SHAMBLES SHORTLISTED FOR GREEN GROWTH AWARDS
Local independent Italian restaurant and wine bar, Shambles, has made it to the final of the Green Growth awards after impressing judges for their approach to driving growth through sustainability.
Launched by Small Business Britain, in partnership with BT, the inaugural Green Growth Awards will award two sustainability grants of £5000 to two small businesses that have successfully boosted their bottom line by implementing sustainable initiatives.
The grants will help provide additional funding for businesses to invest further in this area.
The Langella family, who founded Shambles in 1983, has made it to the final round of the awards after impressing judges with their commitment to green growth. This includes
championing small, British, and often local family-run farms and sourcing sustainable seafood and growing some of their own seasonal fruit and vegetables.
They have implemented multiple practices of waste reduction, minimising single use plastic and being more energy efficient. They aim for 100% of scraped food waste to be sent to anaerobic digestion where it’s turned into biogas for reusable energy, and their old cooking oil is taken away to produce fuel to power vehicles.
They have also shown to reduce the amount of product deliveries taken in each week to help reduce their overall carbon footprint.
Massimo said: “We’re beyond thrilled to be recognised as finalists in the first Green Growth Awards and very proud of our team for all their efforts. We don’t often mention our sustainable goals small or big and the work that goes on behind the scenes, but as our ambitions grow, we want to focus on building a restaurant with integrity, so that we can prioritise the things we care about most.
“We’re working towards having the whole team and our supply line thinking about how to make improvements, no matter how big or small. We’re doing this because we want to ‘not because it’s cool and trendy.’ It’s the kind of business we want to run and one we want to be proud of.
Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder of Small Business Britain said: “The Green Growth Awards recognise the outstanding small businesses that are not only leading the way in sustainability but are also using it to fuel innovation and growth.”
“These businesses are proving that greener practices not only benefit the planet but also create real business success—whether through cost savings, waste reduction, or deeper
customer engagement. Their passion and commitment are making a real impact on their communities and the economy.”
The nation’s 5.5m small businesses are estimated to represent half of the UK’s business emissions[1] and the Green Growth Awards has been launched as part of Small Business Britain’s ongoing partnership with BT to empower UK small businesses to better understand their environmental impact and embrace more sustainable practices and growth opportunities.
“The Green Growth Awards shine a spotlight on the small businesses that are not only driving sustainability but also setting the standard for innovation and growth,” said Chris Sims, Chief Commercial Officer, UK Business, at BT.
“It’s truly inspiring to see how these businesses are leveraging sustainable practices to achieve real business success and create positive change in their communities. We’re really proud to support this initiative.”
BT is also a member of the Willow Review Steering Board; a new independent review aiming to underline the financial case for sustainability for small businesses, which has been spearheaded by Small Business Britain and is backed by the UK Government.
The winners of the Green Growth Awards will be announced at a special event at BT’s Headquarters in London on 11 March 2025.