Marlish Water flies the green flag for Northumberland with national sustainability award win

Marlish Water, based on Marlish Farm in Hartburn, has been named winner of the ‘Sustainability Initiative of the Year’ category accolade at The Caterer’s annual supplier awards.

It stood out for embedding environmental sustainability into every aspect of its business – from packaging and power to production and biodiversity. The judges praised Marlish as “a company that takes its carbon footprint seriously,” commending its use of 100% renewable energy.

Founded on a working farm in Northumberland, it was the first company in the UK to can spring water.

It has since installed its own on-site canning line to reduce environmental impact and in the past year has removed all plastic from its production line by switching to 100% recycled cardboard sourced from Durham.

Joe Evans, co-founder of Marlish Water, said: “We’re incredibly proud to bring this award home to Northumberland.

“Sustainability isn’t just a box we tick – it’s woven into the way we work, the partnerships we form and the decisions we make. This recognition is a huge moment for our team and a brilliant reminder that you don’t need to be based in a big city to lead the way.”

In 2023, Marlish upgraded its infrastructure to meet growing production needs, installing a three-phase power supply and switching entirely to renewable energy supplied by Scottish Power wind and solar.

It also transitioned its forklift fleet to electric vehicles powered by clean energy.