Sustainability

A B-Corp is a business that has a certification to show that it is measuring its environmental and social impact. The certification process looks at the whole picture – from supply chain, to input materials, to charitable giving and employee benefits.

We believe that business can be a force for good, that is to say we believe we can bring Great Taste award-winning peppermint chocolates and treats to consumers whilst looking after the planet and people too.

Summerdown is proud to be carbon net neutral. We are on a journey to reduce our carbon
footprint further and are looking at various initiatives to decarbonise which include:

1. Implementing our low carbon sustainable packaging strategy

We are moving towards removing carbon based plastic from our range. Our pyramid peppermint tea was our first product to be 100% plastic free, using Natureflex, a biodegradable cellulose product derived from wood pulp, sourced exclusively from responsibly-managed plantations, to wrap the bags inside the recyclable cardboard box. Natureflex is fully compostable. Our teabags are made from 'Tearoad Soilon' which is polylactic acid (the base material of which is plant starch).

Our chocolate bars are also 100% plastic free and come in fully compostable packaging.

Where it's not currently economically viable to totally remove carbon-based plastic from our chocolates range, we are moving towards using 100% recycled plastic products. We have moved to using clear recycled plastic trays to ensure universal recyclability. Our aim is to help build towards a fully closed loop environment and have made a commitment to ensure any new products we launch are 100% virgin plastic free.

We are now certified plastic neutral, working with RePurpose Global to remove as much plastic waste from the environment as we put into it, by supporting a low value plastic recovery project in India.

2. Moving towards 100% sustainably sourced ingredients by 2030

We are committed to working with partners who share our values, our standards, our belief in long‑term relationships and our approach to environmental responsibility and ethical sourcing.

Two‑thirds of our chocolate is now made using single origin Colombian cocoa produced by Luker Chocolate, a family‑owned cocoa and chocolate maker with a strong focus on sustainability, traceability and long‑term relationships with cocoa‑growing communities. Their approach mirrors our own: prioritising quality, transparency and positive impact at every stage of production.

The remainder of our chocolate continues to be sourced through the Cocoa Horizons programme, a not‑for‑profit, impact‑driven initiative working to improve cocoa farmer livelihoods by helping to build self‑sustaining communities that support education, protect children and safeguard nature. We believe this goes beyond traditional certification schemes.

At a time when many chocolate brands are reducing cocoa content and compromising on quality, we are choosing to do the opposite. By increasing the quality of the chocolate we use and strengthening our supply chain, we are improving our products while moving steadily towards our goal of sourcing 100% sustainably produced ingredients by 2030.

3. Developing a deeper understanding of our Scope 3 emissions

Scope 3 emissions are the greenhouse gases that come from things a company doesn’t directly control, like what their suppliers do; travel, how customers use their products, or how waste is handled.

Through growing peppermint, we have turned Summerdown into a peppermint playground
for wildlife, insects and flowers. We have beehives in our mint fields and every year we plant special feed crops for birds and sow wildflower seeds, encouraging new creatures to make themselves at home around the edges of our fields and woodlands. Birdlife is in abundance at Summerdown.

Keeping Summerdown’s soil as healthy as possible is a real priority for us. We need to make sure it remains as nutrient-rich as it was the day we started farming – after all, that’s the soil our peppermint fell for...

We opened the farm gates for the first time in Spring 2024, to welcome visitors and nature-lovers to Summerdown to get closer to nature. This includes stays in our shepherds huts and organised group tours and experiences. We hope to welcome, inspire and educate 1,500 people per year by 2030 about regenerative farming practices.

We are proud partners of the Farming Community Network (FCN) and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) and are involved in research initiatives such as the Woodgarston project with South East Water and Natural England.

As our teas are RSPB Fair to Nature certified*, we are helping consumers make more sustainable shopping choices.

*Although we are currently certified, this scheme is coming to an end in 2027.