“We’re tickled pink to have a green hotel as a customer.”
The Lakes Free Range Egg Company is proud to be supplying one of Cumbria’s most sustainable hotels with our Laid With Love egg brand. Cedar Manor is a boutique, family owned and run hotel on the outskirts of Windermere. Originally a Victorian country house, it later became a hotel, and was bought in 2007 by current owners Jonathan and Caroline Kaye.
Sowing the seeds of sustainability at Cedar Manor
Jonathan and Caroline are passionate about sustainability and protecting the environment, so they set about restoration and renovation of their hotel, which has as little impact on the environment as possible. New energy management systems, water butts, and a checklist of ‘green’ adaptations helped them achieve the Green at Heart Award (formerly CBen). Gold award for achieving excellence in environmental practice. Since then, they have won numerous national and international awards for their environmental provenance and are members of Green Tourism, first achieving their Gold Award standard in 2012.
Ethically sourcing Laid With Love
Talking to Jonathan it is very clear that their sustainable ethos very much mirrors that of our own. We are delighted their procurement policy looks to use as many local products as possible, our Laid With Love egg brand fit the bill on so many levels:
Jonathan told us “When we began work at Cedar Manor, it wasn’t a conscious decision to become a ‘green hotel’, it was just about doing things properly, with as much care and courtesy towards our environment as possible. We live and work in the Lake District – a stunning place to be and we want to respect, preserve, and protect that for generations in the future. Laid With Love eggs match our credentials and we love the fact we are already on their local delivery route – it keeps the carbon footprint as low as possible.”
What is Green Tourism?
Green-tourism is an organisation (and a way of working), that promotes greener ways for businesses to operate , offering members advice to help improve their sustainability. There is also an awards certification programme with an 85-point checklist highlighting the commitment and success of tourism businesses. The Bronze, Silver and Gold awards indicate how far they are on their green journey. It means businesses need to look at all aspects of their businesses including:
• Reducing energy use
• Saving water
• Efficient & eco-friendly waste disposal
• Ethical buying
• Staying local & seasonal
• Minimising food miles
• Promoting biodiversity
• Adopting a smart, sustainable outlook from top to bottom
What makes Laid With Love eggs so special?
Breakfast is often described as the best meal of the day, so having local bacon, sausage and eggs is a must. “It’s the vibrant yellow yolks that guests comment on” says Jonathan, “they’re delighted to know our eggs are locally sourced and we’ve never seen our Eggs Benedict look so yellow. When we re-shot our new breakfast dishes, the photographer said the yolk colour looked ‘unreal’ – he wanted to knock back the colour back, but we said our egg yolks really are that yellow.”
Afternoon Tea is served
There’s something special about their afternoon tea – visitors call in for tea on a regular basis at Cedar Manor. We’ve seen what they offer and love the fact there are so many elements on the tea stand containing our eggs. From delicious Victoria Sponge and Macaroons to Choux pastry, Crème Patisserie, it’s no wonder they order so many eggs.”
Lake District sustainable commitment
We really admire Cedar Manor’s commitment to the environment. Jonathan explained how they support The Lake District Foundation – an organisation founded in 2017 (previously called Nurture Lakeland) that works to raise funds from visitors and the tourism industry. Their moto is Visit. Give. Protect.
Jonathan is a former Trustee of the Lake District Foundation – which the hotel still supports. To date, over £18,000 has been donated from guests who volunteer an additional ‘donation’ when they leave. Money raised goes to support projects that share sustainability goals with large and small project supported each year. Large projects have included Fix the Fells and the Ullswater Way Fund, but there are smaller projects too – like Growing Well at Sizergh Barn, a Bee Hide School project at Heron Hill School, and Staveley Woodlands for the Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
In 2021, 13 small local projects were supported across Cumbria with grants of £250 – £500 – these include the Binsey Red Squirrel group. Red Squirrels are something we at The Lakes are very familiar with as they can be found on many of our free-range hen ranges, thanks to the native trees we’ve planted over the years.
“We’re tickled pink to have a green hotel as a customer.”
You can find out more about what Cedar Manor has achieved at www.cedarmanor.co.uk