Wednesday 9th July 2008 Strattons wins Green Award at Catey Awards Les and Vanessa Scott of Strattons Hotel, Swaffham, Norfolk, were presented last night with the Green Award, at the 25th Caterer and Hotelkeeper hospitality awards – The Cateys - the industry’s equivalent to the Oscars. The award, presented at a glittering silver anniversary ceremony held at the Grosvenor hotel in London, recognised the thorough dedication and hard work Strattons have given to the industry over the last 18 years. The evening was hosted by comic actor Rory Bremner, who stared in the locally filmed ITV series ‘Kingdom’ with Stephen Fry. Mr Bremner stayed at Strattons whilst filming last year. The ‘Green Award’, a new category this year, recognised the most mature, innovative and integrated approach to green policy and programmes within a hospitality business, large or small. Vanessa said; ‘We are absolutely thrilled, it’s a great achievement for our staff and customers who embrace the ethos and understand it’s not about sacrificing quality. We have been working closely with Alastair Sawdays, Considerate hoteliers, Business Link and Green Tourism Business scheme to encourage other businesses in the industry to effect green change.’ Strattons entry included a waste management initiative for water which is metered and monitored at the hotel. As well as installing water saving devices into existing 9 litre toilet cisterns, reducing water by 2 litres per flush, all new toilets fitted are 3 litre dual flush models, saving a further 4 litres per flush. Two underground tanks a re-commissioned Victorian 10,000 litre capacity tank and a new 1,100 litre model provide part of a rainwater harvesting facility. Diverting this water into storage for garden irrigation means that no mains water was used during 2007 or 2008 for plant, building and car valeting purposes. During 2007 over 60,000 litres of rainwater was collected by this means. Rainwater harvesting also takes place from roof water diverted into fourteen, 400 litre butts around the property. This specific grey water recycling along with water collected from the kitchens and restaurant supported the expansion of salad and vegetable production on site. In 2007 over £1000 worth of salad crops alone were grown in the organic veggie plot. A total 200,000 litres of water were recovered and reused during 2007 for vegetables and gardening, building, car washing and exterior washing of paintwork and glass, patios and pathways representing a 33% saving on the hotels water charges. Top-name chefs attending the special occasion included TV personalities Brian Turner, Anthony Worrall-Thompson and Gary Rhodes. Mark Lewis, editor of Caterer and Hotelkeeper said: “For the silver anniversary year, the Cateys produced a roster of winners to be proud of. More than a thousand of the great and good of hospitality gathered to recognise and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the industry”. Your household can really make a difference ..........by following the water wise tips below: Fitting a Save-a-flush (a bag of harmless crystals) in your toilet cistern can save up to 1 litre per flush. That’s a saving of nearly 2,000 litres per person per year. Installing a Hippo (designed to work in toilet cisterns with a 9 litre flush or greater) could save up to 5,000 litres per person per year. Have a refreshing shower instead of a bath - this can save over 300 litres of water a week. Be careful though - a power shower can use more water than a bath! Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes 6 litres per minute. Fix leaking taps. A dripping tap can waste up to 140 litres a week. When buying a new dishwasher, choose one that is energy efficient as this saves on water and electricity. Machines with an 'A' rating are most economical. Wait for a full load before using the washing machine - a full load uses less water than 2 half loads. Cool water in the fridge means you don't have to run the tap for ages to get a cold drink. Only fill the kettle with enough water for your needs, this will reduce your fuel bills too. Lag your pipes and leave your heating on a low setting when you are out to avoid bursts in cold weather. A water butt in your garden can collect rainwater that can be used used on your plants and lawn If you have a water meter, check for leaks by turning off the water and taking two readings several minutes apart. If the readings are different there may be a leak.