Best Sustainable Pub in the UK 2023

Solar panels on the roof provide 25% of the energy needed to run both the brewery and the taproom, and the remainder is all from renewable sources. Rainwater is collected and channelled into a system that flushes the toilets.

Alongside the brewery’s own beers, other food and drink is, as much as possible, organic and sourced locally from suppliers that share Stroud’s ethos. The company champions cask ale as the most sustainable beer, and even the crisp packets are compostable.

Sense of community

Most recently, the taproom’s EPoS system has been reprogrammed to track sales of organic and local products and measure its performance against ambitious targets. Stroud is B-Corp certified, too, meaning its efforts to balance profits with being a force for good are regularly assessed.

And the business takes the notion of sustainability to another level, not only promoting carbon reduction and biodiversity but working to create and deepen a sense of community among local people.

Greg Pilley believes that rather than expressing their identity through buying things, people can achieve the same satisfaction through social interaction, and pubs therefore have a vital role to play in changing behaviours to lessen the impact on the environment.

Raising the bar

That means there’s always lots going on in the taproom, from the moment it opens at 10am every morning. You might stumble on painting parties, dance classes and yoga, or film clubs, folk music and food pop-ups.

Stroud Brewery is raising the bar when it comes to doing the right thing, and it’s doing it as a thriving business at the heart of its community.