Our Commitment
To People, Place and Planet
We’re incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful countryside, abundant wildlife and a thriving local community. As part of our commitment to regenerative tourism, we want to do more than enjoy and utilise what’s on our doorstep. From supporting local suppliers and businesses to caring for our natural environment and creating opportunities for our community, we’re committed to ensuring tourism leaves a positive legacy for the area we are proud to call home.
Wonderful Waste
Someone’s waste is somebody else’s power! And in our case, all of our cardboard is burnt to create our hot water, alongside wood from Heaton House Farm, our sister company just up the road.
Our food waste is collected in a dedicated bin and sent off with ReFood, a company that transforms waste food into renewable energy! The rest of our general waste is managed by Browns Recycling, who have impressively achieved a 98% landfill diversion rate using their facilities. On top of that, our used cooking oil is collected by Olleco Oils and turned into sustainable biofuels.
Working Alongside Wildlife
We couldn’t be in a more perfect location, surrounded by countryside treasures and a direct, flat track all the way to the stunning Rudyard Lake.
With a beer garden sheltered by a border of trees, we have the perfect area for guests to enjoy some fresh countryside air, catch some rays of sunshine and embrace the wilderness around them.
Our baskets, hayracks and beer garden planters around the pub are filled with flowers from Edge Nurseries, specifically chosen to attract and support pollinators such as bees and also birds, creating welcoming spaces for wildlife to thrive.
Sustainable Purchasing
Choosing the right suppliers is an important job for a pub, and we are thrilled to be able to support some incredible companies – and they’re just on our doorstep!
Forest Gin, Wincle Ale, Storm Brewing, Massey’s Potatoes, Dunwood Farm, and Dalton’s Ice Cream are just a few of our top suppliers!
Not forgetting Leek Signs, who made our directional signs to ensure guests know where to find us, and one of our team, Anna, also from Leek, who made our beautiful chalkboard designs.
Supporting our local community
Giving back to our local community is an important part of what we do. In 2025, we raised over £5,000 for local charities through charity fun nights and initiatives such as our popular Poppy Pub, which saw The Knot Inn covered in poppies in support of the Royal British Legion.
We also host monthly Senior Social lunches, bringing older members of our community together, helping reduce loneliness and creating opportunities to enjoy good food and company.
We receive many requests for raffle and auction prizes from local charities, and we try where we can to donate vouchers for the pub!
Travel With Thought
Something we encourage for those joining us from Leek, there is no need to drive to join us; step or bike straight onto the flat path and make your way to Rudyard Lake, then continue a little further and you’ll enter directly onto our car park – a lovely thing to do with the family!
Our team are also very keen on checking their rota to ensure wherever possible they are car sharing to work – every extra car we can get off the road the better.
