Refectory awarded prestigious Green Tourism Gold

We’re pleased to announce the Refectory was recently awarded the Green Tourism Gold certification for ensuring our sustainable practices meet the highest possible standard. 

Find out more below about our submission and why we’re so proud to achieve the prestigious certification. 

What is Green Tourism?

The Green Tourism Gold Award is an internationally recognised sustainability accreditation for travel, tourism and hospitality businesses that demonstrate exceptional standards of sustainable practices. 

Through achieving the Gold accreditation, the Refectory has demonstrated a measured strategy to ensure its operations continue to be as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. 

Why did the Refectory win Gold?

To earn the Green Tourism Gold certification, the Refectory had to meet precise criteria related to energy conservation, waste management, water usage, local sourcing and overall sustainability efforts.

Specifically, the Refectory’s operations were required to score over 80% across multiple questions in three key areas: People, Planet and Places.  

The submission included the department’s commitment to sourcing local, sustainably produced products and providing extensive vegan and vegetarian choices for visitors.  

The Refectory’s comprehensive waste management programme was also included in the supporting material. The programme includes using seasonal menus and analysing sales data to predict what production is needed, as well as using the Too Good To Go scheme for low dated products. 

Ben Collier, Head of Catering and Hospitality at University of Leeds, has also commented on the achievement.

“We’re really pleased that the Refectory has achieved the Gold standard from Green Tourism. Providing an exceptional experience for visitors whilst operating with sustainable practices is at the heart of what we are trying to achieve as a department – winning this certification is testament to that commitment and the team’s hard work.”