Our Eco Journey
%20(1).png)
Eco Packaging
We are constantly on the lookout for environmentally friendly packaging. We use Biopak because they sell a clam-shell made from sugar-cane pulp (a waste by-product of the sugar-refining industry) and the cups have a bio-plastic lid and lining made from plants and not oil. The Deluxe and Family tea boxes are from Purple Planet Supplies with vegetable see-through tops and compostable cardboard. Our compostable napkins are from Bookers eco range and the wooden cutlery and the wood is from FSC approved manufacturers. Our aim is to leave each event with less than one bag of land-fill waste. Ideally, we want to be able to compost all used packaging and left over food apart from milk-products. We reuse the tiny jars for jam and either give these to Jam-Packed Preserves to refill or reuse them for our own jams. These are cleaned at high temperatures prior to being refilled to ensure that there is no cross-contamination.
Ingredients
We are committed to buying Surrey-made ingredients wherever possible. We love to get to know the owners and find out about where the food is produced. So far, we have managed to source our jams from Jam Packed Preserves and Hot Pods produce a gorgeous chilli jam and chilli sauces. Following the sad news that Libby's Larder have stopped producing clotted cream, we are currently researching a raw milk supplier to make our own clotted cream. We already make our own vegan cashew cream to go with our vegan cream tea. This has significantly reduced our carbon footprint. We have found a brilliant small business, Tealicious, for ordering our tea leaves. They source the tea leaves ethically by getting to know the farmers and they deliver the tea leaves in plastic-free packaging. We found this company through www.bareandfair.co who sell and promote ethical, environmentally-friendly and plastic-free goods. Our hot chocolate and some of our coffee beans come from Bare and Fair to ensure that all packaging is plastic-free. Finally, we are on the look out for for locally produced cheese and milk for our tea boxes. We get our milk from Milk and More in glass bottles but, so far, have not managed to find plastic-free cheese.
Customers
You may have noticed that we do not sell water in plastic bottles. We do, however, have access to water and will supply water while we have it if you have a refillable container. We always encourage our customers to bring their own containers and drinking cups to further reduce the need for single-use packaging. It's a long journey to waste-free living and, while many customers do not currently bring their own containers, we will keep making an effort to spread the word.
Need more information?
Contact Mel who will happily help.