A tea room has won a prize for its environmentally friendly practices.

The Pines Garden Tea Room in St Margaret’s Bay has gained a first prize in the national Community Footprint Awards. It won in the Community Award category.

Footprint Awards are for businesses in the food service sector.

The Pines Garden Tea Room is run by the environmental education charity The Bay Trust, which has a garden-to-plate project, with its food grown in nearby organically managed gardens.

All the tea room’s uncooked vegetable waste is converted into fertiliser using wormeries and put back into the garden.

The vegetable beds also allow school groups to learn about nutrition, planting, harvesting and composting.

The tea room is run by chef and coastguard station officer Michelle Spain, who has already won accolades such as a TripAdvisor Award of Excellence and a Visit England Hidden Gem Award.

Charles Bicker, Bay Trust chairman, said: “This provides great encouragement to the team as they continue undertaking creative, fun and practical approaches towards healthy and sustainable ways of living.”