 "Aerial view of Ashridge House and surrounding grounds and gardens")
 "Aerial view of Ashridge House and surrounding grounds and gardens")
A Green Kitchen
Our chefs, who have all gone through sustainable food training, use fresh herbs and vegetables from our garden. We seasonally source meat, fruit and vegetables from local farmers wherever possible, ensuring all fish are sustainably sourced, and all tea, coffee and bananas are Fairtrade.
We also worked with a local school and scout group to replant Ashridge House's original orchard of apples, pears, cherries and plums so that our chefs can use the fruit in our kitchen.
 "Barrels of herbs in the sun")
 "Barrels of herbs in the sun")
Promoting biodiversity
We keep beehives in the gardens and partner with local beekeepers to produce our own Ashridge honey. We have placed nesting boxes for bats across the gardens, and have allowed them to roost in the old Ice House. Red Kites, which were once endangered in the UK, are now nesting in our gardens as well as across the wider Ashridge Estate. Our trees are home to the most successful breeding pair in Hertfordshire.
 "Hands take out bees and honey from wooden beehive")
 "Hands take out bees and honey from wooden beehive")
Hello Zero
Ashridge House is part of EF Education First, and shares the company's vision and commitment to voluntarily offset all global carbon emissions. Our goal with Hello Zero is two-fold: to be carbon negative every year starting in 2021, and to eventually become historically carbon neutral, removing all of the carbon we have ever emitted, directly or indirectly in association with our programs, since EF’s founding in 1965.
 "Mangrove trees in the sun")
 "Mangrove trees in the sun")