Warner’s Gin launches first-of-its-kind accreditation for pubs that have taken steps to make their outdoor spaces welcoming for nature
Warner’s Gin has announced its new ‘Nature Marque’ accreditation scheme for pubs as part of its mission to educate and enable people to do their bit for nature, through the transformation of spaces. This is linked to its broader business vision, which is to become the most nature positive drinks business in the world.
Created with the support and guidance of The Wildlife Trust BCN, Warner’s Nature Marque is a first-of-its-kind accreditation that will be awarded to pubs that have taken steps to make their outdoor spaces welcoming for nature as well as people. Actions that can be taken will include planting wildflowers and pollen-rich flowers, installing bird boxes, bug hotels, hedgehog highways and much more.
To receive Warner’s Nature Marque accreditation, a pub will be guided through a review of the space they have, then will be shown different ways they can help nature have the best chance of thriving in their pub garden.
The straightforward process has been built as a points-based system to enable pubs of all sizes and locations to participate, from those with large outdoor spaces in the countryside, to smaller urban settings. Each pub that gets involved will be guided through the process, with support from Warner’s Gin and The Wildlife Trust BCN.
It is well documented that British nature needs urgent help, with populations of many wildlife species dwindling and reaching record lows. The UK is documented as one of the world’s most nature depleted countries,1 having lost nearly half its wildlife in the last century.2 A live example of this is that 30% of UK birds are at risk of extinction.3 There are over 100,000 pubs in the UK4 that could contribute to tackling our nature depletion crisis, through the Warner’s Nature Marque accreditation.
To mark the launch of Warner’s Nature Marque, the gin brand has teamed up with one of the talents involved in filming the world’s biggest nature documentaries to swap the great oceans and polar expanses for an altogether more humble habitat to film in: a British pub garden.
Doug Allan is an Emmy and BAFTA award-winning British documentary filmmaker and wildlife photographer and has filmed some of the most memorable wildlife scenes ever broadcast. Now, he, alongside Warner’s Gin, have create the world’s first wildlife documentary filmed entirely in the grounds of a pub.
Warner’s Gin has launched this mini-series to highlight that nature that can thrive amongst us in the most unexpected places. The short documentary brings the same filming techniques from blockbuster nature documentaries, to chart a day in the life of a quintessential pub garden. It captures ‘pubgoers’ of all shapes, sizes and species - from newts and bees to much-loved British birds and butterflies, not to mention the myriad other insects, wildflowers and plant life at the pub garden, all alongside humans. The documentary can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY0lhahh97k
The wildlife documentary was shot at the Castle Hotel and Pub in Bishops Castle, Shropshire, which has become the first of two pubs in the country to be awarded a Warner’s Nature Marque accreditation – owing to the efforts of their publicans to make their gardens nature friendly. The second is Tollemache Arms in Harrington, the home village of Warner’s Gin.
Tom Warner, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Warner’s Distillery, said: “We’ve got big ambitions with Warner’s Nature Marque and the accreditation scheme for pubs is the first step on that journey. We want to encourage real, sustained support for nature. Tens of thousands of pub gardens are an untapped resource for biodiversity. What’s more, people today are conscious of the environment and the need to protect it, so we expect pubgoers to respond positively to seeing pubs doing their bit for nature.
“As a truly nature-positive distillery, and member of 1% for the planet, we want to lend some of our expertise to help pubs across the country help their local wildlife. It’s good for pubs, it’s good for people and it’s good for the planet.”
The UK Hospitality and CGA Future Shock Report5 noted three quarters of consumers now think about sustainability credentials when choosing where to eat and over two in five (42%) believe pubs, bars and restaurants don’t do enough to tell consumers about their sustainability credentials. Warner’s Nature Marque presents pub and restaurant owners with an opportunity to communicate the vital steps they’re taking to support biodiversity, which hopefully, in turn, will attract more customers.
Nathan Long, WTBCN Business Partnerships Manager says: “We welcome Warner's as a new corporate partner - it's wonderful that they are committed to creating new habitats for wildlife on their farm, and we look forward to working closely with them in the future, particularly on their Nature Marque initiative.
For more information about Warner’s Nature Marque and for pubs that are interested in applying for the accreditation, visit www.warnersdistillery.com/pages/nature-marque.