“It would be pretty rare to find traceability at this level anywhere else in the world” – Andrew Dougan, managing director of Hospitality Belfast.
Northern Ireland’s only purpose-built convention centre, ICC Belfast, is the first Northern Irish venue to earn the international sustainability accreditation ISO 20121.
The ISO 20121 accreditation process is lengthy and detailed. Few venues have achieved it. Nicole Robson, head of HSQE at hospitality partner Mount Charles, led the accreditation process. She described the challenge it entailed:
“It’s a massive piece of work and it’s not easy, which is why we’re one of only a very small handful of venues to have achieved it. We’re able to ensure proof of local sourcing, we’ve prepared sustainable menus, we have developed a statement of sustainability, and we’ve worked with client feedback.”
The award covers areas such as food tracing, low food miles and soil health. ICC Belfast’s hospitality partners focus on using local produce, going so far as to source organic mushrooms from homemade compost.
Acting chief executive of ICC Belfast, Iain Bell, commented: “ISO 20121 is part of strengthening our global positioning and our ambition of attracting even more international corporate and association clients to host their conference in Belfast.
“We know that sustainability is a key decision-making factor when choosing a convention destination and, together with our recent Green Meetings Gold Award, this certification is a further stamp of approval for ICC Belfast … Huge thanks go to our passionate and dedicated hospitality partners, who have led this from the front.”
Andrew Dougan, managing director of Hospitality Belfast, added: “Wherever we can possibly source something locally, we do; whether that’s the brewer making our exclusive craft beer just across the river Lagan, or the local organic mushroom grower who makes his own compost.
“Reduced food miles means we’re able to serve produce as fresh as it can possibly be, and it’s highly likely that we know the farmer or grower by their first name.”
