09/12/2003
Beach Cafe Operator wins top environmental award
A Devon company is well on its way to achieving its aim of becoming Britain's greenest beach cafe and shop operator after winning a prestigious environmental award for its management practices.
The Venus Company scooped the highly coveted Environmental Award Winner in the 11th Annual Devon Environmental Business Awards presented at County Hall in Exeter in November as well as winning the category award for Environmental Management.
The company, based at Stoke Fleming near Dartmouth, is Britain's leading operator of al fresco beach cafes and shops. It runs three beach cafes at Blackpool Sands, East Portlemouth and Bigbury-on-Sea in the South Hams, Devon.
The Venus Company trumped 17 other shortlisted businesses to win the awards and was presented with a beautiful recycled glass trophy, a bottle of champagne, two £250 cheques and £100 of Stagecoach vouchers. Amanda Wilkinson, Regional Director of the Confederation of British Industry, presented the awards to Nick Porter of The Venus Company.
The company's managing director Michael Smith said: "Taking care of our environment is an integral part of our business philosophy. It is very much part of all the business decisions we take - our motto 'loving the beach' is fundamental to our business success."
"It is an honour to be selcted for these awards. We are a small company and we all live and work in the South Hams. It is an outstandingly beautiful area and we have been very proactive in ensuring that we help to maintain our environment. There was some very stiff competition with plenty of other businesses in Devon incorporating sound environmental management throughout their business."
Nick Porter added: "The South Hams District Council creates an environment which enables us to operate our environmental policies. Our mission is to be the greenest beach cafe and shop operator in Europe. We believe we have created a template for 'green catering' that could be transplanted into most environments -particularly the high street. We ourselves plan to expand beyond our three sites."
The 2003 DEBI environmental awards exist to highlight good environmental practive in Devon and draw attention to the benefits achieved as an example and inspiration to others. Business and other organisations in Devon enter one of four categories: waste minimization, sustainable construction, education and awareness and environmental management. The Venus Company was judged to have achieved the greatest overall improvement and the most exciting innovation in environmental performance.
DEBI chairman Geoff Bowen said: "Venus is a business which has practiced environmental management systems which could be relevant to many other businesses. The company is an inspiration to businesses with effective and suitable management systems."
Devon County Council, Envision, South West Water, Stagecoach Devon, Viridor Waste Managament, Reynolds Chartered Accountants, the Governemnt Office for the South West and Devon Waste Management sponsored the DEBI Awards 2003.
The Venus Company scooped the highly coveted Environmental Award Winner in the 11th Annual Devon Environmental Business Awards presented at County Hall in Exeter in November as well as winning the category award for Environmental Management.
The company, based at Stoke Fleming near Dartmouth, is Britain's leading operator of al fresco beach cafes and shops. It runs three beach cafes at Blackpool Sands, East Portlemouth and Bigbury-on-Sea in the South Hams, Devon.
The Venus Company trumped 17 other shortlisted businesses to win the awards and was presented with a beautiful recycled glass trophy, a bottle of champagne, two £250 cheques and £100 of Stagecoach vouchers. Amanda Wilkinson, Regional Director of the Confederation of British Industry, presented the awards to Nick Porter of The Venus Company.
The company's managing director Michael Smith said: "Taking care of our environment is an integral part of our business philosophy. It is very much part of all the business decisions we take - our motto 'loving the beach' is fundamental to our business success."
"It is an honour to be selcted for these awards. We are a small company and we all live and work in the South Hams. It is an outstandingly beautiful area and we have been very proactive in ensuring that we help to maintain our environment. There was some very stiff competition with plenty of other businesses in Devon incorporating sound environmental management throughout their business."
Nick Porter added: "The South Hams District Council creates an environment which enables us to operate our environmental policies. Our mission is to be the greenest beach cafe and shop operator in Europe. We believe we have created a template for 'green catering' that could be transplanted into most environments -particularly the high street. We ourselves plan to expand beyond our three sites."
The 2003 DEBI environmental awards exist to highlight good environmental practive in Devon and draw attention to the benefits achieved as an example and inspiration to others. Business and other organisations in Devon enter one of four categories: waste minimization, sustainable construction, education and awareness and environmental management. The Venus Company was judged to have achieved the greatest overall improvement and the most exciting innovation in environmental performance.
DEBI chairman Geoff Bowen said: "Venus is a business which has practiced environmental management systems which could be relevant to many other businesses. The company is an inspiration to businesses with effective and suitable management systems."
Devon County Council, Envision, South West Water, Stagecoach Devon, Viridor Waste Managament, Reynolds Chartered Accountants, the Governemnt Office for the South West and Devon Waste Management sponsored the DEBI Awards 2003.