The green rolling hills of Gloucestershire’s five valleys are now, fittingly, home to the UK’s Sustainable Pub of the Year 2023 – with Stroud Brewery clinching the title in this year’s Great British Pub Awards.
Celebrating British pubs, the national industry awards were held in Manchester on Tuesday 19 September 2023, with Stroud Brewery’s founder and managing director Greg Pilley and taproom manager Ben Hudson both there to accept the award.
After beating the rest of the country’s pubs through two tough rounds of judging and interviews, the win has been described as not only fantastic recognition for the brewery, but also for how it is possible to run a successful business whilst doing what’s right for people and the planet and making a positive change in the community.
Pilley said: ‘Since the early days of the brewery, we've wanted to use the way we do business as a way of doing good – not only reducing our environmental impact but going further and regenerating nature and the environment that sustains us all.’
Doing business and caring for the environment are not at odds with each other, with the founder suggesting: ‘It’s a win-win for businesses – being more sustainable can reduce costs by reducing waste, reducing energy use and attracting more customers… people want to spend their money with companies which they see are being responsible. With the cost of living crisis meaning people are going out less, being more sustainable is a great way to attract them.’
Stroud Brewery was the first brewery in the UK to be certified as both organic and a B Corp, plus the Gloucestershire pioneer is also helping other pubs start on their sustainability journey, with its Sustainability in Pubs: Getting Started campaign.
The Sustainable Pub of the Year is the latest in a string of awards for Stroud Brewery, which in 2023 has also included winning SGGLA Pub / Bar of the Year 2023, winning gold in the SIBA Independent Beer Awards, and making the finals of the SGGBA Green Business of the Year, with the winner announced in October 2023.
