Environmentally Sustainable Practices

Cloughjordan House is committed to sustainability in every facet of the business.

All of our team members have a role to play in helping us to reduce our carbon footprint from Michelle in the garden who makes it possible for us to grow our own fresh vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers, to Jimmy our head of maintenance who is always coming up with sustainable solutions often reusing materials readily available throughout the venue. 

CJH is committed to reducing its environmental impact through better efficiencies in the use of energy and the minimisation of waste, packaging and water usage.

 

The following are actions we have taken and continue to take to minimise our footprint on the environment:

  • We used recycled plastic from old polytunnels to build our own, while minimising our impact on the environment. 

  • We upcycle materials. Wood that has been cultivated from our woodland is used to create bespoke wooden chopping boards, which are sold in our farm shop. Not only this but a lot of the wooden furniture, including the marquee bar was handcrafted by Peter here in his workshop using CJH grown wood. 

  • We send electronic brochures and e-invoices only to reduce paper wastage.

  • Our waste is separated throughout the venue to reduce our mixed waste and we have a strong recycling and compost system.

  • All of our coffee waste is removed to the garden for composting. 

  • Our bar serves seasonal cocktails with garnishes that are grown onsite, for example, Rosemary and mint. 

  • We only offer paper straws at the bar, reducing our plastic waste.

  • We continuously consult with our suppliers to reduce packaging and take back any packaging that is theirs.

  • We have installed 150 140KW solar pv panels on our grounds. We estimate that we supply at least 50% of our total electricity usage during the Summer months from our solar panels with any excess power generated being sent back to the grid.

  • All heating, hot water, refrigeration and electrical equipment is serviced and maintained annually.

  • When replacing electrical equipment only “A” rated appliances are purchased.

  • Our cosmetics are from Irish brand The Handmade Soap Company who are a B Corp™ certified company. Their raw ingredients, packaging and processes are as kind to the environment as they are to your skin. While also being luxurious and beautifully packaged. 

  • We do not use single use shampoos, soaps etc in our bedrooms instead we offer full size products 

  • We support environmentally sustainable tourism by encouraging our guests to walk or cycle while staying with us. We have free bicycles for guest's use and have walking maps available at our check in office.

  • We use locally sourced timber for firewood.

  • We purchase goods and use services from the local area as much as possible.

  • We work with other local businesses and we employ as many local personnel as possible and purchase as many quality local products and services as is possible. 

  • We use web-based marketing activities thereby reducing paper wastage.

  • All of the CJH team members are encouraged to be respectful of the culture of visiting guests. Equally, guests are encouraged to be respectful and aware of local culture and sensitivities. 

  • Visitor feedback is important in helping us maintain and improve our offering, including our environmental practices. All guests are given a Feedback Form and are encouraged to complete it.

 

Farm to Fork Approach

Our gardeners grow vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers on-site in our three 60-foot polytunnels, which inspires our wedding menus. This reduces transport emissions and packaging, because we only need to transport food 200 metres from the garden to the kitchen! We also follow organic growing practices in our gardens.

We harvest fruit from our apple, pear, and fig trees across the gardens, which our chefs transform into beautiful chutneys and jams. 

Our soft fruit bushes, including raspberries, currants, loganberries, and gooseberries are used creatively by our chefs in wedding dishes or they are preserved for later use. 

We forage for elderflowers and elderberries in our hedgerows so that our chefs can create exciting, seasonal recipes that are inspired by our landscape.    

Excess food from the gardens is sold in our farm shop or given to our staff thereby reducing waste.

We offer our wedding couples the option of having their wedding cake baked in-house, reducing transport miles and packaging, while adding a personal touch from our talented pastry chef. 

Our chefs make every effort to source whatever food we don't produce ourselves from producers based in Ireland and local where possible. For example our milk and cream is from Arrabawn, here in Tipperary and our meat is sourced from Cullinane Butchers, Birr.

Our wedding package includes organic wine, vegan and vegetarian options as standard.

 

The Garden

 

In CJH we grow all of our own flowers and foliage to decorate the house and style the marquee tables, thereby using seasonal and local flowers only.  They of course are all then composted and returned to the soil. This hugely reduces air miles from imported flowers, as well as cutting down on packaging. 

We devote sections of the grounds to wildflowers so that we can support our pollinators. We also have an area devoted to Sunflowers, who’s seeds are a favourite with the birds.

Native trees on the grounds include holly, oak, ash, birch, scots pine, and willow. 

Our woodland area is minimally managed, so that we can support another habitat for native animals and plants on our grounds . 

Our pond and stream running through the grounds provide even more space for nature. 

We use some of our food waste and coffee grounds to create our own compost. 

We keep our own hens, who thrive on our kitchen waste.

We do not use weed killers or other harmful chemicals in our gardens.

Looking to the Future

Never ones to be complacent we continually strive to better ourselves, as such here are some of our future objectives:

  • This year we are looking to install water tanks for PV panels to heat our water also. 

  • We will be installing EV chargers on the grounds. 

  • We would like to continue to add more PV panels to our network. 

  • We will be Installing an auto mower, to cut down on our fuel consumption.

  • We would like to further reduce our carbon energy usage.

  • We would like to purchase a woodchipper, as it allows us to reuse natural resources and reinvigorate our soil.

  • We would like to further reduce our waste generation, particularly food waste.

  • We aim to completely eliminate single use plastic products.

  • We would like to plant more trees on our grounds and expand our vegetable garden.

  • We would love to start keeping bees and produce our own honey.

  • We plan on adding some nesting boxes for our native birds.