Showing posts with label sustainable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainable. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Bubble Brothers introduce innovative sustainable wine packaging

Bubble Brothers introduce innovative sustainable wine packaging 


With a recent nationwide surge in online grocery shopping and home delivery services, Bubble Brothers Wine Merchants, based in The English Market, Cork, have made the environmentally conscious decision to ‘Go Green’ with their new wine delivery packaging.  

Sourced from the UK, Bubble Brothers felt the need to invest in a new method of packaging that is not only ecological but also protective and secure. The sustainable packaging called ‘Pulpsafe’, is made from 100% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable and reusable. 

Billy Forrester, Managing Director of Bubble Brothers Wine Merchants, states ‘After twenty years in business, we remain proud to offer great wine and champagne in the English Market and online. Since the advent of COVID-19, there has been a surge in orders from our website for home delivery, and we were delighted to find a robust, sustainable solution for shipping by courier. The new recycled boxes are far better for the environment than polystyrene, for instance, because if they can’t be re-used, they can be recycled yet again!’

Billy continued, ‘Wine is difficult to transport safely, like any liquid stored in glass. Bottles are easily broken if they’re not securely packed, and one breakage can ruin a whole mixed case. We’ve learned from experience that investment in packaging is money well spent, and the new boxes represent great value: they’re good for the planet, easy to pack and unpack, and they’re really strong and secure. We don't charge for our transit boxes, but we hope our customers find creative ways to keep them going once they've arrived, whether that's recycling or reuse.’

Bubble Brothers are also currently looking into implementing a discount system for the packaging that is returned to them for reuse. 

For further information on Bubble Brothers Wine Merchants visit bubblebrothers.ie or their stall at The English Market, Cork. Many of The English Market Traders have introduced home delivery and click and collect services, for more information please visit www.corkcity.ie/en/english-market/click-and-collect-delivery-services.

press release

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Killavullen Farmers Market, Sustainable Packaging Initiative. Remaining 2019 Market Dates

Bring your own bottle


Killavullen Farmers Market, Sustainable Packaging Initiative

Killavullen Farmers Market is one of the oldest farmers markets in Ireland so it is fitting that it should be leading the way in environmental initiatives too. We are encouraging all market goers to bring along their own containers, bags and boxes for produce bought at the market.

Be that fresh breads or doughnuts from El Door, locally grown fruit and vegetables from Mossie Buckley or Noreen O Brien you can bring your own bags and containers to cut down on waste. Our suppliers ideally try to use no packaging at all or if they have to, use recycled and recyclable packaging wherever we can. Maura's kitchen offer refunds on their Cordial and Cider vinegar bottles and will gladly take empty jar returns for their homemade jams and chutneys.
No plastic. Bring a bag or box or carton

Killavullen Farmers Market also runs a very successful buyers group where members can bulk purchase ethically sourced and environmentally friendly products. The buyers group also has a stall selling products, many which are sold on a refill basis, including cleaning products.

The café only uses mugs, no disposable cups here! The second hand bookshop offers great value and every type of book, €1 each or 3 for €2. Our arts and crafters utilise sustainable and recovered material such as old natural wood for Arthur Cronin’s incredible wood turning, Martin's stained glass ornaments, Betty’s bags and cushions! The list goes on and on!

Markets for the rest of the year

There are only three more markets remaining this year all on Saturdays, in the grounds of Nano Nagle Centre Killavullen. From 10.30am to 1pm on 30th November and 14th December and then our special Winter Solstice Christmas Market from 3-7pm on Saturday 21st December.

Visit our facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/killavullenfarmersmarket/ or call Ciarán on 0863761816 for more information. If you are interested in having a stall please contact us too!


Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Gallery Is A Natural In Westport. Wine, Books, Vinyl and Chats.


The Gallery Is A Natural In Westport.
Wine, Books, Vinyl and Chats.


We were walking down this narrow alley in the Westport night. And then we saw them. A trio of posh-looking black cats, padding stylishly along as if on, well, the catwalk. Then, simultaneously, they, les chats, executed the smoothest slickest synchronised slow-motion U-turn ever. We knew we were in the right place. We saw the welcoming light in the windows of The Gallery Wine Bar. Our directions had included the phrase “Look out for the cats”. I heard later that one of them is called Pinot Noir.
Peppers and cheese tapa

And inside, you will get various Pinot Noirs amid many listed in a catalogue of terrific wines. Generally though you work off two loose pages which indicate the wines available by the glass. But you needn’t confine yourself to those, good and all as they are. Do check out the full book and look at the shelves on the wall. You may well see something you love as I did when I spotted Ageno from La Stoppa in Italy and the delicious Lettre d’Eloise Chardonnay made by Bertrand Ambroise in the heart of France.

We entered the long and narrow space. It was quiet. But not for long. Owner-operator Tom Ramsell was missing but only for a few moments, chasing down some organic grapes in a nearby shop. We settled in on the cushioned seats, taking in a feast for the eyes and the ears (Tom’s vinyl collection gets a regular outing here). For the eyes, there are shelves of books and bottles; posters all over; take down one of those books if you want to read. Pick up a board game if you’d like to play chess, scrabble, or Jenga or one of the dozens of others available.

Tom, a surfer from Manchester, who found his way here a few years ago, will keep you entertained, telling all about his food, all organic, sourced locally (Dozio’s cheese, for instance) and abroad (rare syrups, a rare black cheese from England’s Wookey Hole). And then the wines will lead to endless conversations especially if you have that extra bit of interest. They have regular tastings here and lots of other events too including live music, record launches and more. It’s a lively spot for sure.

More and more people are arriving and soon the long narrow space is more or less full. By then, we have ordered a couple of tapas and a couple of wines: Bodegas Menade, Rueda ‘Verdejo for her and  Beauregard-Mirouze, Corbiéres ‘Campana’ for me.

The tapas are not small and our two multi-bite selections are Piquanté peppers served with Dozio’s of Mayo soft cheese and a spoon of honey, and a plateful of organic medjool dates with walnuts and served with a rare organic agave syrup.
A most diverse selection of organic, biodynamic, natural and skin contact wines 

There is no cooking here, all dishes are assembled on the counter by  Tom himself. He offers a selection of Vegan Plates and we enjoy the superb Baked Moroccan Falafels (described as an elegant blend of Moroccan spices and chickpeas, red peppers, apricots and dates, served with organic Kimchi and organic “spiritual” salad leaves).

The Gallery is also a venue for chats about the environment and sustainability and the future of the planet. Tom is all for organic and natural and saving resources. He’ll take in any old mugs or cups you don’t want and use them here for teas and coffees. He also runs a refill wine service. Bring your own bottle or use one of his.

And you’ll see his ethical streak in most of the food here especially under the Ethical Meat Dish heading and the Sustainable Fish heading. We shared one of the meat dishes: Labourdette Goose Rillettes. These geese are grown in total freedom on lush meadows and are not force-fed. The dish is served with marinated fig (superb), sweet ready to eat black garlic cloves, Velvet Cloud’s sheep cheese with fig and sultan mini-toasts. Quite a treat!

Bt then of course we had moved on to another round of wine, this time enjoying very much the Cantine Rallo, Ciello Bianco ‘Catarratto’ Terre Siciliane IGP, a lovely white; and the excellent Semplicemente red (his white is terrific too), from the late Stefano Bellotti’s winery in Piemonte. My rosso was on its last legs as Tom passed and, before I knew it, he had topped me up generously with the last bit in the bottle. That’s the kind of place this is. Generous, friendly. If you happen to find yourself in the Westport area, do drop in.

* By the way, if you’d like something warm while here, there’s an arrangement with a local pizzeria. Just have your pizza delivered and you may eat it in the Gallery.

The Gallery Café, Wine and Tapas Bar https://thegallerywestport.com/ 
Brewery Lane
Westport




The company bikes.