The winners of the EADT Business Awards 2024 have been announced and the Bildeston Crown, near Hadleigh, has been named winner of the Environmental & Sustainability Award, sponsored by EastWind.

The Bildeston Crown is a 15th century former coaching inn, now operating as a three AA Rosette restaurant, hotel and bar.

The 12-bedroom hotel oozes country charm throughout each uniquely decorated room, while the produce used in the restaurant is grown around a mile away at Nedging Hall. From beetroot to beef, the restaurant prides itself on keeping its offering seasonal and local.

Its ‘estate-to-plate’ concept and delicious food and drink offering led to the restaurant being included among 32 other Suffolk restaurants in the prestigious AA Restaurant Guide 2023.

The Bildeston Crown has developed its green strategy to ensure it is sustainable and has implemented a ‘no waste’ initiative as well as a ‘closing the circle’ programme, which sees barley grown on the estate used for brewing and the spent grains used to feed the beef used in dishes. 

It also gives staff input into sustainability practices and has put some of their ideas in place.

The judges were impressed by the Crown’s “commitment” to sustainable practices and said: “It’s great to see this hotel, bar and restaurant thriving in what is, and has been for several years, a very challenging market.”

They went on to say that “sustainability is at the forefront of everything it does” and its focus on homegrown food “shows how local businesses can provide the very best offering while supporting the local economy and protecting local jobs”.

They concluded by saying that the Crown “really is more than just a pub/restaurant” and that its wider impact on the environment is “clearly apparent”.  

Charlie Buckle, owner of the Bildeston Crown, said: “We’re really proud to have won. It’s a huge achievement.

“The whole team have pulled together and it [winning] doesn’t happen from the two of us coming here; it’s from the ground up. Everyone, from the start of the day to the end of the day, is committed to the environment and the sustainability of everything we do.”

The finalists

Suffolk New College
Suffolk New College in Ipswich is an award-winning regional business with a national reputation as a provider of education, training and apprenticeships.

The judges praised the college’s “strong strategy for environmental and sustainable practices”, and said it is going “above and beyond in terms of adding sustainability to its learning agenda”.

University Of Suffolk
The University of Suffolk (UoS), located in Ipswich, is committed to the advancement of sustainability in education and research, as well as pioneering new technologies and operational management programmes.

The judges said “it was good to see the mix of business ambition and education ambition in terms of sustainability” at UoS.

Vertas Group
Ipswich-based Vertas Group provides a range of services, including integrated facilities management, recruitment and environmental waste and recycling solutions.

The judges liked that Vertas has appointed sustainability champions to engage with staff about sustainability and said that “sustainability and the environment are a priority for the group”.

About the sponsor

The EastWind cluster, established in 2021, will drive the implementation of the Offshore Wind Sector Deal (OWSD) objectives as they relate to the eastern region. It represents and gives a single voice to operators, developers, local government and the supply chain across the east.

As a voice for the region’s offshore wind sector, EastWind raises awareness of the industry and the opportunities it presents the wider community, both locally and nationally. The cluster represents a platform for anyone interested in the sector to join and support the industry’s growth.

Find out more about all of the winners here.

For more information on next year's EADT Business Awards, please keep your eyes peeled for updates at eadtbusinessawards.co.uk