Sarah Irving offers a guide to a fully Fairtrade office Yuletide party.
Once you've finished figuring out how to padlock the photocopier shut (the last thing your world needs is a picture of Barry from Accounts' bum), how about considering some of the other repercussions of your works Christmas Do?
Ye Merry Gentlemen (and women)
Plenty of liquid refreshment is the keystone of most Christmas parties. Starting with the healthiest and most sensible options, there are now plenty of fairtrade fruit juices out there, like those from Fruit Passion. These orange of tropical mix juices come from Cuba and Brazil, so come ready equipped with a vulture of vibrant parties!
But for those working on a hangover for the next morning, the fairtrade options are also increasingly broad. Fairtrade wine has been around for a while: most supermarkets now stock both red and white, and many wholefood shops and independent wine stores will have wider choices. Thandi wines – of which several varieties of red and white are now available, the chardonnay via Tesco and the others through independent shops – are the only ones to not only be certfied Fairtrade, but where the business is 100% owned by the growers so they have full control of their own conditions and profits. Heaven On Earth dessert wine is another Fairtrade option and a wonderful end to a luscious Christmas meal.
Also available from independent stockists is a growing range of Fairtrade and organic spirits, including rum, gin, brandy, whiskey and even a Fairtrade vodka made with quinoa. If you're really serious about wanting to do all the drinks at your Christmas do ethically, try specialist stockists like Ethicalwines.com or sector pioneers Vintage Roots and Vinceremos.
Lining your stomach...
In the interests of not ending up WITH Barry from Accounts ON that photocopier, you may also be wanting to line your stomach with some proper nibbles. Lots of Fairtrade companies now do ready-mixed nibbles, such as Bombay Mix from Traidcraft. Liberation Nuts sell peanuts and cashews from their own Harry's Nuts range, and they also supply Sainsburys with Fairtrade brazil nuts and Christmas mixes sold under the supermarket's own brand. Liberation's own nuts come in ready salted or lemon and chili and are found in independent retailers and Waitrose/Ocado shops. Tropical Wholefoods also offer a range of nuts and dried fruits which are great for snacking (the tamari roast apricot kernels are especially delicious), and if you're putting a bit of effort into your party their website also has a selection of great recipes for sweet and savoury nibbles – the apricot kernel and cheese biscuits are particularly fantastic with the Heaven On Earth dessert wine listed above.
Finally, fresh-baked bread makes a great stomach-filler when dipped in Zaytoun's Fairtrade certified Palestinian olive oil and then into crunchy za'atar, a traditional thyme and sesame seed mix from the land where Christmas started out. Zaytoun also sell green or black fairtrade olives, almonds and dates, or cous cous made by women's co-operatives if you're making buffet salads.
Keep it sweet
If you're looking for sweet things to counter all those salty nibbles, Fairtrade suppliers have that covered too. Traidcraft [see link above] have everything from sturdy Christmas cakes for slicing and sharing out, to some really, really good fruit jellies made with Fairtrade sugar and 'beanies' – the ethical alternative to smarties. On the seasonal theme, at this time of year they also offer Christmas tree shaped ginger biscuits. Divine, meanwhile, have Fairtrade chocolate Advent calendars, gold-wrapped chocolate coins and Christmas tree baubles available.
Lucky dips
Planning a lucky dip or Secret Santa element to the celebrations? The aptly-named Divine also do a range of luxury chocolate bars that anyone would be happy to receive – the new Raspberry dark Chocolate or Butterscotch are particularly gorgeous. Or off the edibles track, Visionary Soap does a range of very affordable soaps and lip balms which almost smell good enough to eat , while fair trade retailers such as Traidcraft [see link above] and Shared Earth offer all the kind of pretty, shiny, ethical knickknacks – from tree decorations to jewellery, purses or scarves – that make surprise Christmas presents such fun.
Sarah Irving is a freelance writer, based in Manchester and specialising in social and environmental issues and the Middle East
Comments
Post new comment