Bristol’s ethical firms recognised in Fairtrade Business Awards

March 7, 2014
By

Shops, cafes, hotels, independent financial advisers and universities were among the winners in this year’s South West Fairtrade Business awards, which champion firms that put ethical responsibilities at the heart of their business.

The awards, staged yesterday at Bristol’s City Hall, attracted scores of entrants from across the region.

Category winners from Bristol included Source Cafe @ The Hub, Stewart Investment Planning, jeweller John Titcombe, fruit drink producers Natural Beverages, the University of Bristol and UWE’s Student Union Shop.

Winner of the Best in the South West 2014 Award was Koolskools. Judges praised the Hampshire-based Fairtrade uniform provider, hailing it as ‘an incredible advocate for Fairtrade since it started, not only as a 100% Fairtrade provider, but also pioneering new products in the sector’.

Welcoming around 150 entrants and guests to the lunchtime ceremony, Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson said he was proud of Bristol and South Gloucestershire’s record on responsible trading.

“I believe that the way we trade says a lot about a city so I’m particularly delighted that we have been recognised as one of the world’s leading Fairtrade cities.”

He said fairness would be a central theme of Bristol’s year as European Green Capital in 2015.

“It won’t just be about saving energy and doing things in an environmental way. It will be about treating people in a decent and ethical way.”

Bristol became a Fairtrade city in 2005 and in 2015 will host the prestigious International Fairtrade Towns Conference.

Margarita Espinoza, a Fairtrade coffee producer from Nicaragua who has been in Bristol speaking at  events during Fairtrade Fortnight, outlined how becoming involved in Fairtrade had changed her life and those of her fellow growers, their families and the wider community in their remote village.

The Awards were presented by The Observer and The Guardian’s ethical expert Lucy Siegle.

Category winners were:

Best Fairtrade Accommodation 2014 – Lee Abbey, Devon

Best Fairtrade Food Outlet 2014 – Source Cafe @ The Hub

Best Fairtrade Office 2014, sponsored by Burges Salmon – Stewart Investment Planning

Best Fairtrade Retailer (Multiple Products) 2014 – UWE Student Union Shop

Best Fairtrade Retailer (Single Product) 2014 – John Titcombe and Natural Beverages (joint winners)

Best Fairtrade University 2014 – University of Bristol

The awards were staged by Business West, South West Fairtrade, Destination Bristol and Bristol City Council and sponsored by The Cooperative group and Bristol law firm Burges Salmon. The lunch was sponsored by Shared Interest Foundation.

Mike Trodd of Koolskools said: “We’re humbled and delighted to have won the Best Fairtrade Business in the South West Award. We had a fantastic and inspiring day at the awards ceremony and will do all we can to support Fairtrade in the future.”

A full list of all winners including bronze, silver and gold appears after the photo below.

Pictured: Lucy Siegle presents the top award to Koolskools joint partner Mike Trodd

Photo by Jon Craig http://www.joncraig.co.uk                                         

Company Name

Category

Award

 

Commonwealth Cottage

Accommodation

Silver

 

Sandays Bed and Breakfast

Accommodation

Silver

 

Greenhouse B&B

Accommodation

Gold

 

Rosemundy Cottage

Accommodation

Gold

 

Lee Abbey Fellowship

Accommodation

Gold

Category winner

The Swan Food Outlet Bronze  
The Watershed Food Outlet Bronze  
Café Create Food Outlet Silver  
Coffee Station Food Outlet Silver  
Elior Food Outlet Silver  
Just Ground Food Outlet Silver  
Poole Grammar School Food Outlet Silver  
The Tiny Marmalade Food Outlet Silver  
Vaughan's Kitchen Food Outlet Silver  
Full of Beans Coffee cart Food Outlet Gold  
One World Cafe Food Outlet Gold  
Source café at the Hub Food Outlet Gold Category winner
Grant Thornton UK LLP Office Silver  
Business West Office Gold  
Create Centre Office Gold  
Lyons Davidson Office Gold  
Minuteman Press Office Gold  
Stewart Investment Planning Office Gold Category winner
Christine's Sustainable Supermarket  Retailer – multiple products Silver  
Greenlife Retailer – multiple products Silver  
Here and Far Retailer – multiple products Silver  
Just Crafts Retailer – multiple products Silver  
Neals Yard Remedies Retailer – multiple products Silver  
Pill Post Office Retailer – multiple products Silver  
Pukka Herbs Retailer – multiple products Silver  
Voyage Fairtrade Retailer – multiple products Silver  
Better Food Company Retailer – multiple products Gold  
Fair's Fair Retailer – multiple products Gold  
Harvest Retailer – multiple products Gold  
Kerala Crafts Retailer – multiple products Gold  
Lee Abbey Fellowship Retailer – multiple products Gold  
Tumi Retailer – multiple products Gold  
Wild Oats Wholefoods Retailer – multiple products Gold  
UWE Students’ Union Shop Retailer – multiple products Gold Category winner
Cake Retailer – single product Silver  
Christina Oswin Jewellery Retailer – single product Silver  
Fish out of water Retailer – single product Silver  
Indigo Valley Retailer – single product Silver  
Silverthorne Hobbs Ltd Retailer – single product Silver  
Bristol Tea Company Retailer – single product Gold  
John Titcombe Retailer – single product Gold Category winner – joint
Natural Beverages Retailer – single product Gold Category winner – joint
       
City College Plymouth University or College Silver  
Falmouth Exeter Plus University or College Silver  
University of the West of England University or College Gold  
University of Bristol University or College Gold Category winner

 

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