Posts in category: Fairtrade

Planning to splash out on a posh egg this Easter?

From Green & Blacks for a fiver to a 4kg egg costing £89.95, which luxury Easter egg offers the best value for money and passes the taste test?

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To compare properly, consumer expert Martyn James recommends checking how much the egg weighs so you know how much chocolate you’re getting for your money.

“A lot of eggs are mostly air surrounded by a thin layer of chocolate,” he says.

“Make sure you know what you’re getting so you are not left disappointed on Easter Sunday.”

Lynsey Hope, 41, from West Malling, Kent, has done the hard work for you, putting the poshest eggs to the test. Here’s her verdict.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Chunky Egg (400g)

• £12, cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk
• £3 per 100g

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Most of you will know what Cadbury chocolate tastes like and if you like it, you can’t go wrong with this.

The chocolate egg is deliciously thick and comes with extra Dairy Milk chunks.

I’d be super happy if the Easter bunny brought me this on Easter morning. I absolutely loved it.

• TASTE: 10/10
• VALUE: 10/10
• WOW FACTOR: 9/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 10/10

Love Cocoa Luxury Marbled Salted Caramel Egg (325g)

• lovecocoa.com, £25
• £7.69 per 100g

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One for the eco-conscious among us, this brand is green but expensive.

The chocolate is made using sustainably sourced palm oil-free cocoa and it was delicious, with just the right balance of sweet and saltiness.

It comes with the brand’s rich, gooey, salted caramel truffles and it’s packaged beautifully.

• TASTE: 9/10
• VALUE: 5/10
• WOW FACTOR: 7/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 7/10

Guylian Milk Chocolate Egg with 12 Original Praline Seahorses (306g)

• £10, morrisons.com
• £3.27 per 100g

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Tucking into this it’s not hard to see why Guylian is considered one of the most luxurious chocolate brands in the world.

Available from Morrisons, this egg is made with Belgian chocolate and the seahorses are filled with a delicious hazelnut praline.

The chocolate melts in your mouth and it’s better value per 100g than Lindt, Divine and M&S which made me enjoy it all the more.

• TASTE: 8/10
• VALUE: 9/10
• WOW FACTOR: 5/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Egg with Creamy Truffles (260g)

• £7, morrisons.com
• £2.69 per 100g

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A very traditional diamond-patterned egg which comes wrapped in the distinctive Chocolate Orange foil.

As you’d expect, it’s the same flavour as the traditional Chocolate Orange but the chocolate is thinner and it loses something as a result.

The truffles it comes with are lovely though and you get a generous 11 of them included.

• TASTE: 6/10
• VALUE: 8/10
• WOW FACTOR: 5/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 6/10

Hotel Chocolat Extra Thick Easter Egg – You Crack Me Up (395g)

• £30, hotelchocolat.com
• £7.59 per 100g

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If you’re looking for something seriously sweet, this extra thick egg could be the one for you.

Crack into one side and you’ll find creamy caramel white chocolate and in the other, you’ll get a mouthful of 40 per cent milk chocolate.

It takes some effort to break this egg, but once you get in it’s delicious – the very epitome of Easter indulgence.

• TASTE: 10/10
• VALUE: 7/10
• WOW FACTOR: 9/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

Thorntons Continental Chocolate Easter Egg (257g)

• £8, tesco.com
• £3.11 per 100g

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This smooth milk chocolate Thorntons egg is decorated with white and dark chocolate swirls and comes with a selection box of eight truffles including Salted Caramel and Sicilian Mousse.

I found the egg quite rich and could only have a couple of bites before putting it back in the box but the chocolates were yummy.

Prices vary but you can find Thorntons eggs for a good price at some supermarkets including Tesco.

• TASTE: 7/10
• VALUE: 8/10
• WOW FACTOR: 6/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 7/10

Lindor Blood Orange Easter Egg (260g)

• £9, tesco.com
• £3.46 per 100g

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The best thing about this egg was the orange truffles that came with it.

They were delicate, creamy and rich with just the right hint of orange.

Both the truffles and the egg had a lovely orange aroma – truly delicious – and good value compared to other luxury brands.

• TASTE: 9/10
• VALUE: 10/10
• WOW FACTOR: 8/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

Divine Luxury 70% Dark Chocolate Easter Egg (260g)

• £8, ocado.com
• £3.08 per 100g

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Suitable for vegans, this egg is a good size and comes with some mini dark chocolate eggs.

The bitter dark chocolate tasted almost healthy and while it’s far better than many of the others, the egg alone still contains 26.9g of sugar and 46.3g of fat.

It’s made using Fairtrade cocoa and sugar and is palm oil-free though you do have to pay for those credentials.

• TASTE: 6/10
• VALUE: 4/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 5/10

M&S Handcrafted Golden Blond Egg (300g)

• £12, ocado.com
• £4 per 100g

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This tall golden blond egg is a rich caramel colour, with smooth chocolate and a lovely snap as you break bits off.

I found it incredibly moreish and it comes with cocoa dusted milk chocolate mini eggs filled with an indulgent chocolate ganache.

In terms of value, it’s not too bad. You are paying around £4 for 100g of chocolate but it did feel luxurious and would make a lovely gift.”

• TASTE: 10/10
• VALUE: 9/10
• WOW FACTOR: 10/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 10/10

Cocoba Giant Milk Chocolate Easter Egg (4kg)

• £89.95, cocobachocolate.com
• £2.25 per 100g

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Well this is definitely a showstopper and is easily the biggest egg I’ve ever seen.

It’s incredibly expensive – nearly £90 – but I was surprised to find you are actually getting great value for exquisite, good chocolate here.

Not many of us can afford to spend this much on an egg but if you can, it won’t disappoint and should last you ages.

Instead of buying tons of eggs for the family just buy this one and share it together?”

• TASTE: 9/10
• VALUE: 10/10
• WOW FACTOR: 10/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

Green and Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate Egg (165g)

• £5, waitrose.com
• £3.04 per 100g

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A bitter, dark chocolate egg with 70% cocoa. There’s nothing in the box other than the egg so it’s a tad boring for me.

Dark chocolate isn’t my favourite but Green & Blacks fans will love this.

• TASTE: 7/10
• VALUE: 8/10
• WOW FACTOR: 4/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 6/10

Anna Daly, Michele McGrath, Dr Clodagh Campbell, Kara Heriot, Teo Sutra and her daughter Lili Rose were among the guests who gathered for a colourful breakfast celebrating Peruvian women in Avoca, Suffolk Street, Dublin.

The occasion was a special partnership, that of Bewley’s Café Femenino, a single origin speciality grade Fairtrade organic coffee that supports and empowers female farmers and their rural communities around the globe.

MARKS & SPENCER is probably the last store to come to mind when it comes to grocery shopping on a budget.

But according to Kathryn Leech, better known to her 20.2k fans on TikTok as @katsaves, the popular high street retailer offers various buys that are cheaper than elsewhere, rival Asda included.

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To make sure cash-strapped Britons don’t waste their money unnecessarily, Kathryn chatted exclusively to Fabulous and shared her top recommendations.

These are SEVEN products that M&S Food actually sell cheaper than anywhere else… Yes, really! 

Eggs

”A box of 6 mixed size eggs from M&S come in at only £1!” said Kathryn.

”This beats every other supermarket by far as even Aldi’s cheapest 6 pack is £1.19.

”Waitrose comes in third place at a surprising £1.25, and The Co-op comes in last with their cheapest 6 pack at a whopping £1.55!”

Bran Flakes

If Bran Flakes is your go-to choice of breakfast, then best get heading to the nearest Marks & Spencer – according to the shopper, this is where you can nab the best bargains.

”A 500g box of own brand Bran Flakes comes in at just 75p, beating Asda’s own brand at 95p.

”Both Tesco and Aldi also have boxes for 95p, although these are slightly larger at 750g.”

Sugar 

No morning cuppa is complete without a spoonful of sugar – and it seems like Marks & Spencer cares for tea-loving Britons.

Kathryn noted: ”A standard 1kg bag of granulated sugar is only 95p in M&S, beating the competition yet again.

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”Aldi have their 1kg bags at 99p, and the same goes for Tesco and Waitrose. Whereas the same product in Asda comes to £1.19!”

Milk

The savvy shopper said: ”Milk is actually one thing that is exactly the same price in every major supermarket.

”With 2 pints currently at £1.30 and 4 pints at £1.65, if you need to pop to the shop for milk at the last minute, check out M&S as it’s the same price as the budget supermarkets, and all their M&S Selected Farms milk is RSPCA Assured.”

Custard Creams

Just as essential to any Brit’s diet are biscuits to go with the afternoon tea – and again, Marks & Spencer wins with the best deal.

”M&S custard creams only come in at 30p per 150g packet, making it the cheapest single packet on the market.

”Other supermarkets sell custard creams in slightly larger quantities for a higher price such as Asda’s version at 65p and at Aldi they’re 41p.

”Not to mention The Co-op with their eye-watering cheapest packet sold at £1.05! Probably best to stick to the smaller option in M&S.”

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Bananas

Where possible, Kathryn recommended ditching the plastic packaging – not only will you save cash, but it’s also a better pick for the environment and the ongoing climate crisis.

”Buying loose bananas is often cheaper than buying them in plastic packaging and M&S come out on top again as they sell their fairtrade loose bananas at just 89p per kilo, compared to Aldi, Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose who all have theirs at 90p per kilo.

”Every penny counts!”

Carrots

”At just 50p per kilo, M&S boast about their 1kg bag of carrots as a ‘sweet and crunchy’ ingredient for family-favourite dinners.

”Carrots are also one of the staple products that seem to be the same price in every supermarket.”

The money supersaver added: ”Next time you find yourself in an M&S Food, have a look at their ReMARKSable range for their lowest priced products, which often beat even the cheapest supermarkets value ranges.

”Just don’t be tempted by the Percy Pigs they strategically place at eye-level as you walk in!” Kathryn chuckled.

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[Source: Fairtrade International]

Cane farmers have been reminded to use fertilizers on time during this cane planting season.

Sugar Research Institute scientist Renil Kumar says fertilizers should be used first before farmers plant new cane rows.

Kumar says a second round of fertilizer must be used after four weeks for the new cane to grow well.

According to the scientist, farmers can receive their fertilizer supply by placing their orders at Fiji Sugar Cane Corporation sector offices or FSC directly.

Meanwhile, Sugar Cane Growers Council Chief Executive Vimal Dutt has emphasized that cane farmers must plant new cane in their vacant land, if available.

Sponsored Content

As applications open for the Co-op Community Fund spring payments, two previous beneficiaries explain how the money has enhanced their eco projects

THE Co-op Community Fund provides extra help to charities, causes and community groups, helping them to continue their invaluable work in our islands’ communities.

• The fund is open to community, charity or eco projects in these key areas:

• Preserving the local environment.

• Social inclusion and accessibility.

• Supporting the ageing population.

• Inspiring the next generation and education.

• Supporting local and Fairtrade.

It is important that projects benefit our local community, and applicants must be based in the Channel Islands.

The spring application deadline for the next round of funding is 30 April 2023.

Over £80,000 was donated in 2022 to 74 causes in Jersey and Guernsey.

ECO PROJECT CASE STUDIES

Case study 1: Nature Base: Sophie Moulson, outdoor practitioner and Forest School lead

Pop-up Nature Play in the Park: To run free ‘pop-up’ nature play/Forest School sessions in Millbrook Park woodland enabling families to cultivate positive nature connection, holistic wellbeing and healthy child development. Funding will be used for the Forest School explorer pack, a resource planning pack supporting exploration and imaginative outdoor play with social and communication skills.

Amount donated: £2,238.

What inspired you to create pop-up nature-based events?

Sophie: A very long time ago, I watched a television show called Secret Millionaire, in which he visited a group which was running pop-up community gardening sessions on various estates, working with the council to use the little areas of green space. I really loved this idea and I still do.

The idea of pop-up came from there and we hope to pop up in various places to make accessing nature play and Forest School easier. The vision for using the woodland at Coronation Park came from the launch event of the Government of Jersey’s 50 Things To Do app and Children’s Day.

I was involved in both of these and heard many parents talking about the benefits of attending events like these for free. I knew I wanted to run sessions in the woodland and that they would have to be free so that people could walk over and join in easily, so I met with Parks and Gardens to share the vision and then applied to the Co-operative Community Fund to see if I could get some funding. We hope to find more longer-term funding to continue these sessions for free.

How have the sessions been received in the community?

Sophie: I had set a limit on numbers and allowed for walkovers from people in the park. Very quickly I increased the numbers due to demand, something I had to do again and again, trying to accommodate as many children and their parents/grandparents/carers as we could.

With 40 tickets going every week – and more than 70 children and their families joining us on Valentine’s Day – it’s safe to say the sessions have been a real hit. As you look around the group, you see the adults sitting on the logs having the time to just be, and of course coming alongside their little one and playing.

Grandparents come along while they are looking after their grandchildren and absolute love being outdoors. It is a very special time. People who use the park have also been really interested in what we are doing and so supportive.

What does the future hold for Nature Base?

Sophie: I am currently running a range of wellbeing and nature play sessions for ages from babies through to primary-school pupils, young people and parents/carers. Nature Base is really growing and I am very much reflecting on the feedback and what the demands are, listening and observing the children and families to continue to shape what is on offer in the future.

How has the Co-op Community Fund helped Nature Base?

Sophie: It has been amazing, as it gave us the funding to step out and try something new. This has supported children’s early development in a range of ways. It has been especially well received by families whose children have additional needs like ADHD or autism. The sessions have supported overall family wellbeing, offering times of fun and connection for them with one another and, of course, with nature, while helping them to appreciate our Island’s natural beauty in the park.

It’s created a sense of community really quickly, with many families staying around to sit and chat and have food together (even in the cold windy winter) and then going on to have a play on the park equipment. It has been received and gone better than expected, so I am very thankful for the support and so are the families attending.

Case study 2: Plastic Free Jersey: Sheena Brockie

With funding from the Co-op Community Fund, Plastic Free Jersey has created 12 Community Beach Clean Boxes, with one being gifted to every parish.

What inspired you to create the Community Beach Clean Boxes?

Sheena: As a regular walker, I often see litter when I am out walking and I pick it up along the way. Much of the litter we find on the beaches in Jersey comes from litter lost on the streets, which gets washed down the nearest drain when it rains, and out to sea – to land back on our beaches.

Plastic Free Jersey wasg iven a beach-clean box by Surfers Against Sewage many years ago, which we use for organised beach cleans, but we can’t run them every day. I wanted to find a way of empowering as many people as possible to get out there and help keep Jersey beautiful – and this was the idea that came to mind.

How are the boxes accessed?

Sheena: Whether you are an individual, family, business, school or community group – it doesn’t matter who you are, or what you represent – the beach-clean boxes are available for the whole community to use. The parish halls are managing the process, so please call or email them directly to make the request.

Each beach-clean box holds four buckets, three recycled tubs, hand sanitiser, first-aid kit, sharps box and 20 pairs of gloves in various sizes from small to extra-large.

How else can Islanders get involved with Plastic Free Jersey?

Sheena: Another project we are working on right now is #Refilljersey as part of the #refillrevolution.

Plastic Free Jersey and Jersey Water have launched the Refill app in Jersey. Refill is an award-winning campaign from City to Sea to help people live with less plastic. Anyone can download the free app to tap into a global network of places to reduce, reuse and refill. From identifying free tap-water refills to places where you can take your reusable cup when buying a hot drink, lunch on the go and even plastic-free shopping Refill puts the power to go packaging-free at your fingertips.

If you are an individual, please do download the app from refill.org.uk. Businesses can contact us at hello@plasticfreejersey.com and we’ll get you set up on the app (it’s free and easy) and we’ll deliver posters and stickers to you to help promote the campaign. The app can be used globally – last year I used it in both Paris and Rome – so it is worth downloading for home and holiday use.

We are also excited to talk about our Potty Eco Pots and Reuse mugs campaign under which cafés are stocking gifted, reusable mugs that people can take instead of buying a single-use cup. Find out more at facebook.com/pottyecopots.

How has the Coop’s Community Fund helped Plastic Free Jersey?

Sheena: Plastic Free Jersey is a not-for-profit business whose only income comes from working with businesses such as Co-op and Jersey Water on specific projects. The external support means that we can have a much bigger impact and reach many more people, and we are grateful to be in a position to do that.