A distillery in Kent has achieved one of its green goals by becoming the first carbon neutral establishment of its kind in the UK.

Greensand Ridge, a craft distillery near Shipbourne, between Sevenoaks and Tonbridge in the Weald, was launched in 2015 with the aim of having an ultra-low impact on the environment.

The company uses surplus produce which supermarkets will not buy, like wonky plums and apples, from farmers in the area to make its spirits.

Watch Mr Edge talk being carbon neutral at the distillery

It has earned a carbon neutral certificate thanks to a range of measures including using renewable power, heat-recovery systems, removing plastics and being chemical free.

The assessment makes up part of the distillery’s inaugural sustainability report which details all the work which is done to minimise the environmental footprint.

Distiller and founder Will Edge said: "Our carbon neutral certification is the culmination of a great deal of work over the last year.

“It doesn’t change our spirits but it’s a statement of what is important to us as growing business.”

The spirits made at the distillery are decided based on what surplus produce or by-products it acquires.

Mr Edge added: "We work with local farmers to mitigate their waste and so make a lot of fruit spirits like our apple brandy and Raspberry Ghost and even our Wealden Rum is made from a locally sourced by-product."

Now in its fourth year, Greensand Ridge took some time to achieve carbon neutrality.

Mr Edge said: "The regulations demand a significant ongoing investment in time and resources and we needed to be well established before we undertook the work.

"Hopefully, that work can be a template for other businesses in the industry”.

Greensand Ridge’s 2019 sustainability report is available online by clicking here and spirits can be purchased directly, from fine food outlets or by the trade industry directly from the distillery or through distributors.

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