Serving seasonal, local and responsibly sourced food

At Horwood House, sustainability is part of what we serve.

The Kitchen pillar brings together our local suppliers, in-house production, estate-grown ingredients, food waste reduction, responsible seafood, ethical beverages and future Kitchen Garden plans.

Our goal is simple: to serve food that is thoughtful, seasonal, high quality and rooted wherever possible in the estate and the local area.

 

 

The Local Larder

We are passionate about working with local suppliers wherever possible. Local sourcing supports freshness, reduces food miles, strengthens our regional economy and gives our chefs closer relationships with the people behind the ingredients.

Our local and regional suppliers include:

  • The Buckingham Butcher, which supplies over 90% of our meat

  • Brewpoint Taproom & Brewery

  • Three Counties Spirits Co

  • Rennie’s Winslow Cider, a not-for-profit cider producer from the village at the end of our road

  • Collins Fresh Produce, our fruit and vegetable wholesaler located around 30 minutes away

  • The Stickleback Fish Co Ltd, our seafood wholesaler in Hatfield, less than an hour from the hotel

We have also previously sourced local gin from Bucks Bros Gin and are currently identifying a new local gin supplier following the sale of that business.

Our chefs plan carefully, consolidate orders and work closely with trusted local suppliers to reduce unnecessary deliveries. This helps maintain freshness while reducing the environmental impact of multiple smaller drop-offs.

 

 

Responsible Seafood

Our seafood supplier, The Stickleback Fish Co Ltd, supports our commitment to responsible sourcing through sustainability standards including MSC Chain of Custody certification, ASC accreditation and adherence to Marine Conservation Society guidance.

By choosing a supplier that prioritises traceability, seasonality, sustainable fishing practices and responsibly farmed seafood, we can support more responsible use of natural resources.

We do not serve endangered or protected fish or seafood on our guest menus as defined by Marine Conservation Society guidance.

 

 

Made in the House

Producing more food in-house is one of the ways we reduce reliance on external packaging, improve quality and celebrate the skill of our team.

Rather than buying external branded chocolates, we have invested in talented pastry chefs who create handmade chocolates, desserts, decorative displays and gifts for our guests. Our speciality breads are also now made in-house rather than being purchased externally.

This is better for quality, creativity and sustainability. It reduces unnecessary packaging, gives our chefs more control over ingredients and allows us to create food that feels personal to Horwood House.

You may see this work throughout the hotel, from handcrafted reception displays to seasonal desserts, celebration pieces and menus inspired by the estate.

 

 

Estate to Plate

Our estate is becoming an increasingly important part of our food story.

We already use honey from our on-site beehive, which is home to more than 25,000 bees through our partnership with Urban Bee-lievers. The honey is served at breakfast and used by our chefs in items such as biscuits, breads and desserts.

Our chefs also forage from the gardens, using ingredients such as:

  • Wild garlic

  • Mint

  • Rosemary

  • Blackberries

  • Seasonal apples from the orchard

The orchard, planted in 2025, is an important step towards more estate-led food. When seasonally available, its apples are used in our menus.

Our future Kitchen Garden will take this further, allowing us to grow more herbs, fruit, vegetables and edible plants on site. This will reduce food miles, support seasonal menus, involve local schools and charities, and help create a closer connection between the gardens and the kitchen.

 

 

Food Waste

Food waste is one of the most important sustainability challenges in hospitality, and we manage it carefully.

Our kitchen teams track food waste from daily breakfast buffets, corporate buffets and returned or rejected food. Each kitchen completes a daily waste report, and our chefs review the information monthly to identify any concerning patterns, such as over-ordering, human error or incorrect ticketing.

We also train service teams carefully so they understand menu ingredients and dietary requirements. This helps reduce mistakes, misunderstandings and returned meals.

Where suitable and safe, leftover food from events and service is used creatively for staff meals. For example, mushrooms left from breakfast may be used in a staff lasagne at lunch. Our team receives three staff meals a day, helping us reduce waste while supporting staff wellbeing.

Other food waste initiatives include:

  • Food waste collection for recycling

  • Grease trap kitchen waste removed for recycling

  • Used cooking oil recycled

  • Excess food redistributed through Too Good To Go or similar

  • Food waste reduction policy in place

  • Guardians of Grub or equivalent food management training

Reducing food waste is a daily habit, not a one-off project.

 

 

Better Beverage Choices

Our beverage choices also reflect our local and sustainability ambitions.

We stock locally produced drinks including Rennie’s Winslow Cider, Chiltern Beer, Three Counties Spirits Co and Brewpoint Taproom & Brewery. Brewpoint’s sustainability initiatives include renewable electricity, efficient brewing technology, waste reduction and sustainable sourcing.

We also offer non-alcoholic beer, gin, wine, prosecco and mocktails, as well as organic and carbon-neutral certified wines.

For water, we offer filtered still and sparkling water on site in reusable glass bottles. This helps reduce purchased plastic bottles, food miles and packaging waste.

For guests who prefer bottled water, we offer Thirsty Planet, a UK-based water brand that supports Pump Aid through a guaranteed donation with every bottle sold, helping fund clean water projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

We are also adding EcoPure water dispensers to support convenient filtered water use across the hotel.

 

 

Organic and Plant-Based Choices

We currently use a range of organic products across our food offering, including all flour and bread flour used by our chefs for house-made bread, organic Tenderstem broccoli, organic honey, organic tofu, selected cheeses and organic red and white wine.

Increasing the proportion of organic ingredients is an ongoing focus. We aim to ensure that at least one organic option is available across every menu and at each mealtime.

Our menus also include vegetarian and vegan options. Current estimates show around 40% of buffet items are vegetarian and 10% vegan, while the main menu is around 25% vegetarian and 5% vegan.