A Sustainable Stay at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, A Belmond Hotel
Sustainability is woven into the soul of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, a Belmond Hotel in Oxfordshire. It is a place where gastronomy, gardens, and culture come alive and where guests are engaged with more responsible eating, drinking, and being, all year round. Led by Chef-Patron, Raymond Blanc OBE, Le Manoir has always been grounded in a more eco way of being. Born out of a personal ethos, seasonality, foraging, and avoiding waste has always been part of a greener holistic approach. Behind the scenes, the Le Manoir family holds monthly meetings to maintain sustainable, ethical, and environmental values.
“We’ve always done the right thing, and what we thought we should be doing - and we must all do things better. We didn’t call it sustainability when we started in 1984, but right from the beginning at Le Manoir, we’ve cared about doing things responsibly and caring for people and place.”
REST SMART
Across their opulent rooms and suites, all amenities are 100% recyclable, and their housekeeping team only uses eco-friendly cleaning products. In addition, they have installed LED lights in 93% of rooms, and the remaining rooms will be fitted with these low-energy bulbs by the end of 2023. Their electricity and gas consumption is renewable and therefore has zero carbon emissions. To remain vigilant, they monitor and review an energy efficiency monthly checklist to track heating/air conditioning and ventilation settings, laundry settings, IT equipment, light settings, employee commuting habits, and hotel travel.
GREEN GASTRO
As a member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons' restaurant holds itself accountable for its ethical and environmental standards. Le Manoir has been honored with a Green Michelin Star for its sustainable practices. The Michelin Green Star is an annual distinction highlighting restaurants at the forefront of the industry regarding their sustainable practices. Le Manoir's practices include a menu based on seasonality and foraging, emphasizing producing foods with no food waste – any scraps will be used to grow and nurture food for the next plate. The property has introduced a state-of-the-art 'Rocket' composter and dryer for on-site composting of all food scraps and carbon-based kitchen waste, including paper hand towels and blue paper.
Le Manoir supports sustainable fishing by ensuring all crabs, lobsters, and langoustines are reel or pot caught, and their scallops are hand-dived for. They also partner with local farmers and suppliers and maintain sustainable and ethical food policies when working together. Additionally, they are analyzing where all their food supply comes from and working towards how they can reduce the carbon emissions from this. The kitchen recycles all fats and oils and works with Mitie to ensure waste oil is filtered and then sent to be converted into biofuel, which is a greener alternative to petroleum diesel and reduces carbon emissions by 78%. They do not accept polystyrene or any single-use plastic as packaging from suppliers.
SIP OF SUSTAINABILITY
Le Manoir recycles 100% of used corks, and all glass bottles and drinking straws are compostable. Of the wine list, 59.2% are Organic and Biodynamic Certified. They also offer guests a glass of local sparkling wine from Hundred Hills Vineyard. Hundred Hills Winery underwent rigorous sustainable assessments by WineGB and has now received WineGB's trademarks for both Sustainable Vineyard and Winery of Great Britain. All coffee is Rainforest alliance, and the recycled coffee grounds are used for composting.
BEE KIND
In June 2022, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons introduced its own beehives! They have Buckfast Honey Bees residing at Le Manoir, which is fundamental in controlling the growth and quality of their vegetation. In the Autumn of 2022, their first honey was produced! Le Manoir's beekeeper is part of the Oxford Bee Keeping Association (OBKA), a registered charity. Their objectives are "to further promote the craft of beekeeping and to advance the education of the public in the importance of bees in the environment."
This incredible Belmond Hotel in Oxfordshire is working towards Net Zero by 2030. By holding monthly meetings with their designated "Sustainability Champions," they intend to maintain sustainable, ethical, and environmental values and suggest, plan, and implement further sustainable practices.
Guests of Huffman Travel enjoy extra VIP amenities when staying at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, including:
Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily Continental breakfast for two guests per bedroom, served in restaurant
$100 USD equivalent Resort or Hotel credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
Early Check-In / Late Check-Out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi