He is passionate about food, about creating a great pub and restaurant but he would also like to save some money.

Dan Carr is the new ish owner of The Crown Inn Frome and when he was offered the opportunity to be part of a pilot into zero waste project, he thought "waste not why not."

So began a process of documenting everything, from the times the fridges are switched until when the potato peelings are thrown away and a lot more besides.

Whether it will help cut the waste at The Crown Inn, that remains to be seen, but it has got him thinking. Frome Nub News went along to find out more.

Dan admitted that documenting every light bulb, every lemon has been a lot of work.

He is the only place in Frome taking part and admitted: " It was a much bigger thing than I first thought it was waste - not just food waste in general.

"That appealed to me because I have always believed that saving is the same as earning. If I can save one hundred quid there I do not have to earn it here. Any saving not matter on what, well that it is is good."

It helps that The Crown Inn is a new venture for builder/developer Dan

Dan who is now the chef as well as manager and owner bought the pub in May 2021, did some stunning renovations and opened in October last year. He therefore did not have to dive into mountain's of data on his energy use to deliver to Mendip.

He said: " I had to provide the Net Zero team with as much data as possible about the business, the more detailed the better. So I would have to for example provide quantities, kilograms of beef per year.. all itemised, all our fruit and vegetables.

"There were three categories for assessing that carbon footprint for all the ingredients local or national or international but really that is not fine enough because there is a big difference between some food stuffs coming from Spain or coming from Brazil. "

He also helped shape what information NetZero were given.

"The original data just asked for lemons and oranges used in the bar. But we use four crates of limes a week - a lot - and unfortunately they do have to come from Brazil. so we told them that."

What is Net Zero Now ?

Net Zero Now told us what they offer is simple, accurate and cost effective end to end guidance for businesses throughout their journey towards net zero.

"We provide sector specific protocols and a platform that has been specifically designed for restaurants, pubs and bars to easily calculate their carbon footprint. We offer support along their journey, helping each business set net zero targets and offer reductions advice to ensure they get there in the least disruptive way possible. We also provide 3 levels of certifications for those that are setting ambitious net zero targets and for those that reach net zero. "

What kind of energy

There is the obvious says Dan, so kilowatts of electricity or gas you are using. Litres of water, and also importantly what you throwing away. We get charged 95 per cent of what we use in terms of water in getting rid of it, so sewage another words.

It included spending on a cooking appliances, running the fridges (they have more than one) and all the drinks behind the bar whether they are tequilas or gins or vodkas, all detailed. " That is when my brain began to fizz, " admits Dan.

The team from Net Zero say that they are also about to launch many more net zero sectors including accountancy, salons, breweries, professional services and digital services.

Dan tells Nub News : " I cant say I am really surprised by any of my results. I had hoped that it might come up with do this this and this, and save x amount, but that doesn't seem to be case. It is going to be a long term thing.

"We know our waste is minimal - it is the heaviest thing we throw away. The waste company charge per kilo over that I am not talking about potato peelings, toping and tailing vegetables that's heavy stuff. .

Would it make it sensible to buy peeled potatoes ? No they are a lot more expensive and they are processed. Any processed food, is going to be less healthy. The more natural you can make food the better it is. "Also we would rather buy the potatoes we want, we want to buy Maris Piper for our roasts on Sunday."

Why they already have low waste

" We are very lucky plates go back clean from the table (because the food is so good) 95 per cent of the plates are completely clean, " says Dan. " Either we have the portions right or people like the food ! So that is not our waste. But there will always be that any scraps will get cleared together and then the napkins get swept in and the kitchen porter is under pressure so he will not always have time to separate this from that to send food waste on its own, so if you cant separate it the waste is contaminated." The Net Zero project is being supported by Mendip Business Hub. But already just from the graphs the data from the Crown has produced shows that waste is a big part of the costs . Yes beef is quite high (in terms of carbon footprint ) . "Although I am very very cynical about that, " says Dan. " Our beef is hyper local, it comes from down the road, so I believe it is better for the planet than say avocados which come from a very very long way away. " Do the right thing for the planet at the same time as the right thing for my bottom line, that's the target. Do the right thing and save some money. Because it breaks my heart to throw anything away. " Charlotte Clift from Net Zero told us : " Net Zero Now is currently live right across the country, over 100 sites have been through the process, with pubs and restaurants in the four corners of the UK.

Working in partnership with Mendip Business Hub, Net Zero Now is currently working with further businesses in the local area. "

Going forward the plan is that The Crown looks at the data - the beginning of the process - and comes up with the ideas of saving.

You can read about the scheme HERE:

Mendip successfully bid for £9,095 of government money to support the scheme

So how is The Crown - open Thursday Friday Saturday and Sunday - going as a business?

" It is amazing - its obviously high risk but it is going really well, " says Dan. " This is a very intimate business just me, a friend called James with whom he ran a bar for many years, and we are very close we do all our hours together. I am the owner and fully active in the day to day business, that allows us to be really on case. "We know most of our customers by name and we like to recommend wine for them. For example this wine (he points to the wall) - is a wine from Uruguay, a very small vineyard just 250,000 litres a year which is nothing for an exporter. But it is made by friends of the family and made from a grape very few people will have heard of (Tannat) but because the meat we sell is quite strong in taste you need a strong grape to go with it. "So people will tell us I will have a bottle of Merlot with my meat but it won't 'eat well' it will be lost. I recommend this instead."