Hi everyone and welcome to the interview and analysis corner! This week, my beverage industry specialist - Megan - wanted to share an interview that she had with Tom Kirk, a key member of the UK’s most sustainable bar Below Stairs.

She spoke with him about sustainability behind and in front of the bar, while discussing how the beverage industry should best adapt for the future. Let’s dig in.

Hi there, Meg speaking.

Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Tom Kirk from Below Stairs, the Leeds-based bar that has claimed the coveted title of the UK’s Sustainable Bar of the Year. 

As someone who currently works in the beverage industry, I was very excited to find out what it takes for a bar to make it to this point and what Below Stairs has in store for the future.

The Journey 

Having opened back in 2017, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Tom recounted how the bar opened with a camping stove and a kettle with everything else around him held together by duct tape and willpower.

A Sustainable Approach

Below Stairs has become an example of sustainability to the entire industry. But Tom admits that the bar’s drive to be more environmentally friendly came from necessity as the COVID-19 lockdown really forced the team to re-address the ways in which they use ingredients.

Each drink is interconnected with byproducts of one drink feeding the garnish of another. And, as Tom says, creating a system that stops anything from going to waste is the ultimate goal.

Currently, the team is unlocking the power of enzymes to get the most out of their produce. The amylase enzyme - which helps break down anything starchy and creates a much bigger yield - for example, is used to get the most out of a cereal milk that is then used in their bourbon-based drink, Corn & Silk.

The bar also utilises something called “super juice”, in which malic and citric acids are used to stabilise and prolong the lives of freshly squeezed juices. Tom says that this “light bulb moment” really helped them on busy nights.

Of course, the big talking point of Below Stairs is their coaster - made from citrus pith, old receipts, and general bar waste - which just showcases their sustainability-orientated mindset.

One thing is definitely clear: small steps towards innovation are at the heart of the Below Stairs philosophy.

Challenges Remain

Unfortunately, even those pursuing sustainable practices can accidentally absorb the environmental costs of others.

This is where the conversation switched to the murky world of greenwashing: the practice of misinformation that some producers use to suggest their products are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. 

The rum industry, for example, is well-known for this practice, given that it takes so much land and energy to grow the sugar cane and distill the product. But in Tom’s experience, regularly speaking with each supplier, the rum community in the UK is very good at being transparent about production processes and sustainability. 

In trying to navigate the world of greenwashing, Tom explained that avoiding those products boiled down to putting in the legwork, reading, using your network, buying local and, above all, talking directly with the producers. 

It is through speaking with others that you begin to become familiar with the buzzwords. With words like “eco-friendly” appearing on many packages with no substance to back it up, you can soon spot the smokescreens, Tom elaborates.

While I wondered if these kinds of practices that Below Stairs were undertaking were scalable, Tom was sure to point out that not all was lost for those with bigger corporate structures. He said that “It’s a question of doing what works for you and your company”.

Although it is difficult, the most effective approach is to take a holistic view and identify where your bar, whatever its size, is able to make meaningful changes.

What’s Next?

“This year has been a whirlwind”, Tom exclaimed. But, despite the countless awards (which they themselves didn’t even expect), the team certainly has some exciting plans in the works. 

Firstly, Below Stairs will be organising a City Exchange Programme, in which they’ll be inviting bartenders from different cities to talk about sustainability in the beverage space.

Secondly, and most excitingly, Below Stairs will plan to move all grain-based and un-aged distillation processes in-house! Apart from being super cool, this will undoubtedly help them in their mission to be as sustainable as possible.

After all, what’s better than sourcing locally? Making it yourself!

Concluding Thoughts

With so much information to absorb and the clock turning midnight for me in New Zealand and Tom’s day just beginning in Leeds, we concluded our chat for the time being.

I cannot wait for Below Stairs’ continued journey. They are a bar with so much creativity, authenticity, and zest. I have no doubt we will continue to see them at the top of many awards lists, setting an example for others in the beverage industry who also want to make a change!