Guide to going green in Brighton and Hove is launched (From The Argus)

Guide to going green in Brighton and Hove is launched

2:20pm Monday 24th September 2012 in News By Ben Leo, reporter

Environment conscious visitors to Brighton are now being given a helping hand – thanks to the city’s new Green Guide.

Launched last week by VisitBrighton and Green Traveller, the pocket-sized guide features sustainable places to eat, sleep, shop and have fun in the city.

Readers are given tips on how to make the most what Brighton has to offer in the least environmentally damaging way.

Richard Hammond, founder and chief executive of Greentraveller, said: “Everyone knows Brighton rocks. Hopefully, this guide will help visitors discover the greener side to the city from the local perspective: the dozens of parks and gardens, the proud cultural heritage, and the many local, visionary independent traders that give Brighton its edge.”

Hungry tourists are directed to eco friendly restaurants such as the Love Fit Cafe, which uses fair trade tea and reusable packaging, and Moshi Moshi which promotes sustainable fishing methods.

Jewellery lovers are told they can buy ‘conflict free’ diamonds at Baroque Bespoke Jewellers in Union Street and chilli fans can visit Chillipepperpete’s Chilli Shop in Trafalgar Street, the UK’s first chilli shop to sell home-grown chillies and locally made chilli sauces.

Nature enthusiasts are advised to ditch the car and set off on foot to one of Brighton’s flamboyant city villages, like the ‘garden quarter’ Kemptown or the award-winning Kipling Gardens in Rottingdean.

After a long day supporting the environment, the map suggests green-thinking travellers should put their feet up at sustainable hotels like Pelham House, a 16th-century country house hotel which uses cooking oil as biodiesel.

The new guide comes as Brighton and Hove aim to gain international recognition by becoming a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a status shared across the globe by sites such as Mount Olympus, Cape Town and Paris.

Biosphere’s ‘Here Here’ campaign encourages local residents and visitors to conserve the landscape and develop an ecologically sustainable society and economy.

James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland, said: “Sustainability is an integral part of our industry.

“Following the enormous success of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – the most sustainable Games the world has seen – we are growing more accustomed to seeing ‘green’ credentials combined with great beauty, functionality, fun and success.”

Free copies of the Green Brighton Guide are available from the Visitor Information Centre, 4-5 Pavilion Buildings, or online at www.visitbrighton.com .