Vernon Amor (right), managing director of Wye Valley Brewery, picks up the award from Steve Livens, of the British Beer and Pub Association

Environmentally aware Wye Valley Brewery has won the energy efficiency category at the Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards.

This follows the company’s water efficiency category win at the Marches Blue Business Awards, as well as the SIBA Green Business Award.

Wye Valley Brewery managing director, Vernon Amor, said: “We’re delighted to win this award and once again be recognised in our efforts to be a sustainable brewery.

“We are proud of our continued commitment to using renewable energy, along with dramatic reductions in our carbon footprint. Further investments in renewable technology are in the pipeline this year, whilst we continue to produce great beers for our customers.

“For beer lovers, the most sustainable way to enjoy your favourite tipple is in your local pub — at Wye Valley Brewery, 70% of our beer is draught cask ale, delivered direct to pubs within an hour from our home in Stoke Lacy.”

Continued to developing its sustainability programme

The brewery is constantly looking to grow its sustainability programme, and a new installation of solar panels has resulted in it producing 57% of its own electricity.

Recent development work at Wye Valley’s Stoke Lacy headquarters means cask racking, storage, and loading bays are now all located under one roof, having previously been scattered across a large site. This has seen an 80% reduction of on-site vehicle movements, and also means there is now only one cold storage area, as opposed to the previous four, with a more-efficient cooling system.

The brewery also improved its water efficiency after building a new brewhouse, lowering water consumption by 50%. An investment in an innovative heating system was a world first in the brewing industry, and has significantly lowered carbon emissions for every pint of beer brewed.