Case study: Whatley Manor
Case Study: Whatley Manor
“Just because you can’t achieve everything at once doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything. There are so many small steps you can take.”
– Magaly Etter, ESG Manager
The challenge
The Five-star country house hotel and spa, Whatley Manor in Wiltshire, wanted to improve its sustainability impact but maintain their high quality standards. Starting with core operational changes, the owners quickly realised a significant part of their impact lay beyond their walls.
Making suppliers partners in sustainability
Supplier workshops began with sharing the hotel’s ambition and looking at what it meant and how they could help each other do better. This is enhanced by the hotel’s use of its supplier code of conduct to prompt dialogue and collaboration, rather than simply as a compliance checklist.
To measure their impact the hotel uses carbon accounting platform Greenly to ask suppliers about their sustainability journey, valuing willingness to improve over formal certification. Quality and price remain important, with partners who share values while meeting luxury standards.
Turning waste into a resource
Whatley Manor’s local sourcing goes beyond food miles to systems where waste becomes a resource. Some kitchen waste is composted on-site and returned to the soil, creating a continuous cycle that regenerates the land. The remainder is converted into biogas, while general waste goes through a process that recovers energy from residual waste – all managed through a partnership with family-owned waste company Grundon, ensuring nothing goes to landfill.
To help staff understand the ‘why’ behind supply chain decisions, every induction includes sustainability training, with yearly refreshers. This approach has created tangible change. Some suppliers have improved their own operations, while the hotel’s knowledge-sharing events on energy and waste have helped strengthen the wider local supply chain.
Informing future direction
EarthCheck certification provides Whatley Manor with a structure to translate ambition into measurable progress and annual audits provide accountability and help inform purchasing decisions.
The Impact
The hotel achieved its goal of 98% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions compared to its 2019 baseline, five years ahead of schedule; it’s now tackling the more complex challenge of supply chain emissions.
Taking the next steps: tips for starting the supply chain conversation
- Start the conversation early: many suppliers welcome dialogue even without formal policies in place.
- Be clear about your values: use a supplier code of conduct to clarify what matters and why.
- Support improvement, not perfection: a small producer showing willingness may be more valuable than a larger, less committed supplier.
- Think beyond food miles: create systems where waste becomes resource - can you return kitchen waste to farms as compost, or eliminate packaging?
- Invest in your local network: host knowledge-sharing events to build resilience.
- Accept that it’s a journey: what matters is consistent progress and honest communication.
Explore further
Inspired by what you’ve seen?
Check out the other case studies showing sustainability in action or explore the Regenerative Tourism Guide to learn more ways to stand out from the crowd, inspire staff, enhance visitor loyalty and make your business a force for good.