CONCORD, N.H.—The New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association underlined the move toward greening hospitality at its recent annual Hospitality Expo. The show, held at the Center of New Hampshire in Manchester, featured its first ever green aisle, but also found many vendors outside the aisle showing off their green lines, many of which are certified by Green Seal.
The “Greening Your Property” seminar saw a standing room only crowd. The seminar featured tips on making hospitality operations more sustainable, information on the nhsaves rebate program for small business, integrating New Hampshire products into menus and developing green programs that attract guests and media attention.
“It was great to have so many restaurant and lodging owners and managers participating in the seminar and stopping by the NHSLRP (New Hampshire Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Program) booth just to ask how they could get started,” says New Hampshire Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Manager Michelle Veasey. “It’s exciting to see the industry move in such a positive direction.”
Farm to Restaurant Connection
The seminar included Gail McWilliam Jellie of the Department of Agriculture with an overview of the New Hampshire Farm to Restaurant Connection, which will soon feature an online ordering system, easing the effort to obtain New Hampshire products for use in restaurant operations. Ted McCormack, executive chef at the Flag Hill Winery and a longtime supporter of the program, shared tips on developing relationships with farmers and understanding the nuances to ordering and preparing local produce.
Rauni Kew, marketing director for The Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, shared how that property has been so successful in getting its greening efforts in front of a national audience. Michelle Veasey shared ideas on energy efficiency, water conservation, total and hazardous waste reduction, and employee education. Anne Karczmarczyk, small business energy efficiency advisor at Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), in addition to rebate programs, shared new lighting options with the group.
NHSLRP, whose primary sponsor is PSNH, is open and free to any New Hampshire lodging or restaurant property interested in preserving and protecting the state by lessening the impact of their operations on the environment. Member facilities find that being “green” also adds green to their bottom line. For more information, contact Michelle Veasey at mveasey@nhlra.com or go to www.nhslrp.org.
