Published on February 24, 2023.
Time to get sustainable.
Greensand Ridge is committed to bringing their customers a distillery with ground-breaking sustainable achievements and an ‘ultra-low’ impact on the environment.
As the first distillery in the UK to be completely carbon-neutral at all distillery operations, Greensand Ridge endeavour to have a light touch on the lands, document all emissions in the supply chain, and assess and offset with carbon credits. They have achieved a Master classification in green initiatives from the Spirit Business.
Will Edge, Founder and Owner of Greensand Ridge, believes that sustainability should be a given with any business and that is what he had on the forefront of his mind when building his distillery. He states that ‘Building a sustainable business reflects a belief that any business should be run sustainably by default.’
One of the things they are doing to reduce their carbon footprint is mitigating food waste. Making most of their spirits from the surplus produce from local farmers or local food systems. The spirits are, therefore, dictated by what is available. They also use 100% renewable power to power their stills and equipment. From the distilling operations to the bottling line, they are all powered by green electricity. Even the still is powered by electricity, instead of a gas steam boiler. It is a more expensive way of operating; however, they believe the ’fossil fuels have to remain in the ground’.
The distillery not only focuses on what produce is taken in, but also on what waste is produced going out. Their organic waste feeds local boar and the total non-recyclable waste output is one black bin bag every 6-8 weeks. Greensand Ridge does not use non-biodegradable chemicals and only uses plant-based plastic when plastic is absolutely necessary. In 2020, they built a pond which enabled them to have a closed-loop cooling system, reducing water, power and salt usage as well as hosting a natural habitat for local wildlife.
Creating a Gin which reflects our region’s flavours meant assessing the flavour profiles of over 30 indigenous botanicals. We selected eight local botanicals which each brings an important character to our Gin, all of which can be found growing wild around our distillery. We marry these with seven classic botanicals which bring resinous, spicy and citrus characters to the lineup.
Our Raspberry Ghost is a delicious Eau de Vie that captures the aroma of ripe Kentish raspberries. Drunk as a gin with tonic, the delicate raspberry flavour bursts onto the palate and endures long into the finish.
A delicate and beautifully perfumed spirit, our cask-aged Apple Brandy is created from quality surplus apples from fruit growers in the Weald of Kent and Sussex. The true whisky of the Weald.
A delicate and smooth Rum with a floral nose, giving way to subtle honeycomb and roast cobnuts on the palate.
Share this article
About the author
Chloe Lewis
Chloe looks after all copywriting and proof-reading for Drink Warehouse UK, working with the Marketing team to deliver educational content to all our customers. She has spent many years in the hospitality sector, moving from behind the bar to now helping venues to stock their own. You can find more from Chloe about beer, cider, spirits, wine, non-alcoholic, soft drinks and RTDs all over our blogs, website, social media and Set The Bar magazine.
Click here to receive the latest and greatest promotions, new products, competitions and so much more straight to your inbox.
