Fair Trade Products

This ‘feature’ is all about sharing exciting Fairtrade food news: bargains and offers, new products on the market, new or newly discovered retailers etc. 

As a steering group member I think it very important that people know how affordable and accessible fairtrade really is.  At the same time I would like to highlight the importance of supporting smaller/independent FT retailers.

Anyone is welcome to email me with any tips: offers, tasty products/reviews, links to retailers/cafes etc. Please send these to: jim@fairtradewales.com

Check these out:

  • FT bananas loose in Tesco Neath (town) just by chance: 89p/Kg (5/1/10) - 20 mixed size bananas for £2.08! Most current price 77p/Kg
  • FT bananas loose in Port Talbot Aldi, just by chance - always have a look for the FT sticker guys. I have also had Tesco loose bananas certified as well!
  • Boots FT toiletry gift sets: I gave my wife some small versions of the FT cocoa body butter, body wash and lip balm. I tried them all! The body butter smelled delicious and was moisturising, but non-greasy. The body wash smelled great also and lathered quite well. I managed to get a few sets of the different body butters and body wash in Boots at 75% off in their sale (all gone now sorry!)
  • Tesco Organic Peruvian 70% plain with hazelnuts and raisins. (Tesco, please see in store for price). I purchased this in Llansamlett, Swansea where they appear to have the best selection of FT choc, approx 7 varieties. It had a ‘fruity bitter' taste, lovely crunchy hazelnuts and juicy raisins!
  • Harry hill liberation nuts. I enjoyed my son's cashews! Nuts are something I neglect to think about in regards to Fairtrade. Liberation are great, they go even further to guarantee fair trading and the best price for the producers. www.chooseliberation.com
  • Cadbury's highlights is now FT certified! (Check the packs for logos, as there is still plenty of old stock about! (Tesco 40p per twin sachet) I found this a bit weak to be honest (but I did have a big mug) and you can't beat hot choc made with milk!
  • Cadbury's Bourneville cocoa is now FT certified! I've spotted it in Morrison's, but I presume it is widely available.
  • We recently made some ‘crunch' - a mixture of dark chocolate, icing sugar, margarine and digestive biscuit. Quick and easy to make and extra yummy! We used Super cook select 85% organic dark chocolate. Google for the recipe.
  • Sainsbury's offers: various offers on Cadbury's Dairy Milk bars, including 140g bars for £1. FT mangoes - 2 for £2.50. Café Direct Organic classic de-caff instant 100g for £2.50, was £3.25. All Taste The Difference ground coffee are still two for £4 - bargain!
  • I have recently come across Cadbury's ‘skinny' Dairy Milk bars and miniature bars both FT certified. I am guessing all the ‘pure' Dairy Milk bars will eventually be certified. The ‘skinny' bars are in Wilkinson's now for 18p, making FT really affordable.
  • Fairtrade Kitkat: www.thecocoaplan.com - check out the website. Such fantastic news!! (Two for 70p in Tesco, two for 80p in Wilkinson's).
  • Sainsbury's Premium (ground for cafetiere) - standard, boring, mediocre (sorry Sainsbury's). See in store for price. Really does show that Sainsbury's TTD is much better!
  • Dairy milk Easter eggs are on sale now - the choc bars inside are FT, but (sadly) not the egg!! (Wilkinson's)
  • Café Direct classic blend 200g - £1.99, B+M bargains, Port Talbot (September date)
  • Tropical Wholefoods FT Organic Mango www.tropicalwholefoods.com - very tasty and natural tasting. Great ethical company!! All their products are either certified, or are traded fairly (see website for more detailers). They are available from Morrison's and other retailers.
  • Sainsbury's TTD Nicaraguan - nice, strong. ‘A sweet caramel coffee with chocolate and hazelnut notes'. (2 x 227g bags for £4)
  • Divine cocoa: This has been around a long time I know, but it's my first time to try it. I much prefer it to hot choc, because you sweeten it to taste and you can really taste the cocoa, and the quality...
  • In NPT we have recently added some New FT shops to our list: Wilkinson's, Superdrug, Iceland and Savers. This is largely due to brands getting certified: Cadbury's, Tate and Lyle etc.
  • Sainsbury's Smart Price FT ground coffee: this coffee may be the cheapest FT coffee available (Sainsbury's: 227g/£1.35). It really does taste fine. The beans are Robusta, rather than Arabica, these are grown at lower altitudes and higher in caffine. They tend to be cheaper and arguably, lower quality. But try it for yourself!!
  • New Clipper teas and website: my wife is drinking Organic sleep easy infusion tea - she is really enjoying it. It is not certified, but it does say it is ‘fair' (I'll investigate). Website: http://www.clipper-teas.com/
  • Bulk coffee and tea - in Sainsbury's you can get 480 bags of Sainsbury's ‘standard' tea for £5.99, and a 500g drum of FFI instant coffee for £7.49. Warehouse prices from the supermarket!
  • Co-op truly irresistible FT chocolates: I had these for Christmas and this is maybe the second time I have eaten these. They are really good, and our fave was ‘Gianduja Praline' - Yum!
  • The Fairtrade everyday cookbook - Sophie Grigson (RRP: £16.99): includes recipes by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and Anthony Worall Thompson. Inspiring and informative, and that's just the bits in between the recipes!!

Thank you to those who have recently supported NPT Fairtrade Forum with kind donations: Starbucks, QI tea, Tropical Wholefoods and Clipper.

Please email me any FT offer, product or shop information.  I am always keen to review products, and can always use samples for events to promote FT (with the NPT Fairtrade Forum); jim@fairtradewales.com.

A thank you to some people who have helped me to promote FT lately: Cadbury’s, Percol, Co-op, Starbucks and Marks and Spencer!

Don’t forget to mail those tips: jim@fairtradewales.com