Sustainability

All of us here at The Cottage feel very lucky to live and work where we do; an area of outstanding beauty and legacy. As such, we share an ideology that here is a place to be cherished for the now as well as for the future. So, in all capacities we develop, create and strive to be mindful of the environmental impact that we have as a business. Our bar and kitchen work symbiotically so produce that may not be needed or at risk of being wasted are given a new life as condiments or garnishes. Both food and drink menus are developed to make the most of the season, a practice which allows us to exhibit and support the work of smaller local growers and producers, as well as minimises our food miles footprint or reliance on imported products.

 

It started with a beetroot. 

It may seem a strange leap to associate our sustainability practices with the humble beetroot, but ask our chefs and that’s the answer you’ll get. It’s a philosophy for making our ingredients work as hard as possible by using them in as many ways as possible. Our cured trout dish is the example. The beetroot transformed from juice to cure, pulp to XO, reduction to dressing, all featured on the plate we set down for our guests. It extended beyond one dish and into the idea that the same could be done with just about anything that we brought to The Cottage. Produce trims to powders, excesses to vinegars, rinds to purees. Proteins to sauces, stocks, consommé and tartare. The effects are threefold; increased value for our guests, inspired creativity, and minimising our eco-footprint.

There are no by-products, just another product.

Our menus are printed on 100% recycled paper with reclaimed hops from Pope’s Yard Brewery. The process is completely chlorine free and cut using the world’s first mechanised paper making machine. We encourage our guests to take these home as an eco-conscious keepsake of their time with us. 

Many of our alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks started life as ingredients in the kitchen. With the idea that there really is no such thing as a by-product we produce kombuchas, syrups and scrubs to use on the bar. 

We are working towards having our own selection of herbs, vegetables, and fruit grown on site. Reducing our food miles and any packing that comes with it, providing pollinators and guests with flowers and allowing us to only pick what we need to use for each service.

Clean Cottage, Clean Planet

As part of our efforts to make The Cottage an eco-conscious business, we have begun using soluCLEAN to keep everything spotless for our guests.

The team created a range of products that have eliminated single use plastics and were the first to do it for the commercial cleaning market.

soluCLEAN then went on to release a wider range of products using an industry first; a synthetic water-soluble film to wrap their chemical concentrates in. This allows us to use a quality cleaner, without jeopardising our off-grid water supply and eliminate single use plastics from our business as a whole.

Beetroot negroni

Beyond the Kitchen

Our filtration system allows us to serve water straight from our fell side spring here on Magic Hill. This allows us to refill fresh water each time in our own glass bottles and eliminates keeping bottled water stock. 

The Cottage’s sustainable efforts don’t stop there. Some of our other regenerative and sustainable practices are;

  • Organic wines
  • Closed loop cocktails
  • Toilet paper made from bamboo
  • No single use packaging in rooms
  • Nothing goes to landfill
  • Compostable vac-bags to maintain freshness of ingredients 

 

A Moment for Our Suppliers

We feel very privileged to be surrounded by talented producers and suppliers so let’s take a moment for the experts on our doorstep; 

Thornby Moor Dairy, Carvetii Coffee, The Lakes Distillery, Bath House, Cartmel Valley Game, Winter Tarn Dairy, Yew Tree Farm, Scales Farm, Low Stanger Farm, Tirril Brewery, Lakes Brew Co., Grapevine, Wombat, Milestone, Bird’s Bistro, R&J Butchers and log deliveries from arborist Peter Sibson. 

And then our suppliers further afield;
Modal Wines, Hodgson Fish, Flying Fish, Roebuck Estates, Chaos Create, Courtyard Dairy, Buon Vino, Hospitality Action, WhoGivesACrap, Olverum, Green Stationery Company, Olleco.