A GREEN-minded couple from Stratford won a slap up dinner after their business won an eco-competition.
Lisa and Tom Benjamin, founders of Go Cotswolds, were announced the winner of the competition run by Shakespeare England inviting its members to share their recycling initiatives for Global Recycling Day.
Lisa and Tom, who run guided day tours of the Cotswolds, won top prize for their new, specially designed keepsake booklet with map, photographs and tour information, all printed on recycled paper. The booklet uses less paper than the previous hand-drawn maps and a more efficient printing process.
Lisa said: “As well as being handy during the tour, they are also a souvenir and therefore much less likely – we hope – to be thrown away by customers after the tour.
“If customers do not want to keep their booklets, we will try to reuse them where possible, and re-cycle them where not.
“We were very fortunate to be able to produce these thanks to Luddington-based graphic design company Design Penguin and an Adapt and Diversify Covid 19 Recovery and Investment grant from Warwickshire County Council.
“Hopefully one day we will be in a position to create interactive digital maps and remove the need for paper versions completely, but as a small business we are doing what we can with the resources we have”.
The couple were treated to an evening meal at The Mount in Henley, run by Birmingham-based Michelin-star chef Glynn Purnell.
Tom said: “As busy working parents running our own business, we don’t get much time to go out as a couple, so it was wonderful to get a babysitter and enjoy a wonderful meal at The Mount, just the two of us”.
Helen Peters, Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s England, added: “We loved Go Cotswolds’ competition entry which perfectly fit the brief for Global Recycling Day and are thrilled Lisa and Tom enjoyed their dinner at one of Warwickshire’s hottest new dining spots”.
