Today marks the start of B Corp Month, an opportunity to celebrate the brands that use business as a force for good and to learn how some of the nation’s favourite brands as well as trailblazing small businesses are tackling injustice and inequality to bring positive impact to people and the planet.
We have rounded up a selection of B Corp brands that need to be on your radar for this month, paving the way to help us and the environment.
Charlie Bighams
When Charlie started the company from his kitchen table in 1996 – nearly 27 years ago, he had one ambition: to create delicious dishes that would stand the test of time – putting in all the care and attention that you would if you were to cook them yourself.
And from the start, that has meant working extra hard to look after his team, our community, and the environment.
Bigham’s ongoing support for charities, connects the business with reducing food waste and addressing food insecurities within their local communities and we’re so proud to be a Certified Great Place to Work and Great Place to Work for Wellbeing 2022. #wegobeyond
Charlie Bighams said: “We are incredibly proud to have been awarded our B Corp certification back in 2020. We see being recognised as an organisation using business as a force for good, as a wonderful milestone, and continue to set more milestones and find further ways to continuously improve our business and our practices. We’re looking forward to renewing our B Corp Certification in Aug 2023.”
“A little bit better, every day, every week, every month and every year…” Charlie Bigham, Founder
Mindful Chef
With a mission to make healthy eating easy, Mindful Chef offers convenient and high-quality recipe boxes as well as a ‘Ready to Go’ range. Proudly B-Corp since September 2018, the healthy food brand has pioneered a sustainability led food-labelling concept as part of its mission to become NetZero by 2030. In partnership with ClimatePartner, Mindful Chef now puts its recipes through a full Life Cycle Assessment. Recipes with a low carbon impact that is in line with the WWF’s target of reducing dietary related emissions are labelled to enable customers to make informed choices about how to reduce their individual carbon footprint and fight climate change.
Other initiatives include quality and regenerative farming, focusing on free-range and sustainably sourced produce that is accredited by stamps including LEAF marque, Red Tractor, MSC & ASC fish and RSPCA. Mindful Chef also supports the community through their partnership with One Feeds Two; for every meal enjoyed, Mindful Chef donates a school meal to a child living in poverty and has already reached a milestone of 14 million donated meals.
In August 2022, Mindful Chef announced its B Corp re-certification, boosting its score by a third, including an impressive 249% increase in the ‘environment’ section of the assessment. This ‘outstanding’ score secured Mindful Chef’s spot as one of the highest-rated food & beverage B Corps in the UK, as well as placing the brand in the top 3% of global B Corp food companies.
Pentire
The first non-alcoholic spirit to achieve B-Corp status, Pentire is leading by example in this fast-growing category. Its non-alcoholic spirits and ready to drink coctails, capture the flavour and feeling of its eponymous headlands through the use of coastal botanicals which flourish in the North Cornish coastline’s unique climate, soil pH and air moisture. Pentire was founded on a love for coastal living and its community of people who love being outdoors, like to drink it as a Pentire & Tonic – the ultimate refreshing drink for tomorrow that is 100% plant based and distilled with natural botanicals, free from artificial flavourings and sweeteners.
Pentire puts a particular focus on protecting the oceans in its sustainability efforts, supporting the Blue Marine Foundation. It uses Fair Trade and Organically Certified ingredients, accredited by The Soil Association.The products are bottled by hand and packed in entirely recyclable, plastic free packaging and shipped by free, next day, carbon offset delivery.
Exclusive Collection
Privately owned hotel company Exclusive Collection has announced its certification as a B Corp, the first hotel group in the UK to achieve the certification. The company has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit organisation behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.
Exclusive Collection includes Lainston House, Pennyhill Park, South Lodge and The Manor House, all known for their luxury stays across the UK with a range of different food and beverage offers, spas, a golf club, a cookery school, and a classic English pub.
Each is entirely distinct, finding home in differing counties of England but cared for with the same love and attention (we’ve got no favourites here). At the heart of every one of our estates, though, is our strong passion for food, attention to every detail, a warm welcome that makes everyone feel at home – and of course you, our wonderful guests. And each estate has grounds that are something else. Sprawling, stunning and soul-soothing, they provide the perfect respite from the everyday.
Find out more about B Corp
If you’re a hospitality business looking to get B Corp certification, you can find out more here.
Holly brings a wealth of experience in both print and digital publishing and is very passionate about the hospitality industry.