Greensand Ridge are crowned Best Ethical Alcohol Brand in Marie Claire Sustainability Awards

Did you know that food production is the single greatest impact humans have on the planet?

From soil depletion and food waste to dizzying greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, it’s clear that our current food system is in urgent need of repair.

The winners in the Food & Drinks category of the first-ever Marie Claire UK Sustainability Awards are industry change-makers and disruptors – brands that recognise amazing foods and drinks shouldn’t come at the cost of the planet. Be warned: you might not want to read about them on an empty stomach, though.

Kents' very own Greensand Ridge Distillery was crowned Best Ethical Alcohol Brand.

Greensand Ridge Distillery is the first carbon-neutral distillery in the UK – a remarkable feat, given that energy and water use are two of the hardest things for a small distillery like theirs to mitigate.

Praised by Grace Beverley, MC Sustainability Awards judge and founder and CEO of TALA, for being “a great example of a business model that sets out to disrupt the norm”, Greensand Ridge is living proof that even small distilleries can operate sustainably. “Why should distilleries operate unsustainably when they can do so much better, as demonstrated by Greensand Ridge?” asks Beverley.

By using 100% renewable power, the brand aims to be plastic-, chemical- and waste-free in all distillery operations – and working with farmers and food producers to buy quality surplus or by-product produce for its spirits – Greensand Ridge is taking the alcohol industry’s sustainability problem into its own hands.

You can read about the other winners in the awards here