Hull’s community-owned pub The New Clarence has coupled pints with the planet by joining a campaign which champions sustainable business.
The New Clarence, in Hull city centre, recently re-opened its doors to the public, having closed in 2023 before being saved by a community-led campaign.
Pints are being pulled again in Charles Street, Hull, after £250,000 was raised through the sale of public shares to revive The New Clarence.
With a commitment to sustainability and sourcing local produce across both its food and drinks menu, The New Clarence has become the latest organisation to join a regional campaign, called Oh Yes! Net Zero.
Oh Yes! has more than 170 active members across Hull, East Yorkshire and the Humber region, all totally committed to sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint.
The campaign delivers bespoke Carbon Clinic workshops – of which The New Clarence has already participated in – to members, providing professional advice and guidance on how to measure and reduce their environmental impact.
Simon Berry is the Chairman of The Hull Community Pub Society, which successfully campaigned for The New Clarence to become an asset of community value.
He said: “We want to be seen as a pub and a business which is doing the right things, for the right reasons, and sustainability is an important part of that.
“First and foremost, we are a pub, and we need to make sure we are operating as a viable business. That is crucial. But on top of that, we want to look at the ways we are doing things, and how we can be more sustainable.
“We joined Oh Yes! Net Zero for the support and expertise its members can provide. We’ve made some good progress already, but we know there’s a lot more we can do.”
The New Clarence is looking at recovering heat from its refuge area, specifically from plant equipment, and using it to warm the pub and kitchen spaces in the colder winter months.
The pub has installed energy-efficient LED lighting throughout the building, and is also exploring the use of a sustainable temperature control system in its function room.
Much of the equipment inside the pub is pre-loved, having been recovered from other pubs or businesses which have closed, saving items from landfill and giving them a second home.
Beers and food produce are sourced as locally as possible, with a commitment to Yorkshire-based suppliers, and The New Clarence is looking at ways to optimise deliveries to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
Dr Grace Chapman, Oh Yes! Net Zero’s Climate Changemakers Programme Lead, said: “We’re delighted to welcome The New Clarence as one of our newest Oh Yes! members.
“It highlights the diversity of our membership, and the breadth of organisations which are making strong sustainable progress and seeing real business benefits.
“We loved following the story of The New Clarence as it re-opened, bringing a much-loved community asset back into use. When you couple that with joining Oh Yes!, we think that’s well worth raising a toast to!”
The New Clarence has chosen a 100 per cent renewable energy tariff with Octopus Energy, and is in the early stages of considering rooftop solar panels to generate green electricity.
As the pub welcomes in a new era, and customers back through its doors, The New Clarence is focused on playing its part for the planet.
