Luxury B & B in Exmoor
Sustainability
Some of the steps we have taken to reduce our impact on this earth
Food miles is the simplest method of reducing both impact and costs. We endeavour to buy as locally
as is practical – some examples include Tea and Coffee from Porlock, Bacon and Sausages from Timberscombe, Charcuterie from Exeter.
Re-use is better than re-cycle. Our waste products are re-used if possible – so the portion jam pots are washed in spare dishwasher space, and given to local artists who use them as tiny paint pots. Left over food is composted in our own Hot-Bin and used to feed the potted plants on the estate. Mushroom boxes are donated to local artists or used to carry items around the kitchen like trays
A Grade II listed building isn’t easy to heat, and is never going to be a Passiv Haus ! But we are doing what we can, draft proofing, chimney balloons, under floor and attic insulation with recycled cellulose, secondary glazing where possible, smart heating controls on each radiator.
Each bedroom has its own small fridge, ideal for a bottle of water, wine or milk. We provide fresh milk in re-useable glass bottles (no throw away plastic UHT here). Similarly, there is a re-useable 1 L water bottle in there too, our local water is very soft and very palatable.
We have an EV charger for overnight charging (sorry its only 4.5kW) for cars and next to the Bike Rack is a normal 13a outdoor socket for eBikes
Not only are glass water bottles that we provide (from Tarka, our nearest supplier) nicer than plastic, they don’t taint the water. Drinking Glasses are also provided in the rooms and bedrooms rather than disposable plastic tumblers.
Breakfast staples, tomatoes and mushrooms for example, are bought loose instead of wrapped in plastic.
We use re-fillable bottles in the bathrooms, having seen the staggering waste of small individual shampoo bottles stacking up. Now the pump-top bottles are re-filled from 5 litre bulk bottles, hugely reducing waste.
All lighting, inside, outside, even in the fridges, is low energy LED. The only exception is the bulbs inside the ovens as LEDs would melt!
As much as possible, everything is recycled – we have the kerbside recycling for bottles, cans and some paper, but it gets overloaded, so Biffa collect a huge wheelie bin full of dry mixed recycling every fortnight. We take this down the drive using our electric golf buggy.
