This article first appeared in the Drinks International Global Bar Edition which can be read in full here.
In June 2024, The Cambridge Public House – our humble cocktail pub in Paris – was certified as a B Corp with a score of 88.1. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency. In other words, it proves that a company is sustainable in various ways, as validated by a legal and unbiased third party through a thorough audit based on data and reports. This is not revolutionary or merely a trendy endeavour; and it is not easy. Pursuing B Corp certification is a long journey, so here’s the why and the how.
Although the values of community, transparency and wellbeing for both our people and the planet have always been foundational to our company’s philosophy, the challenges posed by Covid-19, combined with Hugo [Gallou]’s obsession with data and our aversion to greenwashing, marked a turning point for The Cambridge Public House and for us personally. In November 2021, we made two key decisions: to appoint a government-recognised start-up to audit our global carbon footprint and to create a programme called the Cambridge Community Plan.
The former aimed to quantify our company’s impact on the planet, allowing us to confront the issue with facts and figures. It provided us with a solid framework for moving forward in a greener and healthier direction. It was simply about being aware. While some actions require long-term commitments for significant change, we also found that straightforward decisions can lead to immediate impacts.
The Cambridge Community Plan, however, is a work in progress: we recognise that the travel associated with bar shows and takeovers contributes significantly to our overall footprint. We take responsibility for this and acknowledge that these travels remain part of our business model. Consequently, we questioned how we could create a positive impact while travelling.
Long story short, we established a platform for global exchange based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations to assist in various areas, such as education, hunger and responsible consumption. Our entire team dedicated effort to developing charitable and collaborative missions on both national and international levels.
These two projects were essential to our growth and our belief in structuring. The next step was B Corp, which is a certification earned by a business that has been verified by B Lab as one which meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
Range of expertise
In the third quarter of 2022, we started to look into the certification. B Corp isn’t the only label out there. We chose it because we felt it offered the biggest range of expertise and impact in the large and contentious world of sustainability. We also sensed that we were already fulfilling many of its requirements. We knew it was a long process for a company of eight, and still went with it. We also knew it would only bring good things to us, whether we pursue the audit until the end or not, as working through it gave us a lot of ideas on how to improve.
There are five main steps of the B Corp certification process (measure your impact, improve your score, meet the legal requirement, submit & review and finally, achieve the accreditation). After going through our subscription, we slowly began addressing the 200 questions needed to complete the first phase of the audit, which include questions that review the day-to-day operational policies and practices, covering areas such as governance, workers, environment, community and customers.
Some examples of these questions include: “How does your company support internal management and good governance?” and “What is included in your company’s written and accessible employee handbook?”. As we went through these we were made aware that every one of the questions needed reports and proof to be confirmed by B Corp. This was particularly challenging; in a small company, most decisions are made through discussion and verbal communication with the team.
We don’t usually dedicate time for extra paperwork while running an independent cocktail bar. B Corp taught us to be more structured and organised, to carve out time for proper implementation of actions, and to communicate effectively with the team. It became a habit: week after week, Hugo and the team completed some of the steps, until the day we felt ready to submit our application.
Yet, that wasn’t it. Our application took some time to be reviewed and the audit a few more months to start. The game of going back and forth with our B Corp auditor started, and after some more improvement and alterations, we finally received the news. In June 2024, after 18 months of hard work, The Cambridge Public House was a certified B Corp company.
For a long time, we always said – and genuinely believed – that we were not a sustainable bar. This certification shows that we are working towards it, but it doesn’t mean we are better than anybody else. We are simply the ones who committed to go through the long but rewarding process of B Corp.
Nevertheless, we do recommend it to everyone: even though it is painful, there is so much learning along the way. As a result, it raises awareness for both you and your team, making your company a better place for everyone, including clients. We also deeply believe it is time to take responsibility when using the term sustainability. Our industry needs less greenwashing and socialwashing. All businesses should promote transparency at every level, be able to share data about their actions and, above all, be held accountable for using misleading information for marketing purposes.
