Bristol guest houses, cafes, printers and retailers were among the winners at this year’s South West Fairtrade Business Awards.
Minuteman Press Bristol won the Best Fairtrade Office category, UWE’s Full of Beans cafe walked away with the title of Best Fairtrade Cafe or Restaurant and Sophie Luxton from Computershare was presented with the Best Fairtrade Advocate Award.
Now in their fourth year, the awards champion businesses that demonstrate commitment to using and promoting fairtrade and supporting fair and ethical business practices.
The overall winner, gaining the title of Best Fairtrade Business in the South West 2016, was Lee Abbey Fellowship in Devon.
The results were announced at a ceremony at the At-Bristol Science Centre, hosted by ethical beauty and wellbeing expert Liz Earle MBE, who recently launched a range of Fairtrade Gold jewellery in association with Cred Jewellery.
She spoke eloquently at the event about the massive difference Fairtrade makes to gold miners and was delighted to see her jewellery range at local jewellers John Titcombe. The event was opened by Molly Scott Cato MEP.
The seven categories were: Best Fairtrade Office, Best Fairtrade Retailer –single product, Best Fairtrade Retailer – multiple products, Best Fairtrade Café or Restaurant, Best Fairtrade Accommodation or Conference Centre, sponsored by Sawdays, Best Fairtrade University or College, and Best Fairtrade Advocate Award, sponsored by SWTUC.
Sophie Luxon, who won The Best Fairtrade Advocate Award, sponsored by the SWTUC, runs Fairtrade stalls at work and has persuaded not just her own company, but also neighbouring companies, to switch to using Fairtrade products.
Other winners from across the region are Fair’s Fair in Barnstaple, Full of Beans café at UWE, Erica Sharpe Fine Jewellery in Wedmore and City College Plymouth. Winners of each category received a unique trophy designed by Bristol Blue Glass, presented by a range of local VIPs including Alastair Sawday, and Clare McGinn from the BBC.
The 68 shortlisted businesses have between them spent nearly £500,000 on Fairtrade products, making a massive difference to the lives of producers in developing countries.
A Fairtrade Brunch and business-to-business networking after the ceremony was sponsored by charity Shared Interest Foundation, which supports fair trade businesses in developing countries.
Bristol Business News was again media partner of the awards.
Pictured: South West Fairtrade Business Awards winners with Liz Earle
