Sharp's shortlisted for national green award

February 15, 2008: Sharp’s Brewery in Cornwall has been named as a finalist in the Fast Growth Business Awards 2008, competing for the Green Business of the Year title.

Sharp’s has long been recognised for its green credentials, having won the low carbon category of the Cornwall Sustainability Awards in 2006.

Director Joe Keohane said: “We are delighted to get through as finalists and are fairly confident of our chances. Sharp’s has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past years and this is a testament to all the staff in Cornwall and at our outlets in Bristol and Manchester.

”We’re particularly proud of this news as it proves that working in an environmentally responsible way is great for business”.

The awards will be judged in March by a panel of entrepreneurs, industry experts and business journalists, including Dragons' Den star Peter Jones.

Competing against Sharp’s are Alara Wholefoods, Paper Round Ltd and The Phone Co-op. But Sharp’s believes it will be recognised for its simple and novel approach.

Joe added: “All our raw material waste is recycled through environmentally efficient channels, with an emphasis on the local farming environment. For example, a dairy herd eats 30 tonnes of spent grain, pigs munch on over five tonnes of protein rich yeast, and beef cows enjoy slurp up to 30 litres of waste beer every week! We even turn empty bottles into drinking glasses."

The brewery used sophisticated heat exchangers making it one of the UK’s most energy efficient. These recover energy at each stage of the brewing process and even recover natural heat generated by fermentation.

Water is used sparingly and the brewery is proud to have one of the best water usage to beer output ratios in the industry. The delivery fleet was one of the first to use 100% bio diesel.

The Fast Growth Business Awards is organised in conjunction with Growing Business magazine – the UKs title for entrepreneurs. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the London Marriott on March 12 with one business crowned the T-Mobile Fast Growth Business of the Year.