We are again taking part in the launch event of Fairtrade Fortnight held at London's South Bank on Sunday 22nd February.

This year's theme is 'Games' and there will be lots of games and activities for the whole family to try. Visit the Cafédirect stand for some space hopper racing or relax and have a coffee, tea or hot chocolate. There will also be lots of other Fairtrade companies with stalls (and games) so bring your friends and family for a fun packed family day out!

When: Sunday 22nd February 11am to 4pm
Where: Coin Street river walkway on the South Bank (London SE1).
Closest Tube stations are Waterloo, Southwark, Blackfriars and Embankment.
view on a map

To celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 (23 February - 8 March), we’ve created exciting new Toolkits for Friends of Cafédirect. These kits can be ordered online, and have been designed to give you ideas and tools to help build a movement for change by supporting trade justice.

They include information about our products and work, an action list with ideas for you to try, a DVD of five powerful films about the work we do, delicious samples to share, profiles of some of our grower partners, postcards, money saving coupons and posters to help advertise your events. We also have downloadable resources online for you to print and use.

Why not try the kit for yourself? You could host an afternoon tea with friends or workmates, lobby local shops and cafés to use Cafédirect products, or educate your community about Fairtrade, social justice, and using business to build a better world.

To celebrate our new Toolkits and Fairtrade Fortnight, we have a great competition for all Friends of Cafédirect. To enter, simply email a photo of your Toolkit being used during 2009 Fairtrade Fortnight, along with a description of up to 50 words, to campaigns@cafedirect.co.uk. Entries should have "Tools for Change" as the subject heading.

Two judges from Cafédirect will pick one winner, who will receive a luxury Cafédirect hamper, including a selection of delicious Cafédirect products and a Bodum cafetiere and grinder. If you’re not already a friend, sign up here. Make sure you read the terms and conditions before entering, and good luck with your campaign for change!

London's first Ethical Christmas Emporium runs from Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd November 2008. The event, set within the historic Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf on London's South Bank, will be packed full of unique stalls selling the very best in Fairtrade, ethical, sustainable, and green gifts. Enjoy a few hours browsing: you'll find stunning jewellery, tempting fashion, accessories and homewares, toys, food, drinks and much more. There'll be entertainment for the kids, free samples and goodies, live music and plenty of great ethical Christmas inspiration.

Come down to the Cafédirect stall for some fabulous christmas gifts - including single origin gourmet fresh ground coffees and coffee connoisseur gift sets. We will also be serving delicious cups of coffee, expertly made by baristas.

We hope to see you there!

On 29 November, the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania will come alive in celebration of the oldest co-operative in all of Africa. KNCU, made up of 65,000 smallholder farmers, was officially incorporated in 1933, and to celebrate 75 years, we'll be joining some of the farmers and hundreds of school children who benefit from the Fairtrade premiums for the celebrations in Moshi. We've been partners with them since 1994 (the year Fairtrade entered the UK!), and we'd like to share the celebrations with you:

Do you want to send a message to KNCU?

If so, let us know - text, photo or even film is welcome!

Do you have questions for any of the locals?

Let us know and we'll post your questions and their answers on our website.

Want to toast KNCU with their coffee and your friends?

We have created special KNCU Anniversary packs for Friends of Cafédirect who would like to hold their own celebration on November 29th. If you're interested, we'll send you a pack, including Kilimanjaro gourmet fresh ground coffee. All we ask is for your feedback - send us photos, video or just a few words about your event and we'll pass them on to KNCU.

order your KNCU Anniversary pack now. Remember these are only available to Friends of Cafédirect subject to availability.

find out more about Friends of Cafédirect

Don't forget to check back for updates on the event!

In October of 2007, Tropical Storm Noel tore across the Dominican Republic, soaking the island with torrential rains. Only a few weeks later, Hurricane Olga descended, and the already swollen rivers exploded. The ensuing mud slides knocked out power for up to a month in some areas. Roads were permanently destroyed, valleys shifted, and thousands of animals died.

Fedecares, our coffee partners, lost more than 50 lives, hundreds of homes, and more than a million pounds of coffee. In response, Cafédirect invested an extra £20,000 into repairing infrastructure, solidifying top soil, and replanting lost coffee trees. Pictured on the right is coffee farmer Feliciano Lara Santana whose coffee goes into our Classic Blend in his nursery growing seedlings to replace those that were lost.

In August this year, Zachary Dominitz (Head of Corporate Affairs), travelled to the island to visit the farmers and check-in on reconstruction efforts.

"The scale of loss was really incredible, particularly because the storms hit at the height of harvest season. But it wasn’t just coffee trees that were destroyed, it was the crops farmers use to feed themselves and their animals," Zachary said. "Whole communities changed, and so many people lost their homes and all of their possessions. In Los Cacoas, in the mountains near Santo Domingo, the river bed–not the water level, but the actual bed itself - raised up 15 metres!

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Visiting families there, what struck me was the incredible faith they had, the strength of character, their optimism. It was humbling. It’s one thing to come to work everyday in London and know we are making a difference in people’s lives; it’s another thing completely to go and see first hand. It only inspired me more, and I want to say to thank everyone for their support of Cafédirect and say job well done, because we really are changing lives and building communities."

If you're in London, come and join us at the Mayor’s Thames festival this weekend – Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September from 12 noon to 10pm on both days.

For the first time this year, the festival will feature a Fairtrade Village located at Hibernia Wharf opposite Southwark Cathedral.

Visit the Cafédirect stall in the Fairtrade Village to sample some of our delicious, award winning coffee and take part in a prize draw to win a luxury hamper filled with each of our products that have won a Gold Great Taste Award 2008.

Other Fairtrade companies joining us in the Fairtrade Village include Divine Chocolate, OKE smoothies and Cream O’Galloway ice-cream.

The Mayor’s Thames festival is a free celebration of London – bringing Londoners together to taste delicious food and drink, listen to music, sail on the Thames and much more! The festival will be held all the way along the Thames – from Westminister Bridge to Tower Bridge.

Visit the festival site for more details click here

See you there!

We at Cafédirect are delighted to be working with TV's popular wine expert Mr. Olly Smith. He has been a fan of our coffees for sometime now and is fully engaged in our business values. Great to have you on board Olly!

There are many parallels between tasting wine and tasting coffee, so we asked Olly to lend his finely tuned palate to our range. Check back soon to read his individual tasting notes on all our products - simply delicious!

As Olly says, "For me, coffee presents a similarly enticing tasting experience as wine. Just like grapes different beans offer unique flavours and, depending on where they're grown, fantastic local character. Coffee, just like wine, can be a journey around the world in a single sip."

But that's not the only way we'll be working together. Olly recently hosted a Tea and Coffee tasting alongside one of our grower partners, Nimrod Wambette - Chairman of the Gumutindo Coffee Co-operative in Uganda. We invited lots of journalists to the event, taught them how to professionally taste or "cup" our hot drinks, and introduced to them our brand new "Best Ever Taste Classic Blend Premium Freeze Dried Instant Coffee". The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Over the coming months, we will have regular updates from Mr. Smith, including his tips on how to serve the perfect cup of tea and coffee, and information on matching coffee with foods and desserts. Plus, Olly will be holding more Tasting Masterclasses for us, so make sure to check back here for full details of venues and dates!

Read more from the man himself!

A coffee to believe in.

With the help of our grower partners and expert roasters, we’ve improved Classic Blend. We’ve roasted the beans for longer than before, giving a smooth, full-bodied taste, a rich aroma, and an enticingly dark colour. With its subtle hints of caramel sweetness, Classic Blend is the perfect boost for any time of the day.

Best ever taste.

We’re very proud of this new "best ever taste" Classic Blend. So proud in fact, that we’re even offering you your money back if you’re not entirely satisfied with the taste!

We haven’t changed the recipe.

Classic Blend premium instant is still a labour of love, including quality beans sourced from all 26 of our coffee producing co-operatives from around the world.

Indeed it’s almost a voyage in a mug! With beans from … Peru, Mexico, Uganda, Tanzania, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cameroon, and Rwanda.

find out more about Classic Blend "best ever taste"
find out more about our range of great tasting, high quality hot drinks

Fighting poverty and protecting the environment go hand-in-hand - that's why the theme of this year's World Fair Trade Day – Fair Trade and Ecology - is so important.

There are no livelihoods more threatened by climate change today than those of rural, smallholder farmers in developing countries. From unpredictable storms and hurricanes in Latin America to droughts and floods in Africa, our grower partners are regularly experiencing the devastating effects of a rapidly changing environment.

"The rains are now erratic, the season cycles are changing – cycles that we rely on for food and to earn a decent living. Freak storms are wrecking havoc; severe winds have destroyed homes, buildings, and crops. On my farm I have had tea bushes burnt by lightening – in 30 years of farming I have never seen this happen.

Rising temperatures also means we have malaria in regions that have never suffered from it before. To survive we need resources and support.

That’s why our partnership with Cafédirect is so important. No one else wanted to help us, but now together we are fighting the challenges we face… In this world we are all connected to one another. Climate change is a global problem, so we must work together to fight it." Andrew Kobia Ethuru (pictured right), Tea farmer and Chairman of the Fairtrade Premium Committee, Michimikuru Tea Factory, one of our Kenyan tea partners.

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At Cafédirect we are pioneering work to help smallholder farmers adapt to the rapidly changing climate. We’ve teamed up with the German Technical Cooperation on a long-term project to help growers adapt to regionally specific challenges of climate change. The project, Adaptation for Smallholder Farmers to Climate Change www.adapcc.org, will develop practical capabilities for coping with the impacts and risks of climate change and will improve farmers’ access to financial and technical support.

We are also leading reforestation, energy efficiency, and clean water projects in many of the communities of our grower partners.

Join us on World Fair Trade Day to help your environment and fight poverty. It’s as easy as A, B, C...

A - Ask for Cafédirect to be stocked by your retailers
B - Boil better. By boiling only the amount of water you need for your cuppa you will reduce your carbon footprint.
C - Campaign for change. Become a Friend of Cafédirect to help us build a fairer world.

To find out more about World Fair Trade Day click here

Of course, every day is Earth Day at Cafédirect, as we work to create sustainable businesses in developing countries.

On 22 April, 1970, the first Earth Day was held, to raise the global consciousness of the planet and our need to safeguard its health. Thirty-eight years later, the health of the planet, and our need to do more to protect it, has moved to the forefront of everyone's mind.

As drinkers of hot drinks, the biggest impact you can have is to ONLY BOIL THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOU NEED when you're putting on the kettle. But we know from all your letters and emails that you're a creative bunch. So if you have any fantastic ideas about simple ways to make big changes, please let us know.

Send your ideas to info@cafedirect.co.uk, and again, happy Earth Day!

This year, we are again showcasing our range of coffees, teas and hot chocolate drinks at the Caffé Culture Show – 21st and 22nd May at Olympia, London.

As the only exhibition targeting the needs of the café industry, and declared Best Trade Launch Show at the Association of Event Organisers Excellence Awards 2007, the show is a key opportunity to highlight Cafédirect’s unique way of doing business.

Cafédirect’s direct, personal and long term relationship with our experienced and dedicated growers in the developing world ensures that only the very best tasting hot beverages are produced.

Alka Dass, Cafédirect’s Trade Marketing Manager, Foodservice, says;
"Caffé Culture is the perfect platform for us to communicate what makes us different. Cafédirect goes a step further than other Fairtrade companies. We pay our growers more than the minimum Fairtrade price and, over the last three years, by investing on average 60% of our profit into training and development programmes, we've strengthened the businesses and communities of our grower partners.

Our growers are at the heart of our business and together we share a passion for producing the best quality coffee, tea and drinking chocolate. Caffé Culture is also a great opportunity for us to catch up with many of our existing customers, and to present the brand to those who have yet to hear about us."

Our 100% Fairtrade range – includes Wholebean, Roast & Ground, Classic Blend Premium Freeze Dried Coffees (decaffeinated and organic varieties are available), Teadirect teas and Cocodirect Drinking and Instant Hot Chocolate drinks.

To hear more about stocking Cafédirect pop over to Stand J16 - and enjoy one of our delicious hot drinks - in the knowledge that each delicious cuppa gives our grower partners the chance to build a more sustainable future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

For more information on our Foodservice range click here

For enquiries about stocking Cafédirect call 0207 490 9520.

The Adam Smith Institute report 'Unfair Trade’, released over the weekend, questioned the difference Fairtrade is making to the lives of poor growers in developing countries.

So, is Fairtrade fair?
Yes. Today seven million farmers, farm workers, and their families benefit from getting a fair price for their product and additional money to invest in strengthening their communities.

Cafédirect’s 17 years of experience has shown us time and time again that Fairtrade is an important step forward for rural communities in developing countries.

But the challenges growers and their communities face are both complicated and complex, that’s why we put empowering growers at the heart of our company.

Sustainable development is about giving growers the ability to create secure, sustainable futures. Through direct and personal, long term relationships we are positively impacting the lives of 1.4 million of people – giving them the support and resources to meet the challenges they face. Our investment in, and support for, more than 264,000 growers is helping them to:

• earn a decent income by helping grower organisations gain Fairtrade certification. We proactively help grower organisations gain certification – which can take some time – even years. Just last year the Michimikuru Tea Factory, owned by 9,000 growers in central Kenya, celebrated gaining certification after two years support from Cafédirect.

• strengthen the competitiveness of their businesses. For example, we work with growers to improve the quality of their products. At the Prodecoop co-operative in Nicaragua, our work together on quality improvements means today they are internationally recognised for their premium coffee. As a result of this investment, they have won the famed Cup of Excellence that the Adam Smith report highlights as an important option for development.

• develop new markets for their produce. Many of our partners have grown their sales by exploring new international markets, such as one of our Ugandan partners successfully exporting to Pakistan, and many of our partners that we were once the only Fairtrade buyer, are now selling to others as well. Gaining knowledge of new markets, growers are actively involved in Cafédirect’s new product development as well. Our new Cloud Forest fresh ground coffee, available exclusively in Sainsbury’s, was created in collaboration between two of our grower partners in Nicaragua and our marketing team.

• add more value to their businesses and diversify their incomes. Not only do our partners co-own Cafédirect, we build our growers’ knowledge and expertise empowering them to strengthen, and add value, to their businesses. For example, with our support, one of our Tanzanian partners now co-owns the tea factory that processes their green tea leaves. Our long term relationship with growers also gives them security, and that in turn has given them the opportunity to explore diversifying their income. Three of our partners have already begun successful tourism operations.

Using the power of Cafédirect’s business and trading model, we are proving we can make the world a fairer, better place.

Thank you for your continued support. By enjoying Cafédirect’s delicious coffees, teas and hot chocolate, you ensure we will continue to make a difference.

Join Cafédirect at the Fairtrade Fairground this Sunday 24 February 2008 from 11am – 4pm for the big launch of Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 on London’s South Bank.

You will have the chance to sample our range of delicious coffees, teas and drinking chocolate, as well as the opportunity to speak with Andrew Kobia Ethuru, one of our grower partners from Michimukuru Tea Company, Kenya.

And that’s not all! Take part in our quiz on the day for a chance of winning a luxury hamper filled with Cafédirect products and a Bodum cafetiere and grinder.

The Fairtrade Fairground will also have a helter skelter, tea cup ride and lots of other Fairtrade companies holding fairground activities, so bring your friends and family for a great day out.

Location: Coin Street on the South Bank. Closest Tube stations are Waterloo, Southwark, Blackfriars and Embankment.

We hope to see you there!

Cafédirect is showcasing at this year’s Hotelympia, South Hall, ExCel, London from the 17th to the 21st February 2008 on the Peros stand, S1711. The only event that brings together a broad cross section of the hospitality and foodservice community Hotelympia provides the perfect platform for Cafédirect.

Our unique and direct working relationship with experienced and dedicated growers ensures that only the very best tasting hot beverages are produced. "We put direct, personal relationships with small-scale growers at the heart of everything we do," says Scott Coles, Head of Sales. "By investing 60% of our profits into training and development programmes our growers have become true experts. Together we share a passion to ensure that the best quality coffees, teas and hot chocolate drinks reach caterers and their customers."

If you would like to sample our products, or want to ask a question about stocking Cafédirect, contact us or for stand details visit www.peros.co.uk

find out more about our foodservice range

While the instability in Kenya following December’s disputed presidential elections continues, fortunately most of our partners there are a considerable distance from the violence, have not been directly affected and have been able to continue picking and processing tea. The impact of the situation in Kenya, though, has spread to our partners in Uganda and Rwanda, both landlocked, who usually ship their tea to the port of Mombasa and are having to travel to the Port under police guard.

Once tea is on board ship we are suffering from very extended lead times getting product to Europe due to port congestion and re routing taking place.

While the instability in Kenya following December’s disputed presidential elections continues, most of our partners there are a considerable distance from the violence, and have not yet been directly affected. The impact of the situation there, though, has spread to our partners in Uganda and Rwanda, both landlocked, who usually ship their tea to the Mombasa Auctions.

Our Ugandan partners sell 90% of their tea at the Mombasa Auctions. They have reported a bumper harvest but are currently unable to transport their tea to Mombasa. This has been aggravated by strict rationing regulations issued by the Kenya government to all petrol filling stations.

Transport of teas from our Kenyan partners continues with minimal problems, especially from Eastern Kenya which has remained stable since the disputed elections in December.

Many of you may be following the ongoing story in Kenya. Since the disputed presidential elections on the 27th of December the conflict has already claimed the lives of more than 500 people and has driven at least 100,000 from their homes.

Fortunately most of our partners are a considerable distance from the violence, and have not yet been affected and are confident that their businesses can continue to operate with minimal interruptions. The longer the crisis continues, however, the larger the effects will be not just on Kenya but on the economies and livelihoods of our partners in neighboring countries.

As of this writing, for example, there are no shipments out of Mombassa, which impacts all of East Africa, and Tanazania's coffee auction today (11/01/08) has been cancelled. We will continue to keep you updated as events transpire.

We are delighted to share that Penny Newman's near decade of work for Cafédirect was recognised in the New Year’s Honours with an OBE for her services for ethical business.

"I am honoured to receive an OBE. This award goes to each and everyone at Cafédirect who has worked long and hard to achieve our mission. Without the team at Cafédirect and our partners, including the 39 grower organisations we trade with, Cafédirect and Fairtrade would not feature in people's minds," she said.

Thanking everyone who has sent congratulations, Penny said the support has moved her.

"I was surprised when I was called and told I would be awarded an OBE. It's great that the impact of ethical business is being acknowledged through the Honours system."

The OBE is further recognition of Penny's role as an inspirational business leader. Last year she received the Dods and Scottish Widows Businesswoman of the Year, and she is one of Gordon Brown's Social Enterprise Ambassadors for Britain. She continues to give her time and energy tirelessly around the country, and we are all incredibly proud of her.

Penny joined the company as Managing Director in 1999 and was appointed as Chief Executive in 2003. Since then Cafédirect's turnover has trebled. In 2004, she successfully led the UK’s biggest ethical public share issue, raising £5 million for Cafédirect from 4,500 investors. Today grower partners, consumers, employees and founders all own shares in the company.

Fortunately, to date our grower partners in Kenya have been unaffected by violence that has erupted as a result of the disputed presidential elections which took place on the 27th of December. The conflict has already claimed the lives of more than 300 people and has driven at least 70,000 from their homes.

We are in close contact with our grower partners in Kenya, who report the area where they live in central Kenya has been calm with no violent incidents to report so far. As they are a considerable distance from most of the violence, they’re confident their businesses can continue to operate with minimal interruptions.

Julius Ethangatha of Michimikuru commented, "Here at Michimikuru the situation is calm and none of our grower members have been affected so far. As we are a considerable distance from most of the violence, I do not foresee any trouble supplying tea, so long as transport lines remain unaffected. Growers continue to pluck their tea with the hope that the roads will be open for transport to Mombasa . Hopefully the situation will be reconciled very soon"

Tea is one of Kenya’s most important exports, so it’s crucial for the country’s economy that tea growers can continue to sell their products. But, if the violence continues, this will be increasingly difficult to ensure: the Kenyan stock exchange, for example, was already forced to suspend trading.

We will be watching matters very closely over the coming days, helping were we can, and up-dating you here on our website. We hope this crisis will be resolved quickly and that calm will restored to Kenya soon.

We wish to express our greatest sympathy and concern for the people of Haiti and the Dominican Republic who are yet again fighting the devastating effects of a Tropical Storm.

Tropical Storm Olga has caused floods and landslides in the Caribbean since hitting the region yesterday – unusually late into the hurricane season there.

Again, three of our grower partners have been affected, two in the Dominican Republic and one in Haiti. We have been in contact with each of them and their initial reports indicate that the worst damage is this time in Haiti..

The Recocarno Co-operative in Haiti is located in the worst affected region, and it appears the damage was caused by high winds rather than rainfall. The high winds have left some farmers homeless. One of the Co-operative’s coffee stores was left without a roof after high winds completely ripped it from the building. Because of this, 4,000 lbs of parchment coffee have been exposed to the elements. This coffee will be moved to a new area by truck and processed immediately to prevent deterioration in quality.

In the Dominican Republic, the Conacado Co-operative members are currently assessing damage. Initial reports from them indicate that the cocoa crops are more affected than people.

Also in the Dominican Republic, mudslides have again cut off communication to some member communities of the Fedecares Co-operative. The terrain has not yet recovered from Hurricane Noel which hit the region in October, but fortunately on this occasion member communities have been less affected than by Tropical Storm Noel.

As part of our direct partnership with growers we are in regular communication with our grower partners and will work with them to help them recover from the devastating effects of this disaster.

Would you like to know which festive foods go best with your Cafédirect coffees? Celebrity wine expert Olly Smith has tasted all our coffees and given his recommendations here.
Why not try out his recommendations for yourself and let us know what you think?

Cafédirect Cloud Forest Gourmet Coffee Beans
The grounds are a fab rich dark chocolate colour. And the dark chocolate is exactly what I’m smelling in the brew. Together with a subtle woody tinge. As you start sipping merrily, savour the chocolately tang of this coffee. There’s a smokey touch too. Yummy. There’s an extra clean, fresh overtone - like a twist of citrus. This coffee’s pure, bright subtle flavours work well - a real refresher. Medium body with pretty good lasting flavours. It’s that citrus lift that lasts longest.
Festive match: Dark chocolate. Mince pies.

Cafédirect Machu Picchu Organic Gourmet Coffee Beans
The grounds are a deep dark nut colour. I’m thinking Brazil nut shells. Right away, you find yourself reveling in aromas of nuts and chocolate. There’s an earthy touch too - think ploughed field. Marvellous. It’s got a very pure flavour rather than being overly complex. Especially dark chocolate. And… hang on… there’s subtle hint of dark mellow honey. The flavours are quite potent, it’s medium-full bodied and there’s some lasting flavour even after you’ve sipped. After dinner, you could serve this strong in espresso cups. Yummy.
Festive match: Dark chocolate. Tiramisu.

Cafédirect Mount Elgon Organic Gourmet Coffee Beans
Cor. An instantly attractive colour – the grounds have that very dark chocolate quality that just oozes seduction. As soon as you smell it, it’s toasty. Aromatic even. With a faint niff of cinnamon. YES! When you taste there’s that terrific toastiness with a caramelized hint and some lively zip to keep you on your toes. Standing by for an overtone…. Here it comes…. Roasted red pepper sweetness. Oh yes. Lovely. The rounded texture and balanced exotic flavours pair up nicely with this coffee’s medium-full body, and there’s fun citrus twist as the flavours linger. I love its great balance of intriguing flavours. Definitely one to linger over!
Festive match: Mince pies. Cheddar and chutney.

Cafédirect Palenque Organic Fresh Ground Coffee
The grounds are the colour of dark chocolate with a hint of deep red. I can’t wait to get stuck in. It smells heavenly – the first thing that lifts up is maple with nuts and a whiff of vanilla to follow. Good complexity. Sipping reveals a dark chocolate bite with the roasty toast of crusty granary bread. This coffee rocks! Hang on, there’s an overtone here, a more subtle flavour coming through …. Gorgeous… it’s like a twist of liquorice. The body is smooth, velvety and rich and there’s some powerful flavours going on. Once you’ve sipped, the flavours last for a few seconds… before you find yourself diving back in for more!
Festive match: Dark chocolate puddings. Nuts.

Cafédirect's Head of Supply Chain Paul Rodin visited our grower partners in Peru for the first time in November, and shares his thoughts here with us.

"Last month I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit our grower partners in Peru, where we purchase the majority of our coffee. I travelled with Zachary Dominitz, our Head of Corporate Affairs, and Wolfgang Weinmann, our Producer Partnership Programme (PPP) Manager, whose presence turned out to be critical for the trip as English was hardly spoken anywhere. Wolfgang did brilliantly as my interpreter.

Peru is a huge country and we covered large distances, mostly by road and often on windy tracks which was pretty hairy on a few occasions. We met individually with 6 of the co - operatives, visited several smallholders to see things for real, and finished off with a conference in Lima attended by all co operatives and other partners in Peru.

The people we met were amazing, naturally very dignified and quite formal - hugely comitted to us and the principles of Fairtrade and we were able to see first-hand what the premiums and PPP have delivered to their lives. Many smallholder farmers are seriously challenged to make ends meet and have been encouraged to diversify into crops other than coffee such as sugar, bananas and cocoa. We took the opportunity of updating them on Cafédirect's performance and the challenges we face in the market, all of which was well received.

Travelling north through the Andes towards the Ecuadorian border was beautiful. Green mountain slopes with coffee bushes with their lovely white flowers, fast running rivers, rice fields with an amazingly vibrant shade of green, varieties of birds I had not seen before.

But there was also the downside to bring me back to reality - people sifting through rubbish dumps, shanty houses for a whole family that were smaller than my garage at home, no sanitation or electricity, and people just sitting around all day with no work. These sights were real eye openers and reinforced the importance and value of what Cafédirect is all about. It explains the passion we are often met with from the smallholders about the importance of Cafédirect.

All in all an amaxing experience and from my personal point of view great timing as 6 months in I knew enough about the business to understand and relate to what I was hearing and seeing and hopefully pass on knowledge to our grower partners.

It was also great to really to feel that as an experienced commercial manager I was now working for an organisation where profit was for such a valuable purpose other than just lining someone else's pockets."

Cafédirect and a network of other organisations who work for greater trade justice recently wrote to European Commissioners Peter Mandelson and Louis Michel to express our outrage at their negotiating tacticts regarding trade with some of the world's poorest countries. Fighting poverty and creating a sustainable long-term solution must be at the top of their negotiating agenda.

The deadline for crucial trade negotiations between Europe and 76 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries is looming, and Europe is holding all the cards as the current trade pact expires at the end of this month.

The EC has the power to help many of the world’s poorest countries fight poverty. Instead their proposed Economic Partnership Agreements threaten millions of jobs, reduce valuable government revenues, and impose restrictions on pro-development initiatives.

Under immense time and political pressure, the ACP countries are being forced to choose between liberalising their economies or facing potential tariff increases on products they export to Europe.

Sustainable economic development and poverty eradication must be at the heart of any new trade agreement between Europe and these developing countries. The proposed EPAs must be thoroughly assessed alongside alternative proposals to ensure the development needs of the ACP countries are met.

More time is urgently needed to allow for proper and thorough negotiations. The EC can do this simply by guaranteeing tariffs won't increase in January if countries have not signed by the deadline.

read the letter

You can bid for this exciting experience at Oxfam Experiences

For one day only, our tea blending factory, Spicers, has opened its doors so that you and a friend can enjoy a tea tasting session and hand blend your very own variety of tea. Included in this unique experience is a tour of the tea blending factory and a presentation on the history of tea including an introduction to Fairtrade tea. Tea Tasters Ben and Tony will lead you through a tea tasting session in the tearoom with all sorts of types and grades including white teas and chrysanthemum. Hand-blend your own flavour and take away a 500g bag with a personalised label.

From November 22nd until December 2nd Oxfam will be auctioning a variety of unique experiences. All Oxfam Experiences are exclusive. Other experiences up for auction include a tour of the Renault Formula 1 Team Technical Centre and a chance to spend the day with George Alagiah putting together the Six o'clock News.

find out more

Earlier this year our CEO Penny Newman was selected as one of the UK’s first Social Enterprise Ambassadors. Accordingly she will be taking part in key events on Social Enterprise Day this Thursday November 15th, meeting with young social entrepreneurs to encourage them and share her experiences.

Penny Newman, CEO of Cafedirect

"As a Social Enterprise Ambassador I hope to help inspire more businesses, be they start-ups or existing companies, to use their work, like Cafédirect has, to make a difference", she said.

"Social enterprise is first and foremost an intrinsically sensible business model that balances healthy financial returns with social and environmental benefits. We’ve been a catalyst for showing how business can help to make the world a better place. By putting growers at the heart of our work, we’ve built a successful business, both financially and socially, pioneered a unique way of doing business and created lasting change in the communities where we work."

Kicking off Social Enterprise Day is the launch of the Make Your Mark in 60 Seconds competition - where young social entrepreneurs get a chance to pitch their business ideas to Peter Jones of Dragons’ Den, Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis, and winner of The Apprentice, Tim Campbell who now runs Bright Ideas Trust.

You can vote for your favourite idea online on Thursday. The winner will receive £5,000. Young people are also invited to make their own 60 second pitches in the coming months and enter them into an online competition to win another £5,000, so if you have an idea, visit www.bebo.com/60seconds. Voting closes on November 15 at 5.30pm so check it out now!

With less than six weeks until farmers begin the coffee harvest, Xavier Gomez and Rebecca Coutts-Buys travelled to Nicaragua’s northern mountains to visit our grower partners and check on our new Cloud Forest coffee (available exclusively to Sainsbury's).

"It was incredibly powerful to meet with farmers and their families, and to see first hand the real difference our work is making, empowering them to create a better future for their communities," Xavier, Cafédirect’s Administration Assistant, said.

The growers we work with face enormous challenges. Nicaragua is one of the world's most beautiful countries, but conflict and natural disasters, like Hurricane Mitch in 1998, have made poverty in Nicaragua worse. It’s the second poorest country in the America's after Haiti.

"Nicaragua’s infrastructure and economy are slowly being rebuilt, but improvement takes time," said Rebecca, who has recently started working for Cafédirect. "Yet, despite these challenges, PRODECOOP is today producing some of the world's best coffee beans - quality you can taste."

Growers are experts at nurturing the delicate Arabica beans that grow perfectly in the region’s high altitude. By investing in tailor-made programmes, Cafédirect is giving growers the tools to earn a sustainable living and take real control of their future.

"Together, with farmers, we are working to overcome challenges, like getting the coffee to market over roads which have been severely damaged by recent heavy rains," Rebecca said. "And together we are seizing the opportunities to create lasting change, like education programmes which are helping hundreds of farmers children go to school."

Xavier, who met PRODECOOP’s leader Merling Preza and Head Taster Fatima Lopez when they visited London for the Fairtrade Fortnight earlier this year, said "meeting with them in Nicaragua, seeing our work in action, enriched my understanding of the importance of our work together."

Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's intrepid 15,000 mile motorcycle adventure, which started in May in John O’Groats, and finished in Cape Town in early August, can now be seen on BBC2 Sundays at 9pm. During their trip they met our grower partners at the Gumutindo Coffee Co - operative, suppliers of our Mount Elgon gourmet coffee beans.

Speaking about their visit Ewan and Charley said: "We are learning so much on Long Way Down and what we come across on the way. Our visit to the Gumutindo Co - Operative has shown us the positive impact that Fairtrade companies like Cafédirect are having on growers’ lives. We won’t look at our cappuccinos in the same way again!"

They were able to see first hand how our direct long-term partnership (since 1998) with the Gumutindo Co - Operative (which means 'excellent quality’ in the local language) has helped growers earn a decent living from their trade and build sustainable businesses.

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In the words of Willington Wamameye of Gumutindo, "The relationship between Cafédirect and the producer partners does not stop at trade alone. It is about developing together. It is long-term; it is about strengthening weak producer organisations, making them more independent and able to make their way in the market. We only have Gumutindo now because of the Cafédirect philosophy of developing together."

Our Mount Elgon is a lively medium strength gourmet coffee with a citrus sweet flavour and a well rounded taste making it perfect for breakfast or mid-morning. It is available at major supermarkets and independent retailers or why not buy it right here at our online shop! We currently have an offer of over 20% off the price of each pack – so don’t delay, buy now!

To watch Ewan and Charley talking to Willington Wamameye, click here, or tune in to BBC 2 on Sunday 25th November at 9pm – where the visit will feature. Don’t miss it!!

We wish to express our greatest sympathy and concern for the people of Haiti and the Dominican Republic fighting the effects of Tropical Storm Noel.

This storm hit on Sunday and was not forecast. With little warning from the government, many communities were left unprepared. Continuing rain and flooding are hampering rescue efforts. At present the Dominican press is reporting 16 dead and 15 unaccounted for.

Three of our grower partners have been affected, two in the Dominican Republic and one in Haiti. We have been in contact with each of them and their initial reports indicate that the worst damage is in the Dominican Republic.

At the Conacado Co-operative work has slowly resumed, however this has been difficult as the floods have left many communities with out communication.

The Fedecares Co-operative is located in the worst affected region. Mudslides have cut off communication to some areas, and fatalities in member communities have been reported. Farmers have no doubt lost much of their coffee crops but it is too early to know the full extent of the damage

As of yet, the Recocarno Co-operative in Haiti has fortunately not been affected, but we will continue to be in communication with them as the storm is very slow moving and still in the region.

As part of our direct partnership with growers we stand ready to help them recover from the devastating effects of this disaster.

The Energy Saving Trust is asking everyone in the UK to commit to saving just 20% of the energy they use every day to help prevent climate change. To find out more about making your commitment visit www.energysavingstrust.org.uk/commit.

Cafédirect's tea expert, Ben Hitchcock, (pictured) chose the ECO Kettle as the most energy efficient kettle for making tea. Here are some top tips on how to make a delicious, people & planet-friendly cuppa.

Top Tips:
1. Choose Teadirect Fairtrade tea bags from Cafédirect - the only major brand to guarantee tea grower organisations a minimum price for their tea. This ensures the highest quality tea for you and a better future for Teadirect growers and their families. If you would like to know more about Cafédirect's tea buying programme click here:
2. Fill your kettle with fresh water as this has plenty of oxygen to release the tea's full flavour. Warm your teapot or cup(s) and use one tea bag per person.
3. Use Ben's choice, which is the ECO-kettle and you'll use up to 30% less energy than with a standard kettle.
4. "Boil Better" – save even more energy and water by only boiling what you need for each cuppa.
5. Pour just-boiled water over the tea bag(s). Leave to brew for 3-5 minutes, or as long as it takes to get a biscuit!
6. Choose organic milk, it contains more Omega-3 fatty acids.
7. If you have a sweet tooth, add a teaspoon of Fairtrade sugar or honey. Sourced from Africa, Billington's Fairtrade sugar is natural and unrefined.

Et voila! Put your feet up and savour one of life's little pleasures!

John Furness from Cafédirect recently escorted a group of Sainsbury’s employees around KNCU, one of our coffee growing partners in Tanzania. The cooperative, located on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, played host to Sainsbury’s 'Local Heroes’, a Sainsbury's programme recognising and rewarding the positive contribution their employees make to charities and activities in their local communities.

These 'Local Heroes' from stores all across the country were recognised for their exemplary work for charitable organisations and 18 winners (including staff from checkouts to customer services) were rewarded with the unique opportunity to visit KNCU in September. The trip gave winners the chance to see the impact of the direct relationship between Cafédirect and KNCU, and how this benefits the individual farmer and their communities.

John comments that, 'The Local Heroes visit to Kilimanjaro brought home to everyone on the trip the positive effect Cafédirect is having on the farmers' lives. I've been working on sales with Cafédirect for 7 years, but actually meeting people who were benefiting from my work and seeing how grateful they were was very humbling."

Patrick Shirima, KNCU Manager, provided guests with an insight into how KNCU’s relationship with Cafédirect has helped strengthen the livelihoods of those in the community. As well as learning about the importance of this relationship, the guests learned about what is involved in producing a quality coffee such as Kilimanjaro-from seeing young plants in a nursery right down to tasting to ensure only the best coffee is chosen!

Find out more about our Kilimanjaro coffee

Click here to see photos

John Furness with local children at KNCU

These children - Fauzia R Mboya, Upendo M Michael and Nemes Massawf, are attending school funded by the Cafédirect premiums

Click here for more photos

48,000 seedlings can be grown in this nursery. These are then sent to the farmers to replace ageing trees. This nursery was developed with money from Cafédirect premiums

Amin the KNCU coffee taster explains the tasting process

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We have just launched a new addition to our 100% Fairtrade range of premium instant coffees. Cafédirect Special Selection Costa Rica instant coffee has been launched exclusively in Oxfam, and is produced with coffee from our Costa Rican grower partners COOCAFE.

Costa Rica was amongst the first Central American countries to develop coffee and produces some of the highest quality coffee beans in the world. In Special Selection Costa Rica, Cafédirect captures the rich, full-bodied taste of the very best Costa Rican coffee beans--a great cup of coffee with good balance.

"The coffee sales done by Cafédirect in the Fairtrade market gives recognition to the work we do. We, the producers are important and we deserve a better price for the sale of our coffee. Besides, this is the motivation we need to continue to produce more quantity & better quality of coffee--for the wellbeing of our families."

Víctor Céspedes, Board member of Coopeldós,
member organisation of COOCAFE

Cafédirect are pleased to announce that from 11th September Teadirect will be the first Fairtrade Tea available to all KLIX® customers. KLIX® is the market leader in drinks vending with over 20,000 vending machines all over the UK. These can be found in offices, government buildings, schools, universities and hospitals in Fairtrade towns and cities.

Sylvie Barr, Head of Marketing, Cafédirect, says: "We are delighted to be working with market leader KLIX®, giving end users the opportunity to choose a delicious cup of Teadirect Fairtrade tea. By investing on average 60% of company profits into strengthening tea growers’ businesses and building expertise, we can guarantee the finest quality tea."

Richard Marris, UK KLIX® Market Director says: "Cafédirect is a pioneering Fairtrade company with first-class credentials. Customers are increasingly choosing to purchase Fairtrade products, and with the introduction of Teadirect, KLIX® does not only offer a top quality drink that you can feel good about, but also provides a good way for companies to support Fairtrade".

As falling prices on the tea markets affect millions across the developing world, Teadirect is the only major brand to guarantee a minimum price for its tea growers to protect them from the lows of the market. Special allowances on top of the base price help to strengthen tea grower organisations, build sustainability and reward for quality. Sylvie Barr concludes: "Cafédirect’s tea pricing structure means that Teadirect growers are properly rewarded for the quality they produce and end users can enjoy a great cup of tea!"

We are delighted to be a partner in the Soil Association's Organic Fortnight 2007 (1-16 September 2007).

The theme of this year's Organic Fortnight is "Wake up to an Organic breakfast". Whether at home, at work or out and about and what better way to start the day than with a delicious cup of Cafédirect Organic Fairtrade coffee!

Organic farming has clear benefits for our customers, grower partners, and the environment, and we encourage and support it through paying higher premiums for organics.

In the words of Enrique Lopez, from the Huatusco Coooperative in Mexico, "I am an organic coffee grower in my cooperative. Now we obtain better prices for the Fairtrade organic coffee we sell to Cafédirect. This is a return to how previous generations farmed. My father was also a coffee grower and he always believed it better to farm without chemicals and in harmony with the land."

click here to see our range of organic coffees

Choose your favourite organic coffee from our range:

Organic Decaffeinated Instant Coffee

Organic Machu Picchu Gourmet Coffee Beans

Organic Machu Picchu Gourmet Fresh Ground Coffee

Organic Medium Roast Fresh Ground Coffee

Organic Mount Elgon Coffee Beans

Organic Palenque Fresh Ground Coffee

Organic coffee is also available in our foodservice range:

Organic Espresso Coffee Beans

Decaffeinated Organic Freeze Dried Coffee

For more information on how you can get involved in The Soil Association’s Organic Fortnight 2007 visit: www.soilassociation.org/organicfortnight

Cafédirect’s Organic Machu Picchu Gourmet Coffee Beans have been awarded a Gold one star rating in the 2007 great taste awards.

The Great Taste Awards, organised by The Guild of Fine Foods is now in its 14th year and widely regarded as the benchmark for fine food in the UK.

All entries for these awards undergo rigorous tests by a specially selected panel of experts, including leading chefs, buyers, food critics and deli owners.

Products bearing the logo have been independently proven to be of origin, quality and excellence.

Find out more about the Great Taste Awards

Have you tried our Organic Machu Picchu gourmet coffee beans?

Cafédirect CEO Penny Newman joined Prime Minister Gordon Brown and a select group of British Social Entrepreneurs on July 24th to launch the government’s Social Enterprise Ambassadors Programme. This initiative aims to encourage social entrepreneurship, and sits at the core of Brown’s vision of Britain’s future.

Social Entrepreneurs aim to use the power of business to make the world a better place by balancing healthy financial returns with social and environmental benefits. And no other British business represents that success and pioneering spirit better than Cafédirect, which is why Newman was asked to be part of the inaugural group of Social Enterprise ambassadors.

"Social enterprise is first and foremost an intrinsically sensible business model," Newman said at the launch party at Oxo Tower in Central London. "And from a personal perspective, I can’t imagine a job that could be more enjoyable."

On the same day Cafédirect CEO Penny Newman was being honoured as one of Britain’s Social Enterprise Ambassadors, the price of a cup of tea was making news headlines-a poignant reminder of the importance of the pioneering work of Cafédirect.

Increased tea production around the world, combined with supermarket price wars, mean that in real economic terms, tea is cheaper today than it was 30 years ago. But while consumers might be tempted to celebrate, the reality for tea growers can be devastating: they pay more to produce their tea than they make selling it.

Tea is grown in some of the poorest nations in the world, and is often a primary source of income. Paying more to produce the tea than they get for selling it has more than the obvious devastating effects on daily existence - investments in infrastructure and grower communities also stop.

In 2003, Cafédirect became the only major tea brand to institute a guaranteed minimum price for its tea. And this year we again increased that amount, by 8%, to compensate for the increase in production costs for growers. This means that over 85% more goes back to those who trade with Cafédirect compared to what they would receive from non Fairtrade brands.

To follow the news, check out the following articles:

Daily Telegraph 25/07/07
'Tea price war sees cost of cuppa plunge'

The Guardian 25/07/07
'How capitalism got a conscience'

The Scotsman 25/07/07
'The hidden price of your cut price cuppa'

The Times 25/07/07
'Growers scalded by the weak price of tea'

Daily Mail 24/07/07
'Tea drinkers rejoice: cuppas haven't been this cheap for 30 years

To learn more about Cafédirect or how you can get involved, please send an email to info@cafedirect.co.uk

To find out more about Social Enterprise Ambassadors visit their website: www.socialenterpriseambassadors.org.uk

We are delighted to be a sponsor of the thought-provoking documentary Black Gold. At a time when everyone is more conscious about ethical and environmental issues, Black Gold opens your eyes to the coffee trade and guarantees you’ll never look at your latté or cappuccino in the same way again.

Created by British film-makers, Nick and Marc Francis, Black Gold is a film that follows the journey of Tadesse Meskela, General Manager of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Co. in Ethiopia, as he travels around the world to find buyers willing to pay a fair price for his coffee.

Over the past 16 years our unique trading and business model has made a positive impact on over a million growers across the world. We were therefore delighted to work with the makers of Black Gold, to raise awareness of the plight of coffee farmers around the world.

In this context, we attended a screening which took place on Wednesday 27 June at The Prince Charles Cinema, in London. This event was organised in partnership with the Camden Fairtrade Network and the London Fairtrade Campaign ( www.fairtradelondon.org.uk) to celebrate London Sustainability weeks (3-17th June 2007).

Sylvie Barr, our Head of Marketing and Wolfgang Weinmann, our Producer Partnership Manager took part in a panel discussion with Nick and Marc following the screening. The debate was chaired by Barbara Crowther (Fairtrade Foundation), and answered questions from the audience about the issues raised in the film.

If you haven’t seen Black Gold yet, click here for details of screenings up and down the country: www.blackgoldmovie.com/screenings.php

Spread the word. Tell your family and friends about Black Gold and ask them to make the switch to our 100% Fairtrade coffees, to help millions of coffee growers in the developing world earn a decent living from their trade.

Long Way Down is the adventure currently undertaken by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. This is a follow up to their Long Way Round trip in 2004, which saw them ride their motorbikes from London to New York via Europe, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Canada and the U.S.A. This time they are travelling from John O'Groats in Scotland to Capetown in South Africa via countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda and Botswana. Ewan and Charley recently travelled through Uganda and while there they paid a visit to Gumutindo, one of our grower partner organisations.

To find out more about the Long Way Down visit www.longwaydown.com. Also log on to www.bbc.co.uk/longwaydown to check their progress and listen to The Chris Moyles Show every Thursday (7 to 10am) on BBC Radio 1 to hear first hand of Ewan and Charley's latest adventures!

Black Gold, one of the most thought-provoking documentaries you will see this year, releases in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 8th June.

Cafédirect are proud to be one of the sponsors, helping to raise awareness of the film and the issues of trade justice across wide audiences in the UK.

In a time when everyone is more conscious about ethical and environmental issues, Black Gold opens your eyes to the coffee trade and guarantees you’ll never look at your latte or cappuccino in the same way again.

Created by British film-makers, Nick and Mark Francis, Black Gold is a film about the injustices of the international coffee trade industry. The film follows the mission of one man – Tadesse Meskela – General Manager of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Co-operative Union in Ethiopia, as he battles to save his 74,000 struggling coffee farmers from bankruptcy. As his farmers strive to harvest some of the highest quality coffee beans on the international market, Tadesse travels the world in an attempt to find buyers willing to pay a fair price.

The film reveals some hard-hitting facts about the international coffee trade and demonstrates how every person who makes the conscious choice to ask for Fairtrade coffee can genuinely make a difference.

Over the last 16 years Cafédirect unique business model has made a positive impact on over a million of growers and their families across the world. So we want everyone to know about the hard reality of lives of coffee growers who are not supported by Fairtrade and who have to rely on decisions taken by multinational buyers.

Our unique direct partnerships with growers enable them to develop their livelihoods, make them sustainable and provide better future for their families and communities. Our grower partners have been empowered by Fairtrade and Cafédirect’s long-term relationships of support and commitment have enabled them to develop superb quality coffee, tea and cocoa.

Go and see the film, request it at your local cinema and let your friends and families know about the film and its issues!

And while enjoying your next cuppa ask yourself a question 'How much did a coffee farmer receive for growing this coffee?’ and make sure you make a conscious choice of buying Fairtrade, the choice that makes lives better for growers across the world.

Cafédirect is the company behind the Fairtrade brand Teadirect, which was first launched in the UK in 1998. In response to the Channel Four’s news item on the impact of Fairtrade in India, broadcast on 2nd May 2007, Cafédirect would like to highlight that it purchases its tea from ten tea grower partner organisations in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri Lanka.

Cafédirect always pays above minimum Fairtrade prices and invests on average 60% of its profits into its Producer Partnership Programme (PPP), which is aimed at strengthening the grower organisations, widening their influence and making them more sustainable in the longer term. 80% of Cafédirect’s tea trading is conducted with small holder grower organisations. Only two of our ten tea partners are estates. This ensures that Cafédirect is working with the most disadvantaged and marginalised growers to help them increase their income, security and grow their businesses.

Due to our direct, long-term relationships Cafédirect can work with the growers to help them to resolve any standard compliance issues, concerns and meet the needs of grower organisations through the Producer Partnership Programme. We are also able to see first hand how the Fairtrade Premiums, and PPP work directly affects individuals, businesses and communities.

Two examples of the positive impact of Cafédirect’s relationship with tea growers can be seen in the numerous community projects that have been undertaken as a result of the Fairtrade Premiums. For example, at the RSTGA cooperative in Tanzania, 130 schools have been built with the Fairtrade premiums paid by Cafédirect, which has enabled a further 46,000 children to benefit from an education. At Kayonza Growers Tea Factory, Uganda some of the money from Fairtrade Premiums has been used to build and equip three health units and one maternity unit. This has led to a much better understanding amongst growers and their families of how to protect their health and prevent illness.

Our grower partners also own part of the company and are represented on Cafédirect’s Board which ensures that their views and concerns are integrated throughout all levels of decision making at Cafédirect.

Cafédirect remains committed to developing long-term relationships and investing in the businesses of the 37 grower organisations with whom it partners, across 12 countries in the developing world. It aims to continually improve the positive impact that Fairtrade can have on growers’ livelihoods, as well their surrounding communities

In a Daily Mail article on 29th March 2007, Teadirect outshone its competitors in a taste test by independent tea expert Martin Isark. A wide range of well-known brands was ranked according to flavour, colour, smell and cloudiness.

Martin praised Teadirect highly, saying:

"These bags are sealed in foil and inside them the tea is a superior quality. It has slightly bigger leaves, and while it leaches into the water quickly, it has layers of flavour which remain in the mouth until the end of the mouthful."

At Cafédirect, we reinvest on average 60% of our profits into strengthening their businesses; a significant proportion of this goes into maintaining exceptional tea quality. We train growers in a broad range of skills such as farming techniques, processing and tasting, and we are frequently in touch to help them monitor tea quality on an on-going basis.

We would like to thank our tea grower partners in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for their hard work and dedication to providing only teas of the very highest quality.

See the next page (click on '2') for a list of the brands which Teadirect outranked.

Teadirect out-ranked
all of the following tea brands:

Tetley Regular Teabags
Tetley Extra Strong Teabags
Tetley Decaffeinated Teabags
PG Tips Pyramid Teabags
PG Tips Decaffeinated Teabags
PG Tips Special Blend
Twinings 1706 Traditional Full Flavour Strong Teabags
Clipper Organic Teabags
Clipper Organic Earl Grey Teabags
Lyons Quickbrew
Typhoo Teabags
Typhoo Decaffeinated Teabags
Yorkshire Gold Teabags

Further to the article printed by the Independent on Sunday (11th March), "The ethical espresso: Fairtrade firm to take on Starbucks", we at Cafédirect wish to make it clear that we do not currently have plans to "go head to head with US cappuccino giant (Starbucks)" as is stated in the article.

The article also makes reference to a Cafédirect outlet on London’s Regent Street. We were delighted to bring the Cafédirect brand to the high street in November 2006. This coffee shop is run in partnership with Scolarest* and the University of Westminster; it is not an outlet owned by Cafédirect.

We continue to drive and develop the Cafédirect business and are in the process of expanding the brand internationally: in Europe and Asia.

At Cafédirect, we remain committed to developing long-term relationships and investing in the businesses of the 37 grower organisations, with whom we partner, across 12 countries in the developing world. Working with them we help to ensure they are able to develop sustainable businesses and a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

* Scolarest is the specialist education operating company of Compass Group providing a range of catering services to nearly 2,000 state schools, colleges and universities.

Compass Group PLC is the world's leading foodservice company providing food, vending and related services to clients and customers in the workplace, at schools and colleges, hospitals, on the move, at leisure and in defence, offshore and remote locations.

'Cafédirect Grower Roadshow' took off with a great start in Southwark before heading off to Oban, Edinburgh and Durham. With a mixture of talks, films and a photo exhibition there was something for everyone to see and do.

Over 1400 people attended including representatives from local authorities and businesses. We’ll be following the business leads up and hopefully get more cafés and offices stocking Cafédirect.

They were given goody bags filled with our sampled products, leaflets and an educational DVD of Camila’s story – the daughter of a Peruvian coffee farmer to take away.

There were lots of interesting questions from the school children during the afternoon sessions at each of the events. They really enjoyed learning more about how tea and coffee was grown, and the difference Fairtrade has made to peoples lives.

A big thanks to everyone who participated and we look forward to similar events in the future, so check out our website regularly for details! We’d also like to hear from those of you who ran events during Fairtrade Fortnight – let us know how you got on.

The new Cafédirect website is designed to make your visit as pleasurable and informative as possible. You can now find out more about our grower partners from around the world by visiting the Our Partners section. This section will be regularly updated with new stories and interesting facts where you can learn all about the positive impact that you are having by purchasing our range of delicious hot drinks.

We have also developed a new Our Business section where you can read all about our company Values, our Gold Standard trading policy and our Chief Executive, Penny Newman, in her very own blog.

We have introduced a new product section which you can view by clicking on Our Products. This has been updated with all our new look products which proudly sport the new logo and corporate livery and should you wish to shop securely online simply visit our Online Shop.

If you’re interested in serving Fairtrade hot drinks, Cafédirect is the most experienced in the business - why not check out the Foodservice section.

We hope that you like the new website and should you have any comments about the website please let us know your thoughts.

Enjoy Your Visit!

Researchers at Millward Brown recently asked 2,000 British adults their feelings about 4,000 brands and whether they would recommend the brand for others to use. Cafédirect came out top and was ranked number one! This proves just how important "word of mouth" is as part of building a successful brand. We'd like to thank you all for your support in helping us to achieve this result. We'd also like to thank everyone who has played a part in it, from our grower partners, to our customers, business partners and employees.

We're delighted to reveal the new look of our instant coffee. Previously known as Cafédirect 5065, it is now called Classic Blend. Packed in a new, easy to grab jar, it is presented under our new look, like any other products from our 100% Fairtrade range of coffees, teas and hot chocolate. We’re sure you’ll continue to love our smooth and uplifting blend of high quality beans, as it gives you the lift you need at any time of the day! Classic Blend has recently been spotted in stores so watch out for the new 100g (RRP £2.85) and 200g (RRP £5.35) jars in your local store very soon or visit our online shop.

Celebrate It! Fairtrade Fortnight 26th February – 11th March 2007

As you may be aware, Fairtrade Fortnight starts a little earlier this year, on Monday 26th February. It will run until March 11th, with activities taking place at hundreds of venues throughout the UK. Look out for our new products and special offers in your local supermarkets and come and visit one of our Grower Roadshows.

We are celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight with a Roadshow this year. We're really excited about the day and will be visiting 4 locations this year. We hope we can make it to more locations next year.

The venues and dates are listed on the next page-

SouthwarkSouthwark Town Hall
Monday 26th February
31 Peckham Road
London
SE5 8UB

Oban
The Corran Halls
Monday 5th March
Corran Esplanade
Oban
Argyll and Bute
PA34 5AB

Edinburgh
European Room
Tuesday 6th March
City Chambers
High Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1YJ

Durham
Joachim Room
Thursday 8th March
College of St. Hild & St. Bede
Durham
University Durham
DH1 1SZ

Come and join us to learn more about Fairtrade and Cafédirect!
Hear first hand from one of our tea/coffee growers about the difference Fairtrade and Cafédirect make to their lives and try some of our delicious Cafédirect coffees, Teadirect teas and Cocodirect hot chocolate.

We’d love you to join us from 11am to 4pm*, when we’ll be hosting:

• Interactive sessions
• Film Screenings
• Photography Exhibition
• Tastings
• Live Grower Stories

*Alternatively if you run a catering business in the area, you may want to join us for our Breakfast seminar 'Growing together’. We will show you how easy it is to switch to Fairtrade and make a positive impact on your business and the lives of thousands of growers.

We have just launched 2 additions to our range of premium instant coffees. Cafédirect Intense and Special Selection instant coffees will be hitting the shelves soon. You’ll be able to find them from February in Oxfam and Waitrose, and from March in Tesco and Sainsbury’s. You’ll also be able find them in Independent Wholefood stores and by mail order at Traidcraft. And if you can’t find them just ask your store manager to stock them!

John Brunning of Classic FM recently discovered the smooth taste of our Palenque Fresh Ground coffee. Since then John has found that our Rich Roast coffee is a great way to get you going in the morning!

John recently commented,
"If you need a coffee to get you going in the morning, look no further than Cafédirect’s Rich Roast. And while you enjoy this ultimate wake up call, Cafédirect are looking after the interests of the people who grow the coffee beans; so it’s a great deal all round".

If you feel the need to wind-down after a busy day why not tune into John’s radio show, Smooth Classics, at 7pm on
Classic FM

Our international expansion is starting to take off with orders from mainland Europe and Asia. We are now planning how we support this international expansion and are interested in hearing from people who share our values and have the passion to work for us in delivering our mission. For international roles you would to have advanced language skills, with French and Spanish especially useful.

We are located in London EC1 and as well as the international function we have departments of marketing, sales, operations/logistics and small teams working on administration, finance and producer relations. While we have no specific vacancies in these teams at present we would also be delighted to hear from you and what skills you have to offer; we shall keep your details for any jobs that may arise in future.

Please e-mail info@cafedirect.co.uk with the subject line "Why I’d love to work for Cafédirect" explaining why in a covering letter and attaching a copy of your CV. It is a pre-requisite that you have a work permit allowing you to work in the United Kingdom.

We look forward to hearing from you!