A WARM WELCOME
June 2025
In departing the Edge Hotel School in a couple of weeks, I am particularly proud to reflect on the advancements that we have made in incorporating Sustainability both into our curriculum and into the way in which we work. We were the first Department in the University to have our own Sustainability plan, a plan that has been reviewed annually and which has shown our clear commitment to this topic…lead and managed by a small, enthusiastic and highly committed team.
This said, and looking forward, I would really hope that this foundation will be built on in the future as the need for a clear and consistent commitment to Sustainability has never been greater both so as to inspire and guide the next generation and to effect real change for our environment!
ANDREW BOER
Edge Hotel School has been honoured with two Platinum Awards at this year's Sustainable Essex Awards, the highest recognition granted by The University of Essex Sustainability team. These awards acknowledge our commitment to implementing sustainable practices in both the workplace and education. The student award celebrated our Food Waste Masterclass project, a collaborative effort that enabled students to lead on public engagement, training, and event planning during Food Waste Action Week. The staff award recognized our Uniform System Reform project, which replaced single-use items with a circular reuse model, significantly reducing waste and Scope 3 emissions. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to embedding Sustainability Education within both curriculum and operations. We extend our gratitude to the entire EHS team for their involvement and attendance at the event contributing to reinforcing our sustainability culture.
DOUBLE PLATINUM WINNER
ACADEMICS
CHME CONFERENCE
As classes wind down and students’ hand in their final assessments before summer unfolds, we reflect on the 33rd Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME) Conference, recently hosted by the Edge Hotel School (EHS). The CHME Conference offers a supportive and forward-thinking environment that brings together experts from academia, industry, and beyond to collaboratively explore and advance innovation in the hospitality sector. Hosting this conference has firmly positioned EHS as a recognised hub for tourism, hospitality, and events (THE) research and academic excellence. Focused on global and societal impact, EHS informs positive change across individuals, industry, government, and the environment. At the heart of the conference were our students, who not only played a key role in the success of the event but also demonstrated their commitment to sustainability advocating for innovative way to reduce food waste and manage sustainable event planning.
DIMITRI LERA
Dimitri on behalf of the EHS was awarded the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME) Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching This award recognises a significant commitment to teaching and learning excellence. This acknowledgement underscores the value of Sustainability Education at the Edge Hotel School, highlighting transformative learning and its practical application in empowering students. This emphasises the importance of developing sustainability competencies through experiential learning. This recognition further supports the integration of sustainability within the tourism, hospitality, and events curriculum.
FAST FORWARD 15
Level 5 Events Management students Florence Sweetman, Charlotte Swain, and Shannon Coombs participated in the Fast Forward 15 (FF15) University Challenge, planning and delivering a fundraising event for Meeting Needs a charity that provides life-changing grants to small causes via the events industry.
The students hosted a sustainable fashion show at Wivenhoe House Hotel on 23rd April 2025, highlighting the environmental and ethical issues of fast fashion. The event promoted conscious consumption by showcasing and selling pre-loved clothing donated by the public and university community
The show raised over £700, which was donated to Ella’s Charity, supporting women affected by human trafficking and exploitation Remaining clothing items were donated to local charity shops, reinforcing the event’s commitment to circular fashion and sustainability.
NIKKI CADE
SPOTLIGHT ON:
EMILY CLARK
INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT OFFICER
Moving house can certainly be a stressful time, and sustainability can easily become a low-priority, however I have a number of tried-and-tested tips that I followed when moving house recently, which you might consider when moving on from university!
Do your research when decorating – Sustainable options are rapidly becoming more accessible, from low-VOC and small-batch paint, recycled wallpaper, or flooring made from recycled plastic and tyres.
Avoid buying what you can borrow –Avoiding purchasing tools beyond a few necessities will not only be more wallet-friendly but could prevent the tools eventually ending up in landfill Get to know your new neighbours and see whether they would lend you what you need, or places like ToolStation allow you to rent the tools you need for renovation.
Buy second hand – eBay, Vinted, charity shops and Facebook Marketplace are absolutely crawling with goodies that you can find, from second-hand furniture to brand-new curtains which are not only cheaper, but divert waste from landfill.
Use what you already have – You don’t need to buy a new set of bedding or furniture each season to match the new trends, when you can repaint or dye many items you already have, plus you get the benefit of having a completely unique piece.
WIVENHOE HOUSE HOTEL
Wivenhoe House Hotel’s PLAN BEE initiativ embodies our commitment to practic based sustainability education. This proje serves as tangible, pedagogical evidenc of sustainability in action within hospitality setting. Following an initi inquiry in September 2024, two honeybe hives were successfully installed in Octob 2024, transforming our grounds into 'Living Lab' This initiative offers a invaluable experiential learnin environment for Edge Hotel School studen and demonstrates a multi-stakehold collaboration with PLAN BEE and o grounds team It directly enhance biodiversity and supports sustainable foo sourcing, forming a cornerstone of o application for our successful Silver Sustainable Essex Award.
UOE SUSTAINABILITY TEAM
CELEBRATING PLATINUM INITIATIVES
As part of the Sustainability team, we feel privileged to collaborate with events and hospitality students on their small-scale projects These projects provide students with the opportunity to put their learning into practice and receive recognition for their efforts. The Edge Hotel School has successfully completed two Platinum projects in this year's Sustainable Essex Awards. Their student’s team, led by two hospitality students are the first students to have achieved a Platinum recognition. The project itself featured workshops by Michelin-star chef Rowan Halstead, alongside a campaign which raised awareness about food waste reduction and garnered media attention on BBC Essex Radio. The second platinum project, was achieved by staff for their Uniform Reform initiative that promotes a reuse strategy for student uniforms, encouraging graduates to return theirs for future use.
EHS STUDENTS
Both projects serve as excellent examples of how the Sustainable Development Goals and the University's Sustainability Sub-strategy can be addressed through school engagement and the curriculum We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone at Edge Hotel School for their hard work and dedication.
Volunteering for the Sustainable Essex Awards was a standout moment in our Edge Hotel School journey. Through the EG221 “Small Scale Sustainability Projects” module, we moved beyond the classroom planning, designing, and co-delivering a real event with purpose. This hands-on experience turned academic theory into practical impact, as we worked alongside the University’s Sustainability team to promote responsible hospitality We developed skills in leadership, time management, communication, creativity, and stakeholder collaboration, all while promoting meaningful change. This wasn’t just an assignment it was a powerful reminder that sustainability is the future of our industry, and at EHS, we’re proud to lead it
Second-year hospitality student Vaibhav Sharma won a national social media competition during Food Waste Action Week, organised by WRAP's Guardians of Grub campaign. Vai, in his winning 20second reel says that "Almost 20% of food purchased in our sector is binned". This achievement underscores the practical application of sustainability principles in student work and demonstrates their capacity to communicate critical industry issues Vai’s success exemplifies how EHS students are developing into sustainable professionals, ready to drive change within the industry.
CHELSY ISABEL RAFAEL & MISATO KATAYAMA
FOOD WASTE EVENT
On 20 March 2025, Wivenhoe House Hotel and Edge Hotel School co-hosted a Food Waste Event, part of national Food Waste Action Week, demonstrating the importance of addressing food waste within the hospitality industry. Michelin-trained chef Rowen Halstead led a workshop for secondyear hospitality students, sharing zero-waste techniques such as making pasta from stale bread and ricotta from leftover milk. The initiative aimed to equip future professionals with creative solutions to reduce waste, reflecting a proactive approach to sustainability in the sector. This event aligns with our commitment to practical sustainability education, enabling students to engage directly with industry challenges.
FOOD WASTE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AND FOOD DONATION SMALL SCALE SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2025
The EG221 module’s Industry Panel 2025 has named the ‘Food Waste Awareness Campaign and Food Donation’ as the Sustainability Project of the Year. This project is a powerful ex emonstrates a deep, situ dge with the affective re r Foodbank. This experie y addressing the transfo rk provides compelling ustainability competenci
