Sustainability can be a maze of moral dilemmas, especially when you start looking at the world of suppliers! At Story we’re becoming increasingly conscious of our impact. We hope to improve with every event we put on, but this a balancing act between meeting the needs of the now without jeopardising the needs of the future.
In order to help you on your journey to sustainability we’ve highlighted six fantastic suppliers that are doing their bit to help tell a green story.
Elysia Catering create elegant breakfast, lunch & canapé menus by not only repurposing surplus food from independent local producers, but also buying the “naturally imperfect” food. One order can save up to 350 grams of surplus!
Bubble Food are an exciting caterer who actively encourage clients to opt for tap water. They provide garnishes such as cucumber and citrus completely free of charge. Making a creative feature out of infused waters can add a summery flair or inspire Christmas cheer. Furthermore, for every jug of tap water served they donate £1 to the charity Water Aid.
Balloons can create stunning displays and are supplied by a number of household names – including Bubblegum Balloons. Latex balloons get a bad rep, but are actually made from the sap of rubber trees. If disposed of responsibly they can take anywhere between 6 months and 4 years to decompose (which is the same as an oak tree leaf). They also champion an initiative called “Keep the peace, don’t release” ensuring no balloons are released into our green/wildlife spaces.
The buzz word over the past year has been “single-use”. So much so that it was even Collins’ Dictionary Word of the Year 2018! Single-use plastics are a particular focus for us – especially following our recent company offsite. Addressing this in a fun creative way can be made simple with companies such as Vegware. They not only provide sleek looking plant based compostable packaging, but offer bespoke designs that include your company colours or logo. This can keep your brand in focus throughout an entire event.
Looking to bring the outdoors, inside then let floristry be your décor inspiration. Hybrid Flowers are phasing out their cut flowers and looking towards the future of dried flowers, quirky grasses and funky plants. They were one of our main show sponsors for the London Christmas Party Show and had a number of their gorgeous displays that celebrating this unique selling point. Also gifting plants once an event is over is a cool choice or dried flower petals can act as a great alternative to paper confetti!
Social sustainability is often overlooked, but Harry Specter’s Chocolate brings this to the forefront with scrumptious offering, The company is a social enterprise run by Mona, Shaz and their son Ash, who is autistic. As it stands there are 700,000 people in the UK who have Autism, of which around 85% are unemployed. Harry’s Chocolates not only offers employment, but free training and improves confidence by enabling employees to create award-winning products!
