Sustainably Tasty
Ascot is in a race, a race with the target of operating the whole racecourse at Net Zero by 2030. This will mean that over the coming years Ascot will work to reduce its impact on the environment and focus on mitigating carbon emissions created by its activities. Over half of Ascot’s annual emissions are created during Royal Ascot and therefore in 2022 they launched a Net Zero Restaurant called Neutro.
Neutro was a result of numerous teams and individuals across Ascot Racecourse coming together to build and operate a restaurant whilst producing minimal carbon emissions. Any residual emissions were offset through working in partnership with a certified scheme that draws carbon out of the atmosphere.
Credit: Ascot | Menu Images from Neutro
The activity included:
Generating electricity on site, through a solar ‘SmartFlower’ with photovoltaic panels. This power was returned to the grid and a month’s worth of sun manged to return the equivalent amount of kWh required to run Neutro during Royal Ascot
The actual generators that powered Neutro used Biodiesel, a derivative of used recycled cooking oil
Water consumption was measured and the volume used minimised
Dressing and fitting out the restaurant with used materials, such as refurnished delivery pallets recycled and built in a way to reuse in future years
Hiring upcycled reusable furniture and chairs, creating a shabby chic vibe
Sourcing food supplies locally and developing a plant-based menu focused around pizza and pasta dishes
Offering local UK based beverages
Pouring drinks into reusable cups, which were then washed and reused
Using plates and cutlery with no disposable items; crockery was washed up and reused
Minimising waste with effective segregation to allow recycling and anaerobic digestion to occur
Ensuring all cleaning materials were eco-friendly
Ensuring the staff team stayed locally and travelled to work in a sustainable way
Credit: Ascot | SmartFlower
The SmartFlower uses advanced robotics and automation to intelligently track the sun, making up to 40% more energy than traditional stationary solar panels. In addition, every day at sunset, Smartflower automatically folds up and cleans itself to maintain peak solar utilization.
“At Rockvolt we are proud to have assisted in bringing Neutro to life; loads of fab Ascot people were involved, but extra big thanks to Keith Field, the catalyst for bringing the project to life”
Peter Watts | Managing Director