Together with Values and Compassion
Future First Charter
Milton Hill House is proud to be part of The Venues Collection, who operate a social purpose framework to make sure the impact we have on the world around us is a positive one.
We welcome thousands of guests through our doors every year so we have a responsibility to ensure The Venues Collection has a clear social purpose to better our planet and all the people we interact with.
We are more than just a collection of venues. This is why we created our Future First Charter, a framework to deliver our social purpose.
The charter outlines our commitments in 3 areas – each with its own measurable goals. Our commitments are integrally linked with our 3 brand pillars of great food, great service, great space. These areas are People Pledge, Food Focus & Enriching Environments.
Below you can see our 2023 commitments, check back soon for our 2024 promises.
People Pledge
We believe in inclusive working environments, where everyone can feel welcome and equally represented no matter what area of our business you work in. Everyone matters and everyone is valued. We listen to our guest feedback and want to make their visits as enjoyable as possible.
By the end of 2023 we will have:
Grown Talent in our Business
- Each of our venues will have welcomed a minimum of two apprentices to grow talent in our business
- Created and established a Centre of Excellence for each department of our business, supporting team members with additional learning and development opportunities and enhancing guest experiences
- Created a reward and recognition programme for team members which will reduce our labour turnover by 5% YOY.
- Our group guest feedback score will be 4 and above, out of a possible 5
Supported Diversity and Inclusion
- Each of our venues will have an active Diversity Ambassador
- All existing and new employees will complete ‘Sunflower’ training to support guests and colleagues with hidden or invisible disabilities
- Each venue and specialist areas will have a ‘Women in Food Ambassador’ to support a more inclusive culture in and out of the kitchen
- Each of our venues will have a minimum of one mental health first aid trained volunteer
Supported our Local Communities
- Each of our venues will have supported a local community or charity, that has been nominated by employees
Food Focus
Food is at the heart of everything we do. From careful consideration of our supply chain through to the diner experience, each aspect supports eating better for the environment, our health, animal welfare and support local communities.
Our recently launched ‘Meetings for Change’ package allows our venues to be eco-conscious when creating menus for customers that have a friendlier impact on our environment.
To support our Net Zero targets, since 2022, ‘Menus for change’ has shown our carbon footprint and sourcing information. To help us achieve this we carbon label our food to help raise awareness of how our eating habits affect the climate and empower everyone to make more informed food choices.
By the end of 2023 we will have:
Minimised Food Waste
- Zero food waste – no matter what we’re cooking, our approach is ‘root to stem, nose to tail.’ We measure and monitor all waste removed from site e.g:
- 100% of our food waste will go to anaerobic digestion, to produce green gas
- 100% of our used cooking oil will go to produce bio diesel
Supported Animal Welfare and Reduced our Carbon Emissions
- We will continue to use Red Tractor assured chicken and milk, so you know these ingredients have been responsibly sourced, safely produced and come from crops and animals that have been well cared for – so it’s good for you and good for British farmers
- We will continue to display the carbon footprint of our dishes, helping guests to make educated, climate-friendly choices.
- We will continue to eliminate the use of any air freight ingredients to actively reduce our carbon impact
- 80% of the ingredients we use in our menus will continue to be British grown, with less food miles
- At least 50% of our menus will continue to be plant-forward, with a great choice of alternative proteins
- All our desserts will be dairy free to reduce our impact on greenhouse gas emissions
- We will report monthly on our Restaurant, Bar & Lounge C02 emissions, to create an offsetting action plan to reduce our Co2 emissions by 0.5kg per meal served
Enriching Environments
These commitments benefit everyone; for our employees, an enriching place to work; for our guests, flexible, sustainable spaces to meet, sleep and celebrate; for our planet, considered actions and activities to support the wellbeing and future of the planet.
By the end of 2023 we will have:
Reduced the Impact of our Facilities
- We will have zero waste going to landfill, which will mean that all waste produced is either reused, recycled, composted, or sent to energy recovery
- We will build a concept ‘off-grid’ meeting space at a chosen venue from the collection to offer an alternative energy source and help to keep the environment clean
- We will have installed energy monitoring on all sites, to design an energy reduction strategy for each site
- We will have installed water saving measures at many of our sites, which will reduce the water we use by 460,000 litres of water per year
- We will continue to measure and monitor all waste removed from site, to create an offsetting action plan
- We will have recycled over 50% of our overall waste and are committed to increase this year on year
- Create a static aerated compost system at one of our venues, with a plan to roll out to all venues
Supported Natural Eco-systems
- We will have maintained native hedgerows and woodland and created areas to grow wildflowers and meadow grass to support wildlife
- Many of our venues will have, bat boxes, bird boxes, insect hotels, and beehives
- Our venues will continue to offer free coffee grounds to local allotments and community growing projects as waste coffee grinds make excellent additions to soil and compost (subject to availability)
- Supported our sister company, Levy UK, with their Bio Hub Farm initiative, which will help educate current and future generations of chefs and farmers on sustainable farming practices
Facilitated Alternative Travel Options
- The Venues Collection will be the first hotel group in the UK to roll out solar electric vehicle charging points at all its venues. The roll out has started at our sister venues, with Milton Hill Houses’ install planned for 2024.
- Encouraged the use of more environmentally friendly means of travelling to and from our venues.
Support Helen & Douglas House Hospice
We have chosen Helen & Douglas as our chosen charity as they do an amazing job supporting and caring for terminally ill children as well as supporting local families in our surrounding communities.
Helen & Douglas House Hospice improves the lives of local terminally ill children and their families living in Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties. They are the world’s first children’s hospice and provide individualised respite and end-of-life care in the hospice, at home and in the hospital. Their amazing care makes it possible for local families to create happy memories with their loved ones to last forever. Helen & Douglas aim to raise £3.6 million each year to care for local terminally ill children.
This is Nathan, one of the children that visit Helen & Douglas Hospice enjoying arts and crafts with one of the care team volunteers, Hilary.
Learn More About Helen & Douglas Hospice
Meetings for Change
The Venues Collection recognise the risks posed to the planet from climate change and that the consequences of this change are being felt by people all around the world, that’s why, as part of our Future First Charter we created ‘Meetings for Change’.
For all our meeting, conference and events
We believe in using fresh, seasonal products
We aim that 80% of ingredients on our menus are to be British grown. All the chicken and milk we serve is Red Tractor assured.
We believe in the power of plants
We offer plant-forward menus, with a choice of great-tasting alternative proteins.
We believe in zero waste
Whatever we’re cooking for your meeting or event our approach is root-to-stem, nose-to-tail. We use recycled and reusable packaging wherever we can.
We believe in ethical sourcing
Our teas and coffees come from responsible suppliers. Our chocolate is Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified.
We believe in protecting our planet
Our climate promise is to reach Net Zero by 2030
For more information please speak to one of our venue experts.
Green Accreditation
We’re delighted all our venues have achieved the ‘silver’ level in the Green Tourism ‘Green Meetings’ Standard – the world’s largest sustainable certification programme.
This accreditation covers waste management, recycling, energy, water conservation, and much more.
We’ve not stopped there! We’re working hard on our green journey to achieve the ‘gold’ standard, supported by our ‘Future First Charter’.
