The George in Castleton has been crowned the Best Sustainable Pub at the prestigious 2025 Great British Pub Awards.
The awards recognise and reward the finest pubs up and down the UK, with categories ranging from ‘Best Pub for Food’ to ‘Best Pub for Dogs’.
The sustainability award, introduced several years ago to reflect the continuing shift to sustainable practice, celebrates pubs that have made sustainability central to the way they do business – from sourcing food and drink responsibly to introducing creative approaches to cutting waste and reducing energy use.
Operators John and Vicky, who have run The George for several years, have worked tirelessly to weave sustainable practices into the heart of their pub. Some of the standout initiatives over the last 12 months include:
- Transforming surplus fruit, vegetables and herbs into jams, chutneys, sauces and liqueurs, while dehydrating excess herbs to use as dry goods. Surplus herbs are also used to make lip balms and beard balms / butters.
- Investing in an on-site food waste composter that produces compost to feed their kitchen garden.
- Slumping used wine and spirit bottles into one-of-a-kind serving dishes using a solar-powered kiln.
- Launching a ‘No Dig Allotment’ designed to enhance biodiversity and provide a wider range of freshly grown produce for the pub’s menus.
This award comes hot on the heels of The George’s success at the 2025 PubAid Awards, where it was named Community Sustainability Hero for the second consecutive year.
Speaking after the award, John said: “For us, sustainability isn’t nice to do – it’s part of who we are and what we believe in. Being based in the Peak District, we’re surrounded by incredible natural beauty, and we feel a responsibility to protect and celebrate that in everything we do.
“More and more of our customers, especially younger generations, want to know that the places they eat and drink are doing the right thing for the planet. Winning this award shows that even small pubs like ours can make a big difference, and we’re incredibly proud to fly the flag for Castleton. But this is only the start of our journey – we’ve got lots more planned to keep raising the bar on sustainability in the years ahead.”
The recognition firmly places The George on the national stage as one of the UK’s leading pubs championing sustainability, while continuing to serve as a much-loved local in the heart of the Peak District.
To find out more about The George, visit their website: www.thegeorgecastleton.co.uk
For a full list of winners from The Great British Pub Awards 2025, visit their website: https://greatbritishpubawards.co.uk/live/en/page/2025-winners
