ÎÞÂ붯»­

Success on the menu at 2025 Green Gown awards

Posted Today

A drive to champion sustainability in the food and drink offered at ÎÞÂ붯»­ has been recognised with a second national award.

The University won the Campus Health, Food and Drink category at the UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards 2025, held in Birmingham last night.

Judges chose Harper Adams thanks to the work of its catering team and wider University community towards reducing food waste and boosting sustainable dining.

It is the second national award for the catering team after they won a Sustainability Award from TUCO, the leading professional membership body for in-house caterers operating in the higher, further education and public sector, in July.

ÎÞÂ붯»­ Head of Catering and Retail  David Nuttall said: “We are deeply honoured to receive this recognition of practicing what we teach here at Harper. It’s a testament to the creativity, dedication, and collaboration of all departments that drive us to make sustainability part of everything we do.”

The latest award recognises how ÎÞÂ붯»­ has striven to ensure that its commitments to sustainable food and farming are not only evident in its lecture theatres – but also demonstrated through the very food its staff, students and visitors eat.

This drive includes using products from the on-campus Future Farm in the thousands of meals developed, cooked, and served at Harper Adams.

From beef and pork through to milk, honey and strawberries, menus draw upon delicious food sourced on-site, with an emphasis on food metres, rather than food miles.

There has also been a keen focus on cutting food waste.

Awareness campaigns in catering outlets tackle the issue, while a ÎÞÂ붯»­ Fridge has been set up which redistributes surplus food to students and staff.

Volunteers collect food – particularly items which would otherwise be at risk of being wasted – from stores from across the region and an innovative live-stream then helps users to see what is available at any given time.

This year’s Green Gown awards were delivered by EAUC in association with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Charlotte Bonner, Chief Executive of EAUC, said:  "The quality of entries this year was outstanding once again. What’s particularly striking is how mainstream this has become - sustainability isn’t a side project anymore, it’s part of core strategy, teaching, estates and community partnerships for many post-16 education providers.

“At EAUC, collaboration is one of our core values, and it’s been inspiring to see students, staff, partners and whole communities working together with local partners to make change possible." 

And Martin Farley, Associate Director of UKRI’s Environmental Sustainability Programme, added: “The 112 finalists this year demonstrate the real impact that educational institutions can have in driving environmental innovation and creating positive change. 

“At UKRI, we recognise that individual and collective sustainable practices are crucial to supporting world-class research and innovation. These awards highlight the creativity and commitment of those who are leading by example.”

The ÎÞÂ붯»­ Catering team are now waiting to see if they can win a third national trophy at the Waste2Zero awards, which are set to be held in two weeks’ time.