Support the Community: Wells & Co.

“Hospitality businesses are often far more than commercial venues — they are social hubs,” says Ed Robinson, Head of Sustainability at Wells & Co. “Good venues become the natural gathering place for friendships, events, celebrations and everyday human connection; they act as the emotional and social centre of their communities.” 

Ed points out that this is not a one-way relationship. “Hospitality businesses benefit directly from the communities around them: local people provide regular trade, staff, word-of-mouth support and cultural identity,” he says. “With this relationship comes a sense of mutual responsibility. Businesses that invest in community events, local suppliers, inclusive spaces and employment opportunities often become woven into the social fabric of an area, rather than simply operating within it.” 

The importance of pubs in British culture 

The term "third places" was coined by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg in the 1980s to describe those spaces that are neither home nor place of work, such as pubs and restaurants. Oldenburg argued that these third places are crucial to the maintenance of the community and the enhancement of social capital, helping to shape how we see ourselves and our place in the wider world. Traditional spaces like the American diner and the British pub are perfect examples, playing integral roles in nurturing social interaction and shaping local cultural identity. 

“Historically, pubs have been central to British social life for centuries, particularly in villages and small towns where there may be few other communal spaces,” says Ed. “Pubs and other hospitality venues can reduce loneliness, create intergenerational interaction and sustain local identity.”  

With two pubs closing their doors permanently every day in the first quarter of 2026, this important social function is in danger of being lost to the pressures of ever-rising operating costs. "It's heartbreaking to see locally loved and seemingly thriving hospitality businesses across the country succumbing to the combined pressures of higher wages, energy costs and taxes. Policies such as business rates relief and energy support schemes could reduce this vulnerability and help prevent otherwise successful venues from collapsing,” says Ed. 

Community-led service at Wells & Co. 

The team at Wells & Co. is very conscious of each site’s role within its community and committed to operating in ways that sustain these communities and protect the local environment. "We work hard to ensure that we are both a force for good in the communities we operate in and responsible custodians for the environment that enables us to brew great beer and run great pubs,” says Ed. “Only by factoring people, planet and profit into every decision we make will we ensure that Wells & Co. is a genuinely sustainable enterprise, one that we’re proud to hand down to future generations.” 

This ethos is why Wells & Co. is the founding sponsor of the Bedfordshire Great Ouse Valley Environmental Trust (BedsGOVET) and their ‘Don’t Lose The Ouse’ campaign, a community-driven campaign dedicated to protecting and restoring the River Great Ouse, focusing on combating high levels of pollution and preserving its wildlife and natural beauty. “The BedsGOVET team are focused on identifying sources of pollution in the river and working alongside their passionate team of volunteer citizen scientists and sponsors like ourselves to help manage the return of the river to a safe and healthy state,” explains Ed. “The increasingly polluted state of Britain’s rivers has become a topic of national concern. It’s tragic, it’s scandalous, and it’s something that we at Wells & Co. are passionate about changing.” 

The group does a good job of balancing a company-wide approach to charitable and community work with giving individual pubs and teams the freedom to support causes that matter locally. “Our approach to charity fundraising is two-fold. At a central level, we’ve been partnered with Teenage Cancer Trust for some years now; it’s a great relationship and a cause that every one of our colleagues can feel excited and proud to support,” says Ed. “At a more local level, our Charlie’s Charity scheme exists as a central fund for charitable support across the regions in which we operate. If there’s a cause close to a colleague’s or a pub’s heart that they’re motivated to support financially, Charlie’s Charity is our opportunity to boost the money they’ve raised. From charity hikes to celebrity darts competitions, Charlie’s Charity has seen us top up the totals of a wide variety of amazing fundraising efforts by our colleagues and Pub Partners in recent years.” 

The benefits of supporting the community 

When hospitality businesses deliberately support their communities, they often see a real return, and this is true at Wells & Co. “Our support of the Don’t Lose The Ouse campaign has received a hugely positive response from both our customers and our colleagues,” says Ed. “Whether they’re local to Bedford or not, people understand the value of us backing an environmental cause in our heartland that’s genuinely meaningful to our family business. The same is true for the locally focused fundraising our individual pubs participate in. Their locals love it; it drives customer engagement and loyalty. People are keen to support a pub that is keen to support their community in turn.” 

Next on the horizon for Wells & Co. is the launch of their Big Community Switch On (BCSO) this summer. “The BCSO is a four-month nationwide campaign from June to September with a focused effort on ‘making our communities better’ through charity events, fundraising, sponsorship and sustainability. Most importantly, it’s about connection,” Ed explains. “From charity quizzes to family fun days, our pub teams will be picking local charities and organisations to support, getting their locals involved and creating as large a positive community impact as they can.” 

How can hospitality businesses become more embedded in their communities? 

“Businesses aiming to become genuinely embedded in their communities need to think beyond simply serving customers and instead focus on becoming places to which people feel emotionally connected,” Ed says. “One of the most important things hospitality businesses can do is create consistent opportunities for people to gather. Events like quiz nights, live music, sports screenings, charity fundraisers, local markets or community meetings help transform a venue into a social hub. These activities encourage repeat visits and help people build relationships with both staff and each other.” 

This, he says, is why the British pub is world-renowned. “Pubs create routine social interaction that strengthens communities; they catalyse conversations between people who might otherwise never interact. There’s something genuinely magical about this. It’s a blueprint from which hospitality businesses worldwide could draw inspiration.”  

Food Made Good at Wells & Co. 

Wells & Co. first started working with The SRA before the pandemic, taking the Food Made Good Standard for the first time in 2022. “We have been consistently impressed by the pragmatic, actionable advice The Sustainable Restaurant Association dispense via their forums and online workshops, but what really caught our eye was the Food Made Good Standard. Covering everything from emissions to animal welfare to human rights, we were really impressed by the holistic nature of the assessment process,” says Ed. 

“We felt that undertaking the Standard would help to guide and prioritise our sustainability activity as a business. We were right. By working our way through the Food Made Good Standard, we've taken some important steps towards a more sustainable approach to running our pubs.” 

He says that Food Made Good has already led to positive changes in the food and drinks served at Wells & Co. “For example, as a core part of our commitment to sourcing sustainable menu options, Wells & Co. will now only purchase and serve fish species that are either currently rated 1-3 in the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide or certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. Elsewhere, the assessment has led us to scrutinise everything, from the nutritional content of the food we serve to the way we support our colleagues and the communities we operate in.” 

Learn more about Wells & Co. on their website. 

Our goal in sharing case studies from our Food Made Good network is to help you discover new actions you can take in your own business. If you’re looking for further inspiration, don’t  miss our new global sustainability insights report, "Hospitality Rising: Global Challenges, Local Solutions”. Exploring the latest trends and influences shaping the sector, it’s packed with examples of smart sustainability initiatives from businesses of all shapes and sizes across the world. Download your copy here!  

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