PORTSMOUTH—
It almost sounds too good to be true: a young man returns to his native New England to apply what he’s learned in distant places, leading a major New Hampshire brewery into new territory.
But that’s exactly the story of Ryan Colwell, GM of the Cataqua Pub at the Redhook Brewery at Portsmouth’s Pease International Tradeport complex. Since joining the hallowed brewery company last September, which boasts facilities in three states, he has instituted major sustainability initiatives, including sourcing corn-based compostable cups throughout the restaurant, saving 8,000 watts of electricity by switching to high-efficiency lighting in the pub, reducing the facility’s waste stream through an aggressive recycling program, and contracting with a local biofuels company to recycle the grease from the fryer to be used as heating oil, or fuel for diesel vehicles. The bathrooms will also receive a sustainability makeover with the installation of low-flow toilets and energy-efficient hand dryers.
A Woodstock, Vermont native, Colwell cut his teeth in Hawaii, where he lived and worked on an organic farm, proving to be quick study in growing food. From there, Colwell moved to California where be began to apply his food interest and knowledge to the restaurant business. While there, he co-founded the Santa Cruz Restaurant Association, whose mission included eliminating the local restaurant industry’s use of Styrofoam, while increasing recycling. That association quickly gained positive notoriety, and eventually the town assumed control and extended the effort’s scope to water conservation, energy efficiency, and other facets of sustainability in restaurants. His experiences in Hawaii and California helped pave the way for some of the programs he’s now spearheading at Redhook in Portsmouth.
“When I started at Redhook, and noticed the composting program in place, I realized they were serious about sustainability,” said Colwell. “I knew I had to set the bar even higher.”
Considering that Redhook had already implemented numerous green improvements - such as reusing water, donating spent grains to farms for animal feed, and housing an onsite wastewater treatment facility - it’s not surprising that Colwell has been empowered to lead Redhook’s local sustainability committee, which contributes ideas for all of the company’s breweries to adopt, including its Widmer and Kona brands.
Colwell has leveraged his farm experience by initiating significant improvements to Redhook’s culinary experience. By sourcing more of the pub’s food from local suppliers he has integrated much healthier food into Redhook’s diverse menu.
“We used to get a lot of our food from Sysco, and a lot of that is just processed, bland-tasting, nutrient-free stuff,” explained Colwell. “Now, we get most of our food from Favorite Foods (New Hampshire’s only independently-owned food distributor) and Saunders Produce (a Somersworth, NH-based provider of high quality fruit and produce), and our food not only tastes much better, it’s much healthier. I want our cooks to make meals from scratch, instead of just heating things up.”
While Colwell could have remained out West, he disliked being thousands of miles away from his family. “My grandfather passed away last year, not long after I came back East, and it made me realize that I wanted to be closer to home and closer to my family,” recounted Colwell. “Plus, I’m a New Englander at heart.”
His decision to return to his New England roots has helped revitalize Redhook’s pub, and Colwell isn’t resting on his laurels: he wants to hold farmers markets at the brewery this summer to help promote buying local, and hopes to offer seasonal menus that offer pub customers the freshest, in-season produce and meats available from local suppliers.
Additionally, Redhook is a proud member of the Green Alliance, a union of almost 100 businesses across New Hampshire, Southern Maine and Northern Massachusetts that certifies operational sustainability and community involvement. Green Alliance memberships are also available to the public, and those members receive a 10% discount on food at the Cataqua Pub in addition to substantial discounts at 94 other local green businesses. Colwell says that Redhook’s GA affiliation is a sort of “icing on the cake” to the company’s overall commitment to sustainability.
“We are engaged in sustainability here because not only is it the right thing to do but also because we know that it’s good for business – it helps to set apart our restaurant and brewery in a very positive way, in what is a very crowded industry. All the Green Alliance members are impressed with what we’ve accomplished here, but I tell them we’re just getting started,” cracks Colwell with a smile.
For more information on Redhook go to www.redhook.com. To learn more about the Green Alliance visit www.greenalliance.biz.
This story was submitted by Scott Szycher.
Photo caption: Bartender Nick pours Redhook’s Seacoast-brewed libations. The brewery’s general manager, Ryan Colwell, has been industrious in expanding the company’s sustainable initiatives. (Courtesy photo)
It almost sounds too good to be true: a young man returns to his native New England to apply what he’s learned in distant places, leading a major New Hampshire brewery into new territory.
But that’s exactly the story of Ryan Colwell, GM of the Cataqua Pub at the Redhook Brewery at Portsmouth’s Pease International Tradeport complex. Since joining the hallowed brewery company last September, which boasts facilities in three states, he has instituted major sustainability initiatives, including sourcing corn-based compostable cups throughout the restaurant, saving 8,000 watts of electricity by switching to high-efficiency lighting in the pub, reducing the facility’s waste stream through an aggressive recycling program, and contracting with a local biofuels company to recycle the grease from the fryer to be used as heating oil, or fuel for diesel vehicles. The bathrooms will also receive a sustainability makeover with the installation of low-flow toilets and energy-efficient hand dryers.
A Woodstock, Vermont native, Colwell cut his teeth in Hawaii, where he lived and worked on an organic farm, proving to be quick study in growing food. From there, Colwell moved to California where be began to apply his food interest and knowledge to the restaurant business. While there, he co-founded the Santa Cruz Restaurant Association, whose mission included eliminating the local restaurant industry’s use of Styrofoam, while increasing recycling. That association quickly gained positive notoriety, and eventually the town assumed control and extended the effort’s scope to water conservation, energy efficiency, and other facets of sustainability in restaurants. His experiences in Hawaii and California helped pave the way for some of the programs he’s now spearheading at Redhook in Portsmouth.
“When I started at Redhook, and noticed the composting program in place, I realized they were serious about sustainability,” said Colwell. “I knew I had to set the bar even higher.”
Considering that Redhook had already implemented numerous green improvements - such as reusing water, donating spent grains to farms for animal feed, and housing an onsite wastewater treatment facility - it’s not surprising that Colwell has been empowered to lead Redhook’s local sustainability committee, which contributes ideas for all of the company’s breweries to adopt, including its Widmer and Kona brands.
Colwell has leveraged his farm experience by initiating significant improvements to Redhook’s culinary experience. By sourcing more of the pub’s food from local suppliers he has integrated much healthier food into Redhook’s diverse menu.
“We used to get a lot of our food from Sysco, and a lot of that is just processed, bland-tasting, nutrient-free stuff,” explained Colwell. “Now, we get most of our food from Favorite Foods (New Hampshire’s only independently-owned food distributor) and Saunders Produce (a Somersworth, NH-based provider of high quality fruit and produce), and our food not only tastes much better, it’s much healthier. I want our cooks to make meals from scratch, instead of just heating things up.”
While Colwell could have remained out West, he disliked being thousands of miles away from his family. “My grandfather passed away last year, not long after I came back East, and it made me realize that I wanted to be closer to home and closer to my family,” recounted Colwell. “Plus, I’m a New Englander at heart.”
His decision to return to his New England roots has helped revitalize Redhook’s pub, and Colwell isn’t resting on his laurels: he wants to hold farmers markets at the brewery this summer to help promote buying local, and hopes to offer seasonal menus that offer pub customers the freshest, in-season produce and meats available from local suppliers.
Additionally, Redhook is a proud member of the Green Alliance, a union of almost 100 businesses across New Hampshire, Southern Maine and Northern Massachusetts that certifies operational sustainability and community involvement. Green Alliance memberships are also available to the public, and those members receive a 10% discount on food at the Cataqua Pub in addition to substantial discounts at 94 other local green businesses. Colwell says that Redhook’s GA affiliation is a sort of “icing on the cake” to the company’s overall commitment to sustainability.
“We are engaged in sustainability here because not only is it the right thing to do but also because we know that it’s good for business – it helps to set apart our restaurant and brewery in a very positive way, in what is a very crowded industry. All the Green Alliance members are impressed with what we’ve accomplished here, but I tell them we’re just getting started,” cracks Colwell with a smile.
For more information on Redhook go to www.redhook.com. To learn more about the Green Alliance visit www.greenalliance.biz.
This story was submitted by Scott Szycher.
Photo caption: Bartender Nick pours Redhook’s Seacoast-brewed libations. The brewery’s general manager, Ryan Colwell, has been industrious in expanding the company’s sustainable initiatives. (Courtesy photo)
