Food and Drink

CO-OP

ONE of the Fairtrade trailblazers has been the Co-operative Society which championed the Fairtrade Mark since its inception.

The store group has about 180 Fairtrade items and has launched many campaigning and ground-breaking initiatives including converting its own-brand ranges of block chocolate and hot beverages to Fairtrade.

With eco-bags so hot to trot at the moment the Co-op again led the way in producing the UK’s first supermarket Fairtrade cotton carrier.

It has also developed the largest own-label range of Fairtrade wine of any retailer. The Co-op has 20 per cent off all Fairtrade products up until March 8.

Check out: The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Fairtrade Milk and Dark Chocolate Hearts, pounds 2.39 for 65g – reduced from pounds 2.99. Cape Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, pounds 4.79 – reduced from pounds 5.99.

STARBUCKS

THE coffee emporium has been a longstanding supporter of Fairtrade and during Fairtrade Fortnight customers can enjoy its new Fairtrade certified coffee, Cafe Estima Blend.

Estima means to respect or place value upon others or to hold in high esteem in Spanish and the name was chosen expressly by Starbucks to represent its support of Fairtrade growers.

Cafe Estima Blend is available in Starbucks freshly brewed and costs pounds 1.60 for a tall cup or as a whole bean coffee to take home, it costs pounds 3.90 for 250g.

TATE & LYLE

TO coincide with this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight, the sugar manufacturer has announced it is switching its entire retail cane sugar range to Fairtrade within two years.

In the first year alone this is expected to increase tenfold the values of Fairtrade sugar sold in the UK in 2007 and yield Fairtrade premiums of about pounds 2million to small-scale growers in the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers’ Association.

RICH’S

ENJOY a Fairtrade biscuit at your local JD Weatherspoon pub with cookies and shortbreads from Rich’s. For information on more Fairtrade products from Rich’s visit www.richuk.com or call 01329 228000.

FAIRHILLS

TRY the award-winning Fairhills Mendoza Vineyards Shiraz Tempranillo which was recently crowned Best Argentinean Red at the Fairtrade Wine Awards.

This wine and Fairhills Chenin Blanc Torrentes are produced in one of the largest Fairtrade projects in Argentina involving more than 200 people.

Fairhills was founded in early 2005 in a small township of the same name on the western cape of South Africa. It started as a unique project where 22 different farms worked together with Origin Wines and the local Du Toitskloof winery and has sinceextended its work to Argentina becoming the biggest Fairtrade wine project in the world.

Fairhills Fairtrade Wines are available in branches of Tesco, Waitrose, Somerfield and Majestic priced pounds 4.99. For more information about the work of the association visit www.fairhills.co.za.

(c) 2008 Coventry Evening Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.