Award nominations Vote for Strattons as Europe's Leading Green Hotel Strattons 'where's mittens' Christmas card competi Congratulations to the winners of Strattons 'where's mittens' cat competition. Lots of you correctly answered that there were 10 mittens in the picture. First place received dinner, bed & breakfast for 2 in our new Cocoes bedrooms. Second place received £50 worth of vouchers to spend in Cocoes cafe/deli. Thank you to everyone who entered, well done to the winners and we look forward to seeing you all very soon. Hannah at Strattons STRATTONS HOTEL WINS NATIONAL RECYCLING AWARD Press release: Wednesday 28th October 2009 For immediate release. Strattons Hotel picked up the prize for ‘The Waste Minimisation Award’ at last night’s National Recycling Awards held at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London. With over 500 attendees from all sectors, the new look National Recycling Awards were a great success last night as the winners were announced. For the first time, the National Recycling Awards included several new categories widening the scope of the awards to include the construction and retail sectors. Like last year, we also rewarded the efforts of local authorities, councils, the public sector and the waste management community. Paul Sanderson, MRW editor, commented in his compelling opening speech: “The National Recycling Awards have yet again been a fantastic showcase for all the good efforts in recycling and waste management going on across the country. Whether it was small technology companies, local authorities, waste management firms or big retailers, the standard of entries this year was amazing. I'm sure the judges will agree with me that all the winners were truly outstanding." Big winners on the night included Gunwharf Quays for Retail Recycler of the Year, Greenstar WES for Recycled Packaging of the Year and Torbay Council were awarded Local Authority Team of the Year. For more information on the National Recycling Awards, please visit http://www.nationalrecyclingawards.com/. - Ends - Winners Best New Technology Award Winner: Bioflame Recycled Packaging of the Year Winner: Greenstar WES - HDPE Highly commended: PFF - rPET100 Best Recycled Product Winner: Wrekin Windows - First energy efficient PVC-U window manufactured from 98 per cent recycled material Electrical and Electronic Equipment Recycler of the Year Winner: West Sussex County Council and Delivery Partners Innovation in Health and Safety Practises Winner: Veolia Environmental Services Southwark Highly commended: Three Rivers District Council Best Partnership Project for Recycling Winner: The Precycle Group, Help the Aged/Age Concern and 1st Waste Management Consultants Highly commended: Surrey County Council, Coca Cola Enterprises & Recoup Small Business Recycler of the Year Winner: Cambrian Printers Retail Recycler of the Year - taken from The Waste Minimisation Award Winner: Gunwharf Quays Highly commended: Home Retail Group plc - (owners of Argos and Homebase) Construction Recycler of the Year Winner: Prowaste Management Services Public Sector Recycling Achievement Award Winner: London School of Economics and Political Science Local Authority Target Success Winner: Rochford District Council Highly commended: Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Local Authority Team of the Year Winner: Torbay Council Highly commended: Three Rivers District Council Recycling and Waste Management Business of the Year Winner: First Mile The Waste Minimisation Award Winner: Strattons Hotel, Swaffham, Norfolk Highly commended: BaxterStorey Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Philip Harrington, Environmental & Recycling Manager, Wilson James The National Recycling Awards 2009 was organised by Emap Inform. Press contact: Lisa Walker – lisa.walker@emap.com Norfolk girl gains top award previously won by Mar Hannah Scott, of Strattons Hotel, Swaffham, Norfolk was in the Cotswolds on Monday for this year?s prestigious Acorn Awards recognising the top 30 hospitality figures under the age of 30. The annual awards are in their 23rd year and have seen the likes of Marco Pierre White, Gary Rhodes and James Horler among its former winners. The 36 hour celebration began with a team building day hosted by team-spirit, held at luxury hotel operator Von Essen's Lower Slaughter Manor, Gloucestershire. Hannah was the only representative from Norfolk; other winners included bright young stars from the likes of Radisson SAS, Aramark, Costa, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Von Essen, Park Plaza, and the Peach Pub Company. At 25, Hannah is one of the youngest ever recipients of the award and in January this year was made a director of Strattons. Simon Marshall, Managing Director, of sponsors Unilever Foodsolutions said, ?We believe in the importance of nurturing young talent. The Acorn Awards come at a time when optimism has never been more crucial. During challenging times it's important to remain positive and what better way to do this than by rewarding the young individuals who are showing extra strength of character and effort in all that they do. These rising stars should be recognised and celebrated so that they can continue to perform and lead the industry forward.? On winning Hannah said, ?This award means so much to me, I have no formal hospitality training, I simply enjoy challenging myself. This is a fantastic achievement and I hope it will encourage other young talent from Norfolk to enter next year.? Photo opportunity: Hannah is available for pictures with her Acorn Trophy (Call Hannah Scott on 01760 723845 or e-mail office@strattonshotel.com) Notes: ?Strattons Hotel is a small 10 bedroom boutique hotel based in Swaffham www.strattonshotel.com ?More information on the awards can be found at http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009/06/08/328105/caterer-reveals-2009-acorn-award-winners.html ?2009 Acorn Awards Sponsor http://www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk/ Contact: Hannah Scott Director Strattons Hotel, 4 Ash Close, Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7NH Telephone: 01760 723845 Mobile: 07798575653 E-mail: office@strattonshotel.com Website: www.strattonshotel.com Full List of 2009 Acorn winners ?Caroline Archer, revenue manager, Radisson SAS hotel London Stansted Airport ?John Badley, executive head chef, Rookery Hall hotel ?Charlotte Barr, head chef, The Old Mill - Peach Pub Co. ?Ros Bowen, HR business partner, Aramark ?Joanne Burnip, store manager Costa ?Alison Chenery, hotel project manager, Hotel Verta, Von Essen ?Dan Corfield, PR and marketing manager, Renaissance Chancery Court hotel ?Isabelle Davis, marketing manager, 3663 First for Foodservice ?Nicolas Defremont, restaurant manager, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay ?Robert Flinter, hotel manager, IHG - Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum ?Stephen Fogarty, foodservices manager, Debenhams ?Sam Hall, regional sales & marketing manager, Sharrow Bay Hotel - Von Essen ?William Holland, La Becasse Restaurant ?David Hopkins, regional IT Manager UK, Park Plaza Hotels Europe ?Caroline Marais, HR manager, Grosvenor House ?Helen McDonald, F&B manager, Premier Inn, London Heathrow ?Grant McKenzie, general manager, Malmaison, Leeds ?Vincent McKevitt, founder and managing director, Tossed ?Chantelle Nicholson, sous chef, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley ?Laura Caroline Maria Penman, hotel proprietor, Fishmore Hall ?Christopher Penn, deputy general manager, The Cavendish ?Rachel Louise Phillips, acting director of HR ?Hannah Scott, director, Strattons hotel ?Ashley Shaw, F&B operations manager, the Westbury hotel ?Elaine Shovlin, assistant director of sales, Central London Hotels and Resorts ?Jamie Stevens, general manager, Abode Hotels, Glasgow ?Gavin Tiffin, general manager, Hamilton park Racecourse, Prestige Scotland ?James Varah, director of sales, The Brewery ?Denis Verrier, general manager, Homewood Park, Von Essen ?Simon Warner, general manager, Dartmouth Apprentice Go Green at Chapelfield Saturday 13th June to Sunday 14th June 2009 Go Green is two days of eco-awareness activity aiming to involve and engage shoppers over a range of issues that affect us all. One of the key attractions is likely to be an onsite worm hotel, showing shoppers how food waste at Chapelfield is being turned into garden compost. There will also be lots of information on recycling, sustainable transport and how ?going green? can be made easy. Chapelfield Shopping Centre St Stephens Street Norwich Chapelfield A fantastic accolade... NEWS Date issued: 28 April 2009 A Tale of Two Cities ? Top London and Edinburgh Hotels Named as First Ever Joint Winners of Coveted ?Considerate Hotel of the Year? Environmental Award 2008 Special Lifetime Achievement Awards for Professor John Forte OBE; and David Burner, Head Concierge, Crowne Plaza London - St. James & 51 Buckingham Gate The 2008 winners of the prestigious annual Considerate Hoteliers Association (CHA) ?Hotel of the Year Awards? ? celebrating the best in environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance and open to all UK hotels and guest-houses ? were announced yesterday (27 April 2009) by the CHA at a Gala Lunch and presentation ceremony, held at The Cavendish London in the heart of the capital?s West End. For the first time in CHA?s 18 year history, two leading hotels shared the much coveted top accolade ? the overall ?Considerate Hotel of the Year Award?: the privately owned contemporary luxury hotel ? One Aldwych in London?s Covent Garden; and the Rezidor Hotel Group?s 4-star Radisson SAS Hotel Edinburgh, located in the heart of Scotland?s capital. The recipients were presented with their CHA awards, of inscribed Dartington Crystal decanters, for being the best ?all-rounders? to have been considered by the judges as having succeeded in a wide range of environmental initiatives ? ranging from energy and water conservation, waste reduction and support for sustainable food, to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Commenting on the decision, CHA Association Secretary John Firrell said: ?The fact that we have, for the first time ever, announced two joint winners is testimony to how closely fought the contest was this year. The judges (see ?Notes to Editors?) deliberated hard and long ?attempting to separate the top two. Both hotels had achieved their objectives and fulfilled the criterion of the award, albeit that they arrived there from different directions. The judges ultimately agreed that both hotels would be perfect ambassadors to carry the Considerate message to others, acting as role models and setting an example of how to achieve environmental and CSR aims ? without necessarily the need for considerable financial investment in these straitened times. ?We are delighted with the outcome and congratulate One Aldwych and Radisson SAS Edinburgh for their green ambitions, tenacity and dedication, setting an incredibly high standard for others to match in the years to come.? Highly commended in this category were two leading privately owned hotels in Cornwall: the Bedruthan Steps Hotel at Magwan Porth, between Newquay and Padstow; and the Budock Vean Hotel at Helford Passage, near Falmouth ? very much supporting Cornwall?s claim to be in the vanguard of sustainable tourism. Another ?first? for the CHA?s 2008 annual awards are two new award categories: the ?Considerate Green Team of the Year? and the ?Considerate Green Champion of 2008?. The recipient of the ?Considerate Green Team of the Year 2008? award ? an inscribed Dartington Crystal pedestal bowl ? was the deluxe Crowne Plaza Hotel London - The City, situated in New Bridge Street; and Highly Commended was 5-star boutique hotel The Egerton House, representing Red Carnation Hotels, in the heart of London?s Knightsbridge. The award is presented to the establishment or group that, in the opinion of the judges, has ? by virtue of the work undertaken by their Green Team ? made the most difference in 2008. Short-listed for the award were: the Best Western Monkbar Hotel in York; Langdale Hotel & Country Club, near Ambleside in Cumbria; and the Park Inn Heathrow, London. The winner of the ?Considerate Green Champion of 2008? award ? an inscribed Dartington Crystal pedestal bowl ? was Vanessa Scott, Director and Head Chef of luxury boutique Strattons Hotel and Restaurant in Swaffham, Norfolk; and ?The One to Watch? runner-up was: Alexandra Hammond, Responsible Business Manager - UK, Rezidor Hotel Group. The award is presented to the individual, nominated by fellow hoteliers and colleagues, who by sheer dedication has inspired others to raise the green standard. Short-listed for the award were: Malcolm Lewis, Managing Director, Longueville Manor in Jersey; Rod Needs, Maintenance Manager, the Crowne Plaza Marlow in Buckinghamshire; and Fiona Smith, Risk Manager, The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland. Rounding off the 2008 CHA awards ceremony, a Special Lifetime Achievement award ? in the form of inscribed Dartington Crystal decanters ? was presented to Professor John Forte OBE, Environment and Food Safety Consultant. Professor John Forte, who was awarded an OBE in the New Year?s Honours List, was honoured yesterday for his tireless willingness to support and advise, much of it freely given, on the work of the hospitality industry and in particular CHA, over many years ? with regard to food safety, sustainable tourism and care for the environment. He has on many occasions provided infinite wisdom, common sense and expert judgment, regarding the Considerate Hotel of the Year awards. It was also announced at the presentation ceremony that David Burner, Head Concierge, Crowne Plaza London - St. James & 51 Buckingham Gate ? who unfortunately was unable to attend ? had also been honoured with a Special Lifetime Achievement award. David Burner was honoured for not just being a world-class concierge. In the early days of the CHA, the St James Court ? as the Crowne Plaza London - St James was then called ? was one of the first hotels to create a green team and set out an ambitious environmental agenda; and the inspirational leader of this green team was David Burner. During his term as leader, the hotel won many green awards, and was a pathfinder setting the environmental standard for other hotels to follow. Finally, Rod Needs ? Maintenance Manager at the Crowne Plaza Marlow in Buckinghamshire ? was honoured by being publicly presented with a CHA Certificate of Excellence and Dedication for being a ?Green Hero?. For the bulk of Rod?s six years at the Crowne Plaza Marlow, he has been the green team ? the person who has flown the hotel?s green banner from the rooftops and motivated, cajoled and encouraged other staff members to adopt a more socially responsible attitude both in the hotel and the community. Rod retires this year and this honour is very timely and appropriate. Summing up the success of the ?Considerate Hotel of the Year Awards 2008?, Liam Lambert, President designate of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, said: ?As the outgoing Chairman of the Considerate Hoteliers Association, I am delighted that my tenure should end on such a high note. We have been blown away by not only the sheer number of entries for the 2008 Awards but, and more importantly, the high quality of those entries. ?The entrants for these awards have proved the point that you do not need to throw a great deal of money at an environmental project for it to produce stunning results. It is so gratifying to know that there are a tremendous number of responsible hoteliers out there, willing to put their efforts and dedication where their beliefs lie. To the winners, we offer our most heartiest of congratulations.? -ends- For further Information, please contact: John Firrell MIH Association Secretary Considerate Hoteliers Association Tel: 01308 482313 Email: jfirrell@tiscali.co.uk; Website: www.consideratehoteliers.com Or: Dr Julian Demetriadi FIH MTS Director CommunicationsPoint Tel: 01725 552 835 Fax: 01725 552 861; Email: juliandemetriadi@communicationspoint.net Note to Editors: Considerate Hoteliers Association ?Hotel of the Year? awards 2008 Judges The CHA wish to publicly thank the 2008 CHA awards judges: Paulina Bohdanowicz, Sustainability Manager, Hilton Europe; Diana Mountain, Chair of the BAHA (British Association of Hospitality Accountants) Technical Committee; Manda Brookman, Director of CoaST (the Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project); Andy Lowe of Carbon Clear; Jamie Howe from Sustain (London Food Link); Dr Rebecca Hawkins, Department of Hospitality, Leisure & Tourism, Oxford Brookes University; and Jane Carlton-Smith, Centre for Environmental Studies in the Hospitality Industry (CESHI) and Department of Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Management, Oxford Brookes University. CHA Awards Presentation Ceremony Sponsors The CHA also wishes to publicly thank the sponsors of the awards presentation ceremony ? Oxford Brookes University; The Pure Water Company; Deva; Gilchrist & Soames Ltd; and Carbon Clear. Considerate Hoteliers Association Considerate Hoteliers is an association of like-minded hoteliers, whose purpose it is to encourage, assist, cajole and motivate fellow hoteliers to adopt sustainable, environmentally friendly and socially responsible practices. A list of current members can be found at Considerate Hotelier . Pride in Breckland award nominees They are the unsung heroes that truly are the pride of Breckland and soon many of them will be rewarded for their inspiring achievements at a glittering awards ceremony. The inaugural Pride in Breckland Awards, organised by Breckland Council, aims to honour those who help to make the area great. Scores of people were nominated for the different categories that range from top achiever to good friend or neighbour to child of courage. Three people have been shortlisted for each award and the winners will be announced at a special ceremony on Friday at Lynford Hall, in Mundford. William Nunn, leader of the council, said the event is about applauding and celebrating the remarkable contributions that people in Breckland are making in their communities and beyond. He said the finalists had all made outstanding achievements by devoting their time, energy and skills, and by showing an incredible amount of commitment and enthusiasm. Our very own Les and Vanessa Scott are nominated for the 'Greener Breckland' award - 'Les and Vanessa Scott have owned Strattons Hotel, in Swaffham, since the early 1990s. The hotel has been recognised as a leading green hotel and it produces less rubbish per week than a two-person home. The hotel has already won a number of awards. Mr and Mrs Scott are ardent supporters of Norfolk and play an active role in promoting the area'. For full listings of all the categories and nominees please visit - Pride in Breckland award nominees BBC 2 It's not easy being Green Catch up with Strattons on the BBC iplayer Series 3 - Episode 7 Wednesday 18th February 2009 BBC It's not easy being green Dick and his team get their rags oily building a ram pump. It's technical stuff - will it work? Lauren visits an eco-hotel in Norfolk and helps out behind the scenes weighing the leftover teas and coffees. Toby Sawday meets a young bride at a wedding fair and sets about trying to green-up her wedding and her honeymoon. Jon Kay looks at carbon off-setting. A new garden, at Strattons and its water demands prompted an innovative water saving project that anyone could do....... Strattons Hotel recycled over 200,000 litres of waste water collected from its kitchen & restaurant, water butts and rain water harvesting, which represented 33% of the total water consumption of Strattons for 2007/2008. The business does not call on any mains water for outside jobs and in 2008 obtained a rebate from the local water company for eliminating surface water into the mains drainage. It is this initiative that scooped Strattons the prestigious, ?EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION? award at last night?s ?HRS Hotel Excellence Awards?, held at One Whitehall Place, London. These annual awards recognise best practice in hotels of all sizes, aiming to encourage other hotels to adopt similar approaches to improve their businesses. The judge?s verdict: ?Strattons demonstrated an extremely innovative way of turning the challenge of adverse flood conditions into an opportunity. A well deserved winner.? Vanessa Scott, Director, Strattons, said ?We operate out of a listed grade II Palladian building with a semi-basement area that is prone to flooding and was exacerbated by the fact that over the years rain water / surface water drainage pipes had been illegally plumbed into the main drainage system which we were blissfully unaware of. On one occasion just prior to a black tie 50th birthday party at the hotel a flash flood backed up the town drains and the restaurant was flooded with foul water! Whilst at the other end of the house in the boiler room the unhappy cats and dogs were floating on their bedding!? In 2008 the whole of the front gardens at Strattons were re-developed, not only to complete the final phase of restoration of the listed building, but to provide much needed extra car parking space. Incorporated into the new project were 2 rainwater harvesting tanks with capacities of 1,100 & 3,500 litres which back up a re-commissioned 10,000 litre ?Victorian? tank. These tanks collect surface water from around the building and reduce flood risk. The recovered water is used for irrigation within the site; no additional mains water is used for irrigation and there is no discharge into drains. Expanding the project 12 Water butts of 400 litre capacities were installed to collect water for vegetable and fruit watering and building work. Water from kitchen prep and waste restaurant water is also collected, recorded and audited for targeting purposes. As a result of between May and September 2008 Strattons collected 18,144 litres of rain water to grow over ?1000 of salad crops entirely irrigated from this waste stream. Maintenance were also able to build a 2 metre high, 18 metres long traditional flint brick wall utilising collected water entirely. ENDS ?Images available ?The unique HRS Hotel Excellence Awards were created for the first time last year to showcase best practice in the UK hotel industry and to recognise outstanding achievement. The Awards are part of the Best Practice Forum?s Business Excellence Awards which are amongst the most prestigious awards in tourism and hospitality. For further information, please contact Claire Honey or Samantha Darlaston at Consolidated Communications on 020 7287 2087, email: hrs@consolidatedpr.com ?Rainwater Harvesting is the collection of water that would otherwise have gone down the drain, into the ground or been lost through evaporation. Large surfaces such as roofs or driveways are ideal for rainwater harvesting and can provide up to 100m3 (100,000 litres) of water per year from a medium sized area. This water can be used to flush toilets, water gardens and even feed the washing machine. Rainwater harvesting systems can be installed in both new and existing buildings, and the harvested water used for purposes that do not require drinking water quality. Rainwater harvesting has the potential to save a large volume of mains water and therefore help reduce the pressure on water resources. ?You can help the environment by reducing the demand for mains water so less has to be taken from the environment. Collecting rainwater is really easy - it doesn't cost much to do and means you can keep watering during the summer or whenever there are water restrictions. ?Most plants prefer rainwater to tap water. Using rainwater you use less tap water, which will save you money if you're on a meter. Top tips for collecting rainwater: ?Buy a water butt from your water company, gardening or DIY centre or online ?Fit a water butt on every downpipe on your house, shed, garage or greenhouse ?Increase your storage by connecting several water butts together or just get one big butt if space allow ?If you have the space and money, you could think about installing a rainwater harvesting system at your house. You sink a large tank in your garden, which you could then pave or deck over. This collects water to use in your garden and in the house to flush toilets. ?Garden sprinklers can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day. Contact: Hannah Scott, Sales & Marketing Manager Strattons Hotel 4 Ash Close Swaffham Norfolk PE37 7NH Tel 01760 723845 Email- enquiries@strattonshotel.com Visit- www.strattonshotel.com NORFOLK CHEF WINS UK COELIAC ?FOOD WITHOUT FEAR? C Giorgio Locatelli, announced today, the winners of Coeliac UK?s gluten-free chef of the year competition during a special presentation at his award winning restaurant, Locanda Locatelli in London. The competition, launched earlier this year as part of Coeliac UK?s Food Without Fear campaign, aimed to raise awareness and highlight the need for increased provision of gluten-free menu options for the 1 in 100 people in the UK with coeliac disease. The standard of entry was extremely high and as such, it was decided that there should be joint winners. They are Vanessa Scott of Strattons Hotel in Norfolk and Christine Bailey, a chef trainer and journalist from Reading. Coeliac UK is the leading Charity for people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. This year they are celebrating 40 years of supporting their Members. Coeliac disease is not an allergy; it is an auto-immune disease, which means that the body produces antibodies that attack its own tissues. For people with coeliac disease this attack is triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Some people with coeliac disease also react to oats. The only treatment for coeliac disease is a gluten-free diet. Vanessa Scott of Strattons Hotel, Norfolk said; ?We believe that food should be fresh, tasty and wholesome as well as absolutely delicious. Care and thought has gone into the preparation of all our food and as well as the screening of fresh produce we use a great amount of wholefoods, organic wherever possible, additive and GM free. The kitchen is very proactive regarding guests dietary requirements especially as my daughter-in-law has celiac disease; I feel there is still an awful lot of failure to cater for specific diets such as gluten free and vegetarianism, part through ignorance and a lack of toleration for diners needs and preferences?. Giorgio Locatelli, leading chef and proprietor of award winning Locanda Locatelli, supported the recipe competition and judged the entries: ?I was extremely impressed with the exceptionally high standard of recipes. Through the innovative use of gluten-free ingredients, a wide range of both sweet and savoury recipes can be created, which are not only tasty but also suitable for people with coeliac disease to eat. Congratulations to all the winners and I hope that more chefs will learn and understand the importance, and gain the aptitude, for providing tasty, interesting gluten-free options on their menus.? Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive of Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease, said: ?We know that for people with coeliac disease, eating out on a gluten-free diet can be a miserable experience. Choice is often very limited and the risk of unknowingly eating gluten puts many off eating out altogether. If gluten is accidentally eaten, it can cause someone of the condition to become very unwell within a matter of hours. For people with coeliac disease, a gluten-free diet is not a fad but an absolute necessity to maintain good health.? Coeliac disease is not a food allergy; it is an autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten. Damage to the gut lining occurs when gluten is eaten. There is no cure or medication for the condition; the only treatment is life-long adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. At least 1 in 100 people in the UK has coeliac disease; so for the hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, being careful about what they eat is an essential way of life. Without a gluten-free diet, the disease can lead to other conditions, such as malnutrition, osteoporosis, infertility problems and also can cause bowel cancer. END Contact: Hannah Scott, Marketing Manager Strattons Hotel 4 Ash Close Swaffham Norfolk PE37 7NH Tel 01760 723845 Fax 01760 720458 Email- enquiries@strattonshotel.com Visit- www.strattonshotel.com For further information, please contact: Kate Newman kate.newman@coeliac.org.uk Tel: 0208 3997478 / 07952071014 Notes to editors: ? 1 in 100 people in the UK has coeliac disease. ? Members of Coeliac UK receive an annual Food and Drink Directory, which lists thousands of foods people with coeliac disease can eat. ? Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including spelt), rye and barley; beer; obvious sources of gluten include breads, pastas, flours, cereals, cakes and biscuits. It is often used as an ingredient in many favourite foods such as fish fingers, sausages, gravies, sauces and soy sauce. People with coeliac disease can also be sensitive to oats. ? The symptoms of coeliac disease range from mild to severe and can vary between individuals. Not everyone with coeliac disease experiences gut related symptoms; any area of the body can be affected. ? Symptoms can include bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, wind, tiredness, anaemia, headaches, mouth ulcers, recurrent miscarriages, weight loss (but not in all cases), skin problems, depression, joint or bone pain and nerve problems. ? Around 1000 newly diagnosed people are joining Coeliac UK every month. For further details on membership please call the helpline on 0870 444 8804 further information can be found at www.coeliac.org.uk Vanessa Scott, Strattons Hotel Gluten free Twice-baked Binham Blue & Potato souffl? butter to grease the moulds 100gms spinach, cleaned & finely chopped 100g rice flour 4 eggs, separated and extra egg white to create lightness 350g Binham Blue cheese* 450gms/1lb floury potatoes ? tsp horseradish salt & black pepper 1 tsp raising agent Raising Agents Baking powder should not be used. This often contains wheat flour as a filler. There is no need to mix a gluten free baking powder beforehand, simply use the pure raising agents as required. We use this mix depending on the recipe; Bicarbonate of Soda, Sodium Bicarbonate This white powder releases carbon dioxide when it is mixed with an acid solution and warmed. These gas bubbles expand causing the mixture to rise. If there is no acidity in the mixture, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar should be added in equal quantities and well mixed in. Cream of Tartar This is a weak acid in powder form for activating bicarbonate of soda. 1) Preheat oven to 190?C 2) Butter 10 metal moulds or 8 glass ramekins 3) Cook and mash the potatoes with the 4 egg yolks, stir in half the cheese and all the flour. 4) Season to taste with salt & black pepper. Fold in the finely chopped spinach and horseradish. 5) Whisk egg whites until stiff, fold into the mixture. 6) Spoon the mixture into the moulds 7) Place in a bain marie and half fill with boiling water. 8) Bake 18-20 minutes until just set. Allow to cool and sink. Cover with cling film and store in fridge. 9) When ready to serve preheat oven to 200?C. Run a knife around the edges of the souffl?s and turn out onto a baking dish. Crumble the remaining cheese with cream to make a paste & spoon over the souffl?s and return to the oven for 10 minutes until crisp. Serve immediately with a mustard dressed green salad. *SUPPLIER Mrs Temples Farmhouse cheeses hand made from the milk of their own cows, fully traceable from grass meadows. A range of flavours and textures for the cheeseboard and cooking, including soft veined Binham Blue, crumbly Walsingham, Melton Mozarella, creamy Wighton and the flavoured Gouda type Warhans. 01328 820224 www.producedinnorfolk.com Wednesday 9th July 2008 Strattons wins Green Award at Catey Awards Les and Vanessa Scott of Strattons Hotel, Swaffham, Norfolk, were presented last night with the Green Award, at the 25th Caterer and Hotelkeeper hospitality awards ? The Cateys - the industry?s equivalent to the Oscars. The award, presented at a glittering silver anniversary ceremony held at the Grosvenor hotel in London, recognised the thorough dedication and hard work Strattons have given to the industry over the last 18 years. The evening was hosted by comic actor Rory Bremner, who stared in the locally filmed ITV series ?Kingdom? with Stephen Fry. Mr Bremner stayed at Strattons whilst filming last year. The ?Green Award?, a new category this year, recognised the most mature, innovative and integrated approach to green policy and programmes within a hospitality business, large or small. Vanessa said; ?We are absolutely thrilled, it?s a great achievement for our staff and customers who embrace the ethos and understand it?s not about sacrificing quality. We have been working closely with Alastair Sawdays, Considerate hoteliers, Business Link and Green Tourism Business scheme to encourage other businesses in the industry to effect green change.? Strattons entry included a waste management initiative for water which is metered and monitored at the hotel. As well as installing water saving devices into existing 9 litre toilet cisterns, reducing water by 2 litres per flush, all new toilets fitted are 3 litre dual flush models, saving a further 4 litres per flush. Two underground tanks a re-commissioned Victorian 10,000 litre capacity tank and a new 1,100 litre model provide part of a rainwater harvesting facility. Diverting this water into storage for garden irrigation means that no mains water was used during 2007 or 2008 for plant, building and car valeting purposes. During 2007 over 60,000 litres of rainwater was collected by this means. Rainwater harvesting also takes place from roof water diverted into fourteen, 400 litre butts around the property. This specific grey water recycling along with water collected from the kitchens and restaurant supported the expansion of salad and vegetable production on site. In 2007 over ?1000 worth of salad crops alone were grown in the organic veggie plot. A total 200,000 litres of water were recovered and reused during 2007 for vegetables and gardening, building, car washing and exterior washing of paintwork and glass, patios and pathways representing a 33% saving on the hotels water charges. Top-name chefs attending the special occasion included TV personalities Brian Turner, Anthony Worrall-Thompson and Gary Rhodes. Mark Lewis, editor of Caterer and Hotelkeeper said: ?For the silver anniversary year, the Cateys produced a roster of winners to be proud of. More than a thousand of the great and good of hospitality gathered to recognise and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the industry?. Your household can really make a difference ..........by following the water wise tips below: Fitting a Save-a-flush (a bag of harmless crystals) in your toilet cistern can save up to 1 litre per flush. That?s a saving of nearly 2,000 litres per person per year. Installing a Hippo (designed to work in toilet cisterns with a 9 litre flush or greater) could save up to 5,000 litres per person per year. Have a refreshing shower instead of a bath - this can save over 300 litres of water a week. Be careful though - a power shower can use more water than a bath! Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes 6 litres per minute. Fix leaking taps. A dripping tap can waste up to 140 litres a week. When buying a new dishwasher, choose one that is energy efficient as this saves on water and electricity. Machines with an 'A' rating are most economical. Wait for a full load before using the washing machine - a full load uses less water than 2 half loads. Cool water in the fridge means you don't have to run the tap for ages to get a cold drink. Only fill the kettle with enough water for your needs, this will reduce your fuel bills too. Lag your pipes and leave your heating on a low setting when you are out to avoid bursts in cold weather. A water butt in your garden can collect rainwater that can be used used on your plants and lawn If you have a water meter, check for leaks by turning off the water and taking two readings several minutes apart. If the readings are different there may be a leak.