SUSTAINABILITY
OUR VALUES
It's is not easy being green, everyone leaves a carbon footprint.
Running a distillery comes with its fair share of challenges, but for small distilleries, the balance between craft production, tight budgets, and environmental responsibility makes sustainability even trickier. Sourcing sustainable botanicals like juniper is becoming harder due to habitat loss, while waste management, from spent botanicals to packaging, adds another layer of complexity—especially for those aiming for zero waste.
Scaling up eco-friendly practices, such as recycled glass, renewable energy, and ethical sourcing, is costly and logistically demanding. Yet, many small distilleries are pioneering innovative, sustainable solutions. So, what is Downton doing to lead the way?
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to create unique spirits using traditional practices, whilst creating a visionary and sustainable brand. We believe in supporting ethical suppliers, whilst contributing to our vibrant industry and inspiring others to follow our steps. Ambition means nothing without action.
OUR VISION
Our vision is to be a leader in sustainable business. Since our beginning in 2019, Downton Distillery has benchmarked ethical and sustainable pioneers within our industry setting a target of where we believe the distillery should be. The commitments we have made to our community and our customers have shaped the way we do business.
We made the decision to be as plastic free as possible from day one, first because we think it's the right thing and secondly to share with our peers that it is achievable to all. Thankfully it is becoming easier to achieve each year.
These actions may sound simple, but they are not, nor are they an exhaustive list of our proudest achievements. Regardless of what we have achieved to date, we will continue to push our priorities forward across our sustainability pillars, in community, environment, products and our team.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Climate action grows more important by the day. Small businesses make up 90% of businesses worldwide. Together we have a huge role to play in tackling the climate crisis. We’re proud to be a member of the @SMEClimateHub community, and are delighted to receive our badge as official recognition of our business’ commitment to reduce our impact on the environment through authentic action. This is something that you too can sign up to.
Our environmental action plan and policy is validated annually by Green Small Business.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
As a small distillery, we take great pride in what we've achieved with your support. Together, we’ve made huge strides, and our efforts have even been recognised for the impact we’ve created so far. Your support has been key to our success, and we’re excited to keep pushing forward—with you by our side!
- 2020.06.29 Recognised by Theo Paphitis for our work supporting communities during Covid, win #SBS
- 2023.03.06 We became Accredited with The Good Shopping Guide. Achieving a score of 92 and reached the top of its Spirits ranking table.
- 2023.03.10 The distillery won the Wiltshire Life 'Green Business Award'.
- 2023.05.10 Winner in the Environmental Sustainability category of 'The Gin Guide Awards 2023'.
- 2023.06.22 Presented the Gold Award by the Green Business Association Salisbury.
- 2023.12.01 Great Bustard Gin is launched in partnership with the Great Bustard Conservation Group.
- 2024.03.08 Win Wiltshire Life Awards Best Independent Food / Drink Producer of the Year.
- 2024.10.31 Win Gold 'Green Apple Environmental Award.'
- 2024.11.30 Runner up in Taste of the West Sustainability & Environmental Awards.
- 2024.11.12 Runner up in IWSC Green Initiative Awards
RECOGNITION OF WORK TO DATE
WILDLIFE
BIODIVERSITY
conservation
GREAT BUSTARD
Rewilding
JUNIPER
REDUCING WASTE
PACKAGING
conservation
SOIL CONSERVATION
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
SUSTAINABLE SPIRITS
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
WASTE REDUCTION
did you know?
CARBON FOOTPRINT TRIVIA
BECOMING ETHICAL
Everyone wants to be ethical but how we spend our money can have an impact.
Every time you shop you support a brand with your own money. When you buy from brands that have a positive impact it’s like voting for a better world. By carefully choosing what you buy, researching the brand and interacting with them, you can choose products that have a positive impact on the brands community, environment and welfare of staff.
But we also need to be held accountable for our own actions, as these speak louder than words and filled in forms. We do our own research of brands using the Ethical consumer index and by discussing suppliers within the industry, who we trust and why. What actions are they taking to reduce their own footprints?
HOW ETHICAL ARE YOUR SPIRITS?
The Good Shooping Guide, with their own independent research team has been analysing the Spirits sector, and the popular brands within this industry. Around one third of the brands they researched made it past their 'Ethical' Benchmark, with the industry benchmark being 65%.
Their research criteria is based on environmental and social factors relevant to the Spirits industry, so in the case of this industry, the Organic/ GM criteria, and treatment of brand employees (as well as the business practices of parent companies) were all considered when ranking and rating each one of these brands.
We are delighted to announce that Downton Distillery has become Accredited with The Good Shopping Guide. We've achieved a score of 92 and reached the top of its Spirits ranking table. Our brand page will be uploaded soon, so more to follow!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
When we discuss sustainability, what steps can you take to help?
- Prevent – minimise the amount of waste created initially.
- Reuse / Upcycle – find another purpose for items.
- Recycle – send waste to be made into new items.
- Recover – transform waste into other resources.
- Dispose – get rid of waste responsibly.