and assistance to those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or any other disadvantage within Oxfordshire and the surrounding area, with the provision of financial or material aid.
Milton Hill House support Play2Give by donating a percentage of bar revenue from annual events. The venue also provides raffle prizes for auctions, comp space at hotel and discounted rates.
Yarnfield Park: Alice Charity
Alice Charity supports vulnerable, low-income families in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme.
From fun in‑house competitions to food donations the dedicated team at Yarnfield Park are committed to making a real difference all year round.
Kents Hill Park: Samuel's Charity
Samuel's Charity support seriously and terminally ill children, in hospital and at home, across the UK.
Kents Hill Park will be hosting their annual summer event this year, with various members of our team supporting various fundraising activities across the year.
Our People
Inclusion & belonging
Our Actions in Action:
We celebrate diversity and create spaces where everyone thrives.
The following networks are available for all our team members to join and support regular initiatives.
‘You Matter’ health and wellbeing network.
‘Pride in Food’ LGBTQ+ network.
‘Ability Network’ disability network.
‘Women in Food’ women at work network.
‘Within’ race, faith & culture network.
Governance
How we measure and manage
We ensure transparency and accountability through ambitious targets, rigorous tracking and audits.
Our Actions in Action:
Dedicated estates manager leading sustainability strategy and a venue sustainability manager and food waste champion in each venue.
Regular sustainability reviews and dashboards. For more specific information please ask our venue General Manager.
All venues are already accredited with Green Meetings and in 2026 will have Ecosmart certification.
Annual and pulse team member surveys.
Accreditations
