Sustainability has evolved from mere jargon to an ingrained way of life. From limiting emissions to condemning fast fashion, the world is actively trying to reduce its overall carbon footprint. The pub industry in London is no exception.

To understand what could make a pub earn the title of sustainable, I visited Dover Yard—a hotel bar making headlines for its extensive focus on sustainability. As soon as I walk in, a circular artwork made entirely of plastic collected from Brighton beaches catches my eye. Why would a five-star hotel even bother trying to make trash look classy?

“We want to try to give everything here a second life,” says the Head Bartender Marco Grisafi. Even the uniforms worn by hotel employees are made entirely of recycled material—ironic considering all of the guests were dressed head-to-toe in the latest designer clothes.

Marco has a wide grin as he walks me through the entire process for each of their carefully crafted drinks. The leftover coffee grounds from the hotel cafe, Neighbours, are pressed to extract oil for their unique Bordeaux coffee liqueur. The leftover champagne from bottle service is mixed with spices to turn into Vermouth for their champ martini. For Marco, “the guest always comes first,” so finding a combination of sustainability and customer experience is a “very strange” but necessary challenge.

Sustainability is not only for five-star hotel bars, though. All pubs require energy to keep drinks chilled and the lights on late. The British Beer & Pub Association calculated that “changing interior lighting from traditional light bulbs to LED can save up to £2,000 a year” and “a poorly insulated cellar can cost up to £300 extra in electricity to cool.” Incorporating sustainability into regular management conversations saves establishments thousands of pounds yearly while keeping up with customer demands.

The UK pub giant Mitchells & Butlers does just that. They were awarded Best Sustainable Pub Company in 2023 by Publican Magazine despite juggling over 1,700 independent pubs in the UK. While it is difficult to universalize across all of their pubs, Mitchells & Butlers focuses on conducting sustainability due diligence for about 300 of their pubs every year. The improvements are then incorporated into their yearly ESG reports outlining the progress of their sustainability initiatives. While the approach to sustainability varies depending on the drive of staff and funding available, M&B continuously pushes all of their pubs to achieve the same goals.

Pubs have been at the heart of British culture since medieval times, serving as essential hubs of local life. Now, Dover Yard and Mitchells & Butlers are paving the way for a future where the integration of sustainability into tradition is not just expected but eagerly embraced.

At pubs like these, each toast is a celebration of greener pub culture. Cheers to that!