GBPA 2024: Best Sustainable Pub – the Pig’s Head, Clapham, south-west London

The pub has a strict philosophy when it comes to suppliers, only working with those who meet their high credentials at the heart of the business.

With its own organic kitchen garden in Kent, the Pig’s Head works primarily with regenerative farms to purchase whole native-breed animals that are butchered on site to ensure a true farm to fork ethos.

But this wasn’t the only food waste reduction policy that impressed judges, many items that would usually be thrown away are repurposed such as potato skins being turned into crisps, and seasonal fruit and vegetables grown in the kitchen garden are pickled and fermented.

Waste monitoring​

Food waste from plates is monitored through a dedicated bin enabling the pub to make necessary adjustments accordingly.

Also in this area, food waste that would usually be sent for industrial composting is composted on site, the output of which is offered to guests and used in the kitchen garden.

Outside of the pub’s food offer, its drinks range is just as environmentally friendly with a big focus on offering many on tap, replacing a huge number of glass bottles and cutting the amount of packaging, transport emissions and glass waste.

The Clapham site was certified carbon neutral last year and has big aims to be net zero as soon as possible, hence its focus on supply chain.

Strong category​

Furthermore, the large majority of the furniture alongside fixtures and fittings are second hand including reclaimed timber cladding the walls of the dining room as well as vintage tables, chairs and décor.

Guests are given the opportunity to offset their meal with a voluntary donation, which plants a fruit tree on their behalf via a partnership with Carbon Friendly Dining and Gift Trees.

Since the Pig’s Head opened three years ago, visitors have planted more than 23,000 trees.

These initiatives and more wowed the judges in what was a particularly strong category, making the Pig’s Head a worthy winner of the Best Sustainable Pub award.