Your organisation's purpose:
Frasers of Coldharbour Farm is a eco-estate and thriving hospitality business operating with a strong environmental ethos. We offer self-catering and bed and breakfast in our 5 Star Gold accommodation. In parallel with this we have an on-site restaurant offering breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and evening meals. Additionally, we host corporate away days, team-building, product launches, family parties, baby showers and weddings. Our accommodation is housed in redundant former agricultural buildings. The conversions were executed with the highest level of design. High levels of insulation were installed. We utilised local craftsmen to make all the doors and windows from Kentish Oak.
Our most recent conversion ‘Stags Barn’, which was completed in September 2019 has achieved ’Passive Certification’. The main construction utilised a patented ‘modular brick’ technology which inherently allowed high levels of insulation. Coupled with this, we installed a 24KVA solar array on the roof, an air source heat pump and rainwater harvesting system. This building was part-financed by the RDPE - £160,000.00 of capital grant. This grant enabled us to invest in the renewable energy. Any excess power that is generated from Stags Barn is ‘wired back’ into the Oak barn housing the restaurant and commercial kitchen.
Visitors are becoming increasingly aware of their personal carbon footprint. The ‘green initiatives’ we have executed over the last thirty years are now the forefront of visitor demand and expectation. We are multi-award winning. Of particular note, we hosted Booking.com who filmed with us as part of their ‘Traveler Review awards’ and their ‘Travel Sustainable’ initiative.
We highly invest in our staff and have many long-serving employees. We also actively seek to accommodate internships, apprentices and work-experience candidates. The objective is to provide the highest quality offering to all our guests in terms of accommodation, food and drink. All our suppliers have heritage, provenance and traceability – This is becoming increasingly important to visitors.
What is your Impact Initiative?
It has been a thirty-year process to diversify from a high-input mixed farm to an eco-estate, which is now a thriving habitat for wildlife. With ‘offsetting’ Frasers now operates as net-carbon neutral.
We have undertaken our own over-wintering bird populations and ringing surveys to establish a ‘baseline’. In May 2023, in partnership with the ‘Kent Wildlife Trust’ we executed a whole farm quantitative analysis of flora and fauna species diversity and number to ascertain a ‘baseline’ from which to further regenerate the Estate moving forwards. With the aid of ‘The Kent Wildlife Trust’ we have created five ponds for the creation of Great Crested Newt habitats. Within a year, DNA has been identified within three of the five ponds. We are currently working with the ‘Kentish Stour Valley Countryside Partnership’.
The hospitality business operates as net carbon neutral when ‘offsetting’ with our 300 acres of low-intensity grassland. The business utilises 55% renewable energy. On the farm we have two solar arrays and both ground and air source heat pumps. Rainwater harvesting systems recycle the run-off from rainwater for flushing WC’s and for collecting water for watering our kitchen garden. During the Summer months 50% of the fruit and vegetables utilised in the restaurant are grown on the Estate. Many ingredients throughout the year are foraged and gleaned from the Estates grounds. The core beliefs of sustainability throughout the business are reflected operationally. All our customers are asked to ‘pre-order’ their menu choices. This has enabled us to reduce wastage from 55% (industry standard) to under 5%. Our ‘Field to Fork’ and Taster menu options allow us to champion the finest locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. Frasers supports in excess of over 50 other local rural businesses.
We operate a closed composting system. Organic compost for use on the Estate is created on site from the livery yard located on the Estate. All our kitchen gardens are created utilising the ‘no-dig’ method. This method minimises disturbance of the soil structure and thereby protects the inherent quality of the soil. The commercial kitchen utilises local cold pressed rapeseed oil which has minimal food miles compared to olive oil or manufactured vegetable oils which often contain palm oil which in its production results in habitat destruction. Once used the rapeseed oil is collected and recycled.
We use no single use plastics and all packaging is compostable – we utilise Countrystyle Recycling for all our waste, waste cardboard is used for the kitchen garden for our ‘no-dig’ cultivation. The Estate is established as a wildlife haven. As part of the ‘Experience Project’ we have created a children’s nature trail which is a free resource for visiting families and local schools. We have our own biological sewage treatment plant which discharges clean water into the water courses. All of our labour pool is within 15 miles of Frasers. We employ local people – Some of which walk to work We positively encourage ‘car-sharing’.
The impact your initiative has had:
Our many environmental initiatives have proudly resulted in us being awarded many accolades for our sustainability. In 2021 we were awarded the KEIBA for ‘Commitment to the Environment’, 2022/23 saw us win the Taste of Kent award for ‘Sustainable Food and Drink Business’. In February 2023, in the inaugural Sustainable wedding awards we were awarded the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain Award’ and were highly commended in the ‘Sustainable Change Maker Award’.
In 2017 we were delighted to receive a National accolade winning the ‘British Farming Awards, Best Large Scale Diversification Innovator’. The impact of our sustainability measures are fundamental to the continued growth and success of our business. During these unprecedented times our high dependence on renewable energy has ensured the financial viability of the business, hence, the impact of the cost of power increases have been both controllable and absorbable for us.
Likewise, the use of seasonal, local ingredients that are traceable and have low food miles are completely ‘on-trend’ with customer expectations. Increasingly, people seek to know the heritage of the food they are eating. Additionally, fresh, local food is delicious and nutritious. We exemplify the complete ‘Filed to Fork’ ethos. We buy whole carcass’s of local meat from ‘Lambtastic’ (2 miles) and D R Luckhurst (5 miles). The menus are compiled utilising a ‘nose to tail’ approach with ‘prime-cuts’ being given star position on our popular tasting menus.
Have you observed any direct benefits to your business or organisation as a result of the initiative?
The significant benefits resulting from our sustainability measures are clearly quantifiable. As stated, with rocketing power costs our renewable energy has ‘safe guarded’ the impacts of this upon the economic viability of the business. Likewise, growing a significant proportion of our own ingredients on the Estate has protected us from the massive food inflationary rates currently being experienced by the hospitality sector. Our ‘Pre-ordering’ requirements has massively reduced our wastage which has a direct positive impact on the project and economic viability of the business.
Our ‘whole Estate’ ethos with our regenerative farming methods have not only created a thriving wildlife population but have also created a beautiful environment for visitors to relax, recharge and experience all the Frasers has to offer.
Have you observed any benefits to your visitors as a result of the initiative?
Visitors to Frasers seek complete relaxation and tranquillity. On check-out we are frequently told that customers feel that they have been away for more than a short stay. There is no light-pollution at night enabling our guests to enjoy the uninterrupted night skies.
The quality of our offering promotes many positive endorsements across all social media and review channels, therefore engaging and promoting more visitors. We have many recommendations from guests then telling friends and family.
The largest benefit is that guests can see that this has been a thirty-year journey for the Estate and hospitality business and that it has provenance. Sustainability has been given the ‘core value’ intrinsic to the business rather than an adaptation to reflect current trends.
what category/categories does your initiative falls under?
- Reducing energy use
- Food for Good – reducing food miles, local seasonal produce, plant-based & organic
- Reducing waste
- Nature positive initiatives – conserving, preserving or restoring landscapes, habitats & wildlife
- Reducing overcrowding & promoting off-season tourism
- Minimising water use & water pollution
- Local job creation
- Wellbeing
- Equality and diversity
- Preserving and protecting cultural heritage
Address:
Coldharbour Farm, Barhams Mill Road, Egerton, Ashford, Kent. TN27 9DD
Website:
Contact email address;
lisa@frasersegerton.co.uk
