Organic and sustainable food pioneer Alara Wholefoods has won the coveted Sustainable Initiative of the Year Award at this year’s Grocer Gold Awards.
The Gold Awards – a major event in the grocery industry calendar – were announced at a ceremony yesterday evening (5 October) at London’s Guildhall.
For the Sustainability Initiative Award, judges faced the daunting task of comparing and contrasting the increasing number of sustainability initiatives that retailers, wholesalers and suppliers are engaged in to lower their environmental footprint, and to meet ever demanding sustainability targets.
Alara faced some stiff competition in the category, including Asda’s Reduce:Reuse:Recycle initiative and The Co-op’s Project Closed Loop II. But in end the judges decided that Alara’s Grow Back Greener initiative – which establishes the criteria and practices behind the brand’s new Net Zero Food range, and represents the culmination of four decades work in sustainable food production – was the deserving winner among the six shortlisted brands.
Commenting on the company’s win, Alara’s founding director, Alex Smith, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive The Grocer Gold Award for Sustainability Initiative of the year.
“Since our beginnings sustainability has been at the heart of Alara and we have been challenging ourselves daily to be ‘the most sustainable manufacturer on Earth’. The Award is for the development of our Net Zero Carbon range which is the culmination of more than 40 years of hard work.
“I am happy to report that the range is getting a great reception and selling fast as people start to put their money where their mouth is regarding the Climate Emergency.”
Image: Alara founding director, Alex Smith, with the Sustainable Initiative of the Year Award
