Welcome to our regular round-up of news from the shop, new products and local fair trade events!
New Products
Foods
Divine milk chocolate 12.5g size and 70% cocoa dark chocolate 12.5g size – these are new sizes of established products.
Liberation Chilli & Lime Cashews roasted with peanuts & corn and Salted Cashews and Peanuts are now back in stock after a lengthy absence. Liberation Natural Mixed Nuts (brazils, peanuts, cashews, almonds and macademias) have also returned to the shop shelves after an even longer absence.
True Origin Chilli & Garlic Beer Bread, Garlic & Herb Beer Bread and Olive & Rosemary Beer Bread have arrived at Fairer World. Sourced from Barret’s Ridge, a small woman-focused business in South Africa, which helps empower women, creating jobs in local communities and supporting children in disadvantaged areas.
Zaytoun Caramelised Almonds, Roasted Chilli Almonds and Smoked Almonds are on the shop shelves. These seasonal favourites are available at Fairer World at the moment but supplies are limited. Caramelised Almonds and Smoked Almonds have already sold out at Zaytoun’s warehouse.
Christmas Foods
Divine Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Advent calendars are in stock.
Meaningful Chocolate Company Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Advent calendars and Christmas chocolate products are on order, expected very soon.
Christmas Crafts and Cards
Amnesty International Christmas cards and New Internationalist calendars are on order, expected shortly.
Papier mache baubles and bells, and painted wooden stars – classic Christmas decorations from Kashmir – have just arrived at Fairer World.
Transform Trade Christmas cards and wrap are now in stock.
Fairtrade Fortnight 21 September – 4 October 2026
Run by the Fairtrade Foundation www.fairtrade.org.uk, this year’s theme is “Do It Fair – For People, For Planet, and for Fair Pay”. Resources are available at fairtrade.net
Fairer World will have a window display, can offer advice, if any is needed, and is having an open day on Thursday 1 October – see below.
Events
Wednesday 23 September 7.30 to 9.30pm. Fairtrade Wine and Chocolate Evening at Gateway Centre, Front Street, Acomb, YO24 3BZ. Arranged by York Fair Trade Forum and The Co-op. Informal wine tasting and chocolate tasting. Admission free. 40 spaces available. Free parking available at nearby Morrisons Car Park. Poster below and at fairtradeyork.org.uk.
Friday 25 September 7.00 to 9.00pm. Social Fundraiser for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) at Haxby and Wigginton Methodist Church, The Village, Haxby, YO32 3RR. MAP speakers. Silent art auction. Home bakes. Fairer World Palestine products stall. Everyone welcome. Poster below and at Fairer World.
Thursday 1 October 11.00am to 4.00pm. Open Day at the Fairer World shop. Product tasting, refreshments, tours of the shop shelves, where we will try to answer any questions etc.
Saturday 24 October 7.30 to 10.30pm. Grand Ceilidh at York Hospital Social Club, White Cross Road, YO31 8JR, in aid of Amnesty International. Live music from Bandiera Rossa. Bar. Raffle. Doors open 7pm. Tickets: Adults £10, under 16’s £5, from Amnesty Bookshop, Micklegate (cash only) or online from wegottickets.com/F/26172. Details on York Amnesty website https://www.ai-york.uk/events.html. Poster at Fairer World.
Saturday 3 October to Sunday 1 November. York Environment Festival. Programme of events available at Fairer World and at https://yorkenvironmentfestival.org.uk/events/.
How is the shop doing?
Sales in August were quite low. The first half of August was poor, even by August standards. Too often we seemed to experience visitors to York coming in to the shop, walking round, and walking out again. Understandably many visitors may never have seen the inside of a fair trade shop before, but it is frustrating that they do not take the rare opportunity to do some shopping without exploitation. This was compounded by low chocolate sales – a familiar situation in hot weather – and with that the temporary removal of one of the standard items which keep the cash register moving. In a fairly stagnant situation, sales of rainbow pottery from Thailand and dolls from Sri Lanka were highlights of activity, with the customers being drawn in by the stock in the windows.
During the second half of last month, mercifully, sales began to pick up as we regained some impetus at last. That improvement has been carried forward into September. We now look forward to gathering pace in the run-up to Christmas – as has happened in every previous year.