The Venues Collection Wins ‘Best Initiative’ at MIA Awards for Pioneering Dairy-Free Desserts
The Venues Collection is proud to announce its win of the ‘Best Initiative’ award at the 2024 Meetings Industry Association (MIA) Awards. This award was in recognition of the Made Without Dairy dessert menu, a groundbreaking sustainability initiative that has positioned the Group as a leader in sustainability innovation within the events, training and hospitality industries.
Launched in January 2024, the initiative made The Venue Collection the first UK venue chain to eliminate dairy from all dessert menus across its five venues. This bold move significantly reduces carbon emissions, with an estimated annual saving of over 42 tonnes of CO2—the equivalent of 12 return flights from Heathrow to Sydney.
Joanne Barratt, Managing Director of The Venues Collection, expressed her pride in receiving the award: “This award is recognition of our team’s commitment to creating innovative solutions that benefit both our clients and the planet. Our Made Without Dairy desserts are not just about reducing our carbon footprint—they’re about making bold, forward-thinking changes that simplify sustainable choices for event organisers and promoting inclusivity, while maintaining exceptional quality and taste.”
The Made Without Dairy desserts, including favourites like sticky toffee pudding and salted caramel panna cotta, have proven indistinguishable from traditional recipes in flavour and quality. Their inclusivity also makes them suitable for a broader delegate audience, simplifying menu planning for event organisers. In the first half of 2024 alone, the plant-based sticky toffee pudding saved 1.9 tonnes of CO2.
This initiative reflects the Collection’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and innovation, which includes being the first in the UK to introduce carbon labelling on menus and solar-powered car chargers.
“This award validates our approach,” Barratt added. “It demonstrates that balancing sustainability, inclusivity, and quality isn’t just possible—it’s the future of our industry.”
By leading the way with initiatives like the Made Without Dairy menu and its Future First Charter, The Venues Collection continues to set the benchmark for sustainability in the events, training and hospitality sector.
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