“Sustainably sourced” is one of the most overused phrases in food and hospitality. It appears on chalkboards, menus, and websites everywhere – sometimes without much substance behind it. A supplier with a vague sustainability policy. A distributor carrying a handful of “ethical” products alongside a conventional catalogue. The label doing more work than the reality.
At Notos, we use the phrase too. So it’s worth being clear about what we actually mean by it and why we really believe that the way food is sourced matters.
Why sustainable sourcing
The environmental case for sustainable sourcing is real, but can be complex. It’s easy to reduce the conversation to food miles, but transport is often only a small part of a product’s total carbon footprint. Farming practices, land use, water consumption, and processing methods usually have a far greater impact.
Sustainable sourcing, done properly, looks at the full picture. It asks how something is grown, how it’s processed, how people are treated along the way, and what kind of long-term impact that system creates.
One of the most meaningful outcomes of sourcing this way is shorter, more transparent supply chains. Working closely with suppliers and forming partnerships that allow direct conversations allows us to have a fundamentally different relationship with our ingredients.
Where it makes sense, that also means sourcing locally. Not because it’s a marketing angle, but because it strengthens local economies, reduce unnecessary complexity, and build real connections between businesses and communities. We’re part of the community here in Rhosneigr, and beyond in North Wales and we are proud of that. Supporting other businesses like ours matters to us.
The suppliers behind your food and drink
We hand-pick every supplier we work with. Not because it’s easier, but because it’s the only way we can genuinely stand behind what we serve.
Our coffee comes from Heartland Coffee, a local roaster in Llandudno whose beans are responsibly sourced with long-term sustainability in mind. Coffee is one of the most complex products in the food system involving global supply chains, significant environmental pressures, and farming communities that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Working with a roaster who takes that seriously matters.
Our teas come from Seibiant, an award-winning loose leaf specialist based in Conwy. Their focus on sustainability across their supply chain aligns closely with our own approach; thoughtful, considered, and rooted in long-term impact rather than short-term convenience.
And our milk, as many of you know, comes from Pentrefelin Farm in Denbigh, in glass bottles that are returned, cleaned, and reused. Pasture-raised cows, a regenerative farm that genuinely cares for its land and animals, and a system that removes single-use plastic from the equation entirely.
The honest version of “sustainably sourced”
These are real relationships. We know these businesses. We’ve had conversations with the people behind them about what they do and why they do it.
When we talk about sustainable sourcing at Notos, we mean this: we do as much as we can to understand where our ingredients come from, we trust the people producing them, and we’ve chosen them deliberately because of their standards – not because they were the simplest option.
Local sourcing is part of that, where it genuinely adds value. But it’s not the whole story.
Spring is coming and with it, the best of what’s in season
As we move into spring, the supply chain starts to shift. Different produce comes into season, growing conditions change, and new ingredients become available.
Working with seasonal availability is one of the simplest ways to reduce the impact of what we serve. It avoids the need for energy-intensive growing methods or long-distance imports, and keeps sourcing closer to its natural rhythm.
In the meantime, come in. Have a coffee. Ask us about where it came from. We’re always happy to talk about it — and once you know the stories behind what’s in your cup and on your plate, it tends to change how you see it.
