Being environmentally-friendly and mindful is a team effort. That’s why we require our suppliers to provide details of their green and sustainability policies. We want to work with businesses that share H. Porter & Sons’ goal of ensuring our children inherit a healthy planet. At the start of 2024, we have embarked on a two-year project to ensure all of our suppliers have the same commitment to sustainability by the start of 2026. We hope this will give our current suppliers time to hone their offering and credentials. It also gives us time to research new suppliers and foster stronger working relationships based on the same core values. In the meantime, we prioritise suppliers who are approved by the sustainable trade associations to which we belong, as well as considering B Corp companies and those that are most local to us, in our immediate community.

Our purchasing policy and systems require team members to assess the need for an item. We always check whether we have it in the business already, or explore whether we have something that will ‘do the job’ to try first. We do this before we reach the stage of choosing a supplier. If a purchase cannot be fully justified, it won’t be made. We also consider the end of life of everything we buy.

Alcohol – We use a range of local and UK suppliers to supply alcohol to The Lounge, our onsite function room. Alcohol is only sold as part of a catering package and is only available under this arrangement. H. Porter & Sons recognises that the sale of alcohol has risks of potential negative impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals and their communities. Based on the size of the company, these impacts may be limited. Certified B Corps (we are not currently certified) are required to make transparent their involvement in such industries.

Any party aware of specific company practices related to their marketing or other topics that could contribute to the negative impacts of alcohol, and which may constitute a violation of the B Corp standards, may report this here.