Outlets for Fairtrade Goods

Fair World Shop, Caldbeck:  Stocks foods, paper goods and crafts.   Open 10.30 - 4.30 Mondays-Saturdays and 1.30 - 4.30 Sundays Easter to end October and also in the Spring Half-term holiday.  Open afternoons only November to Christmas.

The Old Smithy, Caldbeck:  Craft shop and café.  Stocks wide range of Fairtrade and locally made goods.   Open 9.00 - 6.00 seven days a week.

Priests Mill Café, Caldbeck:  Stocks some Fairtrade goods for sale and offers Fairtrade tea and coffee on request.   Open 11.00 - 5.00 every day.

History of Fairtrade in Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket

The Fair World Shop (previously known as the Third World Shop) grew out of a Fairtrade stall held in the back of St. Kentigern’s Church.   It has been trading from its current premises for twenty years.   It is run entirely by volunteers and stocks exclusively Fairtrade products – foodstuffs, paper goods and a wide range of crafts.   All profits from the shop are given to charities nominated by the volunteers with a large proportion going to overseas charities.   The shop supports a number of local events by providing Fairtrade stalls.

More recently other outlets have stocked Fairtrade goods and enthusiasts have run additional events to promote the idea of Fairtrade.   In 2007 the enthusiasm for Fairtrade was manifest in the application for Fairtrade Status, a move wholeheartedly supported by the Parish Council and St. Kentigern’s Parochial Church Council.   The application required the formation of a formal steering group which is called the Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket Fairtraders.   It includes representatives from the Parish Council, traders promoting Fairtrade, the Church and the Fair World Shop.   More information from the Secretary, Sally Vaux 016974 78626.

The Significance of Fairtrade

Goods carrying the Fairtrade logo indicate the goods were purchased from the producers at a fair price.   This price is calculated to cover the cost of production plus a small margin.  In addition a small social premium is paid to the producer community.   The use of this premium is decided by the community – not the individual producer – and typically is spent on improving water supplies, education or health care.  For more information on Fairtrade visit the Fairtrade Foundation website at www.fairtrade.org.uk

Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket Fairtraders are committed to promoting a fair price for producers both overseas and in this country.   We see it as vitally important that UK milk producers and Ethiopian coffee producers for example, are each paid a proper price for their product.

Award of Fairtrade Status

On Monday 10th March 2008 Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket celebrated the Award of Fairtrade Status with a free Fairtrade Coffee Tasting at Denton Guest House, Hesket Newmarket.   The Fairtrade Status Certificate was presented to the Parish Council Chairman, Mrs. Anne Cartmell and Chairman of the Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket Fairtraders, Mrs. Susan Beale.

A short presentation on the production of Fairtrade Coffee in Choche, Ethiopia, was given by Mrs. Elspeth Sherwen of Keswick Fairtrade Campaign.

Fairtrade Status was awarded to Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket Parish by the Fairtrade Foundation, the national body responsible for certifying Fairtrade products in the UK.   

The Award is given in recognition of the number of Fairtrade commercial outlets in the community and the number of organisations/groups using Fairtrade products.   Using Fairtrade products directly benefits small farmers and workers in developing countries.

A 2007 survey showed that 70% of Caldbeck local businesses and groups use Fairtrade tea and coffee.

In awarding Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket Fairtrade status, Hannah Reed of the Fairtrade Foundation commented:

               “Congratulations on achieving Fairtrade Village

              Status.   Doing so is a fantastic community achievement.

              It is thanks to groups such as yours that Fairtrade is growing

              and having an impact on the lives of 7 million people –

              producers and their families – in developing countries.”

The award is also in recognition of recent local events promoting Fairtrade –a Fashion Show in May 2007, a Christmas Fayre in November 2007 and a Fairtrade Supper and followed by the showing of the film “An Inconvenient Truth” on 15th February 2008.    All these events took place in Caldbeck Village Hall.

The Old Smithy Café in Caldbeck ran an All Day Breakfast from 8 am onwards on Saturday 1st March with proceeds going to Traidcraft to promote its Fairtrade work.

Caldbeck & Hesket Newmarket Fairtraders held a very successful Fairtrade Wine Tasting Evening at Caldbeck Village Hall on 17th October.   The evening was led by Nick Shill, until recently Wine Consultant with the Grapevine Wine Company.   Nick led us through six Fairtrade wines most of which had recently won awards.    The three white and three red wines which came from Chile, Argentina and South Africa all had interesting characteristics reflecting their source countries.   The wines were ably poured by local teenagers Josh Hodgkinson, Connar Merone,  Jonathon and Stuart Hurd, Catherine Holdsworth, Alice and Maddy Hallewell, and Polly Lear

In addition to the wines, local cheeses supplied by Thornby Dairies and Wardal Dairies were available to taste on biscuits donated by McVities of Carlisle.   The evening was also supported by Shortridge Laundry who supplied tablecloths, and the Co-operative Society.   This was an excellent evening.