Sustainability, Community & Environment
At Mill End, we strive to make a positive impact on the people who visit us and the environment surrounding us. This means holding ourselves to a high standard and being transparent about our ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility.
As a Dartmoor hotel, we put environmental awareness, sustainability and community engagement at the heart of everything we do. By prioritising people and planet, we aim to create the perfect getaway we can be proud of!
Sustainability Initiatives
Being located in beautiful Dartmoor means we are surrounded by natural, and unspoiled beauty. Caring for the environment and acting sustainably comes naturally to us.
We use bleach free cleaning products across the hotel, which are kinder on the environment.
Mill End has a borehole, which means we retrieve water from a natural underground source on-site, and filter and purify the water at Mill End ourselves. We do not rely on mains water. To reduce water waste, we do not wash things unnecessarily by asking our guests to re-use towels if they are happy to.
Across the hotel you will notice voltage optimisers and LED lighting, reducing the amount of energy used. We also openly encourage guests to reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint, turning off lights when leaving their rooms or suites.
The beauty products we offer in our rooms, suites and common area washrooms are vegan, paraben and chemical free. We also embrace refillable toiletries to avoid the single-use plastics.
Caring For the Environment
We recycle and reduce our plastic waste wherever possible, and encourage our guests to do the same.
Our beautiful gardens stretch along besides the River Teign, and are a haven for wildlife. You will see bat boxes throughout the grounds and bees thriving off of the wild flowers. The hotel’s plants and flowers naturally encourage biodiversity. We do not over tend the gardens, instead embracing what often grows naturally, such as the beautiful bluebells.
We don’t throw away our used coffee granules, instead using them as a compost around the country gardens. The kitchen team often grow herbs, which are used in the restaurant.
Community Engagement
We carefully partner with local suppliers that share our values.
We trust Buckfastleigh Linen as our towel and linen supplier. The water the company use on site is sourced from a well, drawn from a natural aquifer. The chemicals used in the linen cleaning process are all biodegradable and use only natural starch.
The Mill End Team
We are committed to operating ethically and kindly. We are confident that our team members feel valued and stimulated.
Our management team, Alex and Emma, regularly assess hotel standards and review working conditions. There is an ‘open door’ policy for all staff. All hotel members receive a meal during their shifts and are paid a competitive salary. Regular staff meetings are held, and Christmas parties and dos too!
We pride ourselves on the working conditions we provide. Julie has been with the hotel now for 25 years, Piotr now over 5.
Levels of cleanliness across the hotel are impeccable, and the entire team work hard to achieve a 5* hygiene rating. We are transparent with our customers and comply with all laws and legislation in the hotel industry.
Food Sourcing & The Mill End Restaurant Experience
Our careful food sourcing reduces food miles and promotes an ethical supply chain. By embracing what the local environment provides and showcasing the incredible flavours Devon has to offer, we naturally reduce the hotels carbon footprint. By encouraging pre-booking at our restaurant, we also minimise food waste.
Our head chef Will is passionate about sourcing only the freshest and in season, local produce to use in the award-winning restaurant. You will find the menu alters daily, reflecting seasonal produce, and you can really taste the difference. This is supported with our Food Drink Devon and Taste of the West GOLD award wins in 2023.
We strive to work with suppliers offering the highest quality provenance to use at our 2 AA Rosette restaurant, many of which supply Michelin star restaurants, including Meadowland Smokery.
Whippletree Farm, one of our key suppliers, have an innovative ‘no dig’ concept – a much kinder farming practice. At the hotel, we promote a connection to the foods origins and emphasise the importance of supporting local agriculture, producers and artisans.
Here, you read more about our Dartmoor restaurant and trusted suppliers, or simply ask our team when you visit.
A Team Effort
We encourage our guests to act sustainably. By reusing towels and linen, you will help reduce water waste and resources during your stay. We also ask that you leave recycling to one side upon leaving.
We also kindly ask guests to pre-book for dinner and cream tea and so on, in order to reduce our food waste.
Accessibility
We have recently undertaken a 360 tour of Avon, one of our most accessible rooms. This means you will now be able to take a virtual tour before booking, so you can be confident you will be comfortable at the hotel.
Your can read more about accessibility at Mill End here.