The Old House at Home in Dormansland, Surrey, has been named UK Community Sustainability Hero at the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards.
Julia and Michael Foxwell
The pub was recognised for its efforts to make the hospitality industry greener. It has secured funding from the Surrey County Council Active Travel Programme to purchase a staff e-bike, install an e-bike charging point, and operate a free public bike repair station.
The couple also re-use coffee grounds as fertiliser, collect pet fur for birds to use as nesting material, turn spent beer into a natural slug deterrent, and the pub’s outdoor furniture is made using reclaimed scaffold boards and poles.
The Old House at Home has already received numerous accolades, including the Sustainability Award at the BII National Innovation in Training Awards 2025 and Sustainable Pub of the Year at the Shepherd Neame Pub Awards 2026. The 2026 PubAid awards received a record number of nominations from MPs, highlighting growing recognition in Parliament of the role pubs play within their constituencies.
“The Old House at Home is a brilliant example of how a rural pub can combine community spirit with fresh thinking on sustainability,” said East Surrey Claire Coutinho. “From encouraging cycling and creating wildlife-friendly spaces to reducing waste, re-using materials, and supporting local suppliers, Julia and the team have shown that practical changes can have a real impact.”
PubAid co-founder, Des O’Flanagan, added: “The Old House at Home is a brilliant example of just how important pubs are to the communities they serve. What they have achieved in Surrey, from making sustainability part of everyday pub life through active travel, waste reduction, and practical environmental initiatives, shows that a great pub is about so much more than food and drink; it is a place that brings people together, supports those who need it and makes a real difference locally.”
