The Venues Collection is making impressive strides toward deep decarbonisation, blending real-time data, cutting-edge technology, and the dedicated leadership of sustainability expert Martin Lyons, the group’s estates manager.
With five residential venues—many housed in buildings over 100 years old—the journey toward sustainability has required both vision and precision. Lyons has played a key role in updating these heritage sites with advanced green technologies while preserving their historic character, all while fostering meaningful behavioural change across the estate.
Key technological upgrades across venues include:
- Energy Monitoring Systems: Installed at every venue, allowing tailored reduction strategies and creating energy usage league tables across the estate to drive accountability and best-practice sharing.
- Voltage Optimisers: Reducing electricity consumption and energy waste.
- New Energy-Efficient Boilers: Paired with digital controls to reduce gas use - achieving up to 46% cuts at certain sites.
- Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Systems: Generating 540,000 kWh of renewable energy per year on-site.
- Low-Flow Showerheads & Smart Water Management: Saving 640,000 litres of water annually.
- On-site Composting Systems: Aerated systems transforming food, paper, and cardboard waste into nutrient-rich compost.
“Retrofitting historic venues is far from simple,” says Lyons. “We’re balancing heritage with innovation - installing energy-efficient tech, overhauling heating systems, and using live data to help make better decisions for our business, guests and the planet.”
Recent results speak for themselves:
- All venues are Green Meetings accredited to ‘Silver’ status
- CO₂ emissions cut by 500 tonnes in 12 months
- Water savings of 640,000 litres annually
- Electricity use down 12% at one site thanks to targeted energy monitoring
- Gas consumption slashed by up to 46% in some venues through smarter boiler systems
The Venues Collection has also introduced energy league tables across its venues, encouraging friendly competition and sharing best practices. Each venue receives tailored audits and dashboards to empower on-site teams to reduce consumption and drive real change.
Lyons has also run sustainability workshops with everyone in the business, from frontline staff to central teams so they can understand why it is so important, how it affects them and our customers.
“We’re not just talking about deep decarbonisation - we’re building it from the inside out, led by people who truly care,” said Joanne Barratt, Managing Director of The Venues Collection. “We, as an industry need to be doing better now. The work Martin is doing is inspiring our entire team - and even influencing other parts of our parent company, Compass Group.”
Alongside infrastructure change, the group’s Future First Charter keeps its goals on track - supported by zero waste to landfill, carbon-labelled menus, the planned installation of solar-powered EV charging, and a biodiversity strategy across its 80-acre estate.
For more on The Venues Collection’s sustainability journey: www.thevenuescollection.co.uk
