Tony’s Chocolonely have contacted us and asked us to display this Food Recall Alert notice for Tony’s Chocolonely Milk Chocolate Large Hollow Easter egg 242g and for Tony’s Chocolonely Caramel Sea Salt Large Hollow Easter egg 242g due to the potential presence of metal fragments. These are the only products affected.
As required we are also displaying the product recall notice in the Fairer World shop.
Our previous post detailing all the Easter chocolate on sale has been updated to reflect the above, so do have a browse and feel confident to visit the shop or send us an order for any of our other Easter products.
PAGE UPDATED 13.04.25 TO REFLECT CURRENT AVAILABILITY OF STOCK!
You are warmly invited to visit the shop to browse our selection of fairly-traded Easter chocolate, cards and gifts.
First up from the Meaningful Chocolate Company is the large Real Easter Egg, available in both milk chocolate (priced at £6.20) and dark chocolate (priced at £6.90). These hollow eggs are colourfully packaged and come complete with an attractive booklet telling the Easter story. There’s even a prize competition to enter! Also from the Meaningful Chocolate Company is the Real Easter Fun Pack, which, as well as the Easter story booklet, comprises 6 chocolate eggs presented in – guess what? – an egg box!
Milk eggDark eggFun pack – 6 small milk eggs
Tony’s Chocolonely Easter eggs are making their first appearance at Fairer World this year. Remaining in stock are Tony’s individually foil-wrapped mini eggs, available in mixed flavours in small egg boxes (£4.80). The flavours are hazelnut, nougat, white chocolate, dark chocolate, dark milk chocolate, pretzel toffee, milk chocolate, caramel sea salt, almond sea salt and raspberry popping candy. Yes really!
Our third supplier, Cocoa Loco, proudly produces a range of chocolate that is all certified organic as well as fair trade. Fairer World has sold out of their larger boxed eggs but their novelty packet of Little Choc Chicks is still available, providing an Easter themed treat for £6.50.
Little Choc ChicksTony’s mini eggs
Talking of novelties, Cocoa Loco have one more treat in store. Easter bunnies anyone? These cute rabbit-shaped card packages, priced at £8, contain organic mini eggs in a cellophane bag. These lovable bunny boxes come in a choice of milk, 73% dark, and milk chocolate orange.
The range of bunny boxesMilk chocolate73% dark chocolate
It’s not all about the chocolate! (Although we haven’t yet mentioned the Easter Blessings milk chocolate bars and Divine chocolate coins, have we?!) Fairer World also has stocks of four lovely, thought-provoking Easter card designs, along with beautifully hand-painted wooden eggs from Kashmir, and wooden crosses. And customers who love our bamboo and organic cotton socks from Thought will be delighted to see some Easter designs available in the 4-7 size.
We look forward to receiving your order by phone or email, or to welcoming you to the shop soon.
In this update, the first Fairer World update of 2025, we are very pleased to report that during November and December 2024, sales figures at the Fairer World shop, and at the stalls which Fairer World supplies, were encouragingly high. Thank you very much to everyone.
Eswatini update
Mould has been found in some jars of Eswatini jams and marmalades and the whole range of jams and marmalades with black tops has been recalled by True Origin, the company which supplies Fairer World and is the importer of these products into the UK. This recall notice remains in force and is displayed at the Fairer World shop and on the Fairer World website here. Fairer World has also been asked to remove jars of Eswatini chutneys and sauces with black tops from sale and has complied with that request. We are told that it will be at least the summer before new stock Eswatini products are available. Other than that, we await further information.
Thursday 13 March: 10.00am to 2.00pm Easter Preview at Fairer World. Easter eggs, small and large, other Easter chocolate, olive wood crosses, painted wooden eggs and Easter decorations. Palestinian food and crafts. Hot drinks and tastings.
During the second half of March: Clothing will be back in the Fairer World shop – more details later.
Thursday 15 May: Palestinian focus at Fairer World, marking the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic. The Nakba refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians from their homes and land.
There will be no Divine Easter eggs this year so Fairer World will be increasing the number of fair trade Easter eggs from other companies:
We have the full range of Meaningful Chocolate Company Easter chocolate, including the Real Easter Egg, in stock already.
We will have the full range of Tony’s Chocolonely Easter chocolate and some new varieties / flavours of Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate bars in stock shortly. These are on order at present. Details will be in the next Fairer World update.
We have Cocoa Loco organic chocolate eggs on order.
Details of the range of Easter chocolate available at Fairer World will be on our forthcoming Food Products price list, which will be issued in a few weeks’ time. Although prices of Divine’s ordinary range of chocolate are due to increase significantly in early March, no doubt linked to the sharp rise in world cocoa prices in 2024, Fairer World will not raise its prices of Divine chocolate before Easter.
York Fair Trade Forum
Fairer World has always supported and been involved with York Fair Trade Forum since it was founded. Here is a recent notice from the Forum:-
* Campaigns locally, nationally and internationally for a fairer, more just and sustainable trade system * Promotes and renews York City Fairtrade Status (since 2004) * Works with Fair Trade faith groups and schools in the York area * Works with other Fairtrade towns and regions
“Come and join us! Help us spread the word! We are a friendly bunch. We meet each month at 6pm either on zoom or in the Council offices and would love to see you. Check out our website at www.fairtradeyork.co.uk. Follow us on Facebook York Fair Trade Forum. Email us at contact@fairtradeyork.co.uk.”
Fairer World stock update
Foods
Cafedirect Machu Picchu instant coffee is out-of-stock at Fairer World and at the warehouses of our suppliers. We are told that the out-of-stock situation of this product is due to ongoing supply and shipping issues so, at the moment, it is not clear when Machu Picchu instant coffee will come back into stock. All other instant coffees on the Fairer World food price list are in stock at Fairer World. The food price list can be viewed and downloaded here.
We are told that Cafedirect is due to discontinue the following familiar products after Easter: Intense Ground, Lively Ground and Smooth Ground coffees. Fairer World will still have some stock of these products in the short term and will begin stocking some Grumpy Mule ground coffees, starting with organic Honduras ground coffee, which is already on order, followed by organic Sumatran and Peruvian soon after that. More details later.
Clipper drinking chocolate (add milk) 250g is now in stock at Fairer World.
Divine drinking chocolate (add milk) is out-of-stock at Fairer World and appears to have been discontinued by Divine.
Tropical Wholefoods pineapple and Just 5 pineapple & cashew bars are now back in stock at Fairer World.
True Origin Malawi brown rice is out-of-stock at Fairer World and at the warehouse of our supplier, True Origin. What is worse, True Origin has recently told us that they will not be importing any brown rice in 2025 due to having lots of white rice in stock. Fairer World has long-dated Malawi white rice available.
Wish4 Fair Trade demerara sugar, golden granulated sugar and raisins are now all in stock at Fairer World, with Wish4 Fair Trade classic oat biscuits and lemon biscuits on order. These are expected to arrive at Fairer World shortly.
Zaytoun olive oil 250ml and 500ml sizes are out-of-stock at Fairer World and at Zaytoun’s warehouse. They are expected to become available again by the end of this month.
Non-foods back in stock at Fairer World
A restock of all the available designs of the Palestinian pottery, handmade andpainted in Hebron.
A restock of Palestinian olive wood crafts from Bethlehem.
A restock of silver jewellery from Bali will soon be on the way to us: earrings, rings and studs.
A small supply of handmade Easter cards from the Philippines is in stock. We are looking for more Easter cards.
Lots of bamboo mix and some organic cotton socks are on order from Thought, expected to arrive soon.
More supplies of everyday single cards supporting fair trade and also supporting Fairer World are on the card spinners at Fairer World.
More supplies of fair trade handmade embroidered cards from Bangladesh, painted cards from India and lokta cards from Nepal are now in stock.
Short-dated / beyond date reduced price products
There are a few short dated / beyond date reduced price food items at Fairer World, including Malawi white rice, flapjacks, decaf coffee bags and chocolate truffles but not enough to make it worthwhile to issue a separate price list.
This Fairer World update contains details of Fairer World shop opening and closing for the Christmas and New Year period and provides more information from True Origin relating to True Origin products from Eswatini, where mould has been found in some of the products. We will issue a further Fairer World update early in the New Year.
Christmas and New Year opening times
In the run-up to Christmas the Fairer World shop will be OPEN EVERY DAY up to and including Christmas Eve, closing at 4pm on Christmas Eve.
The Fairer World shop will then be CLOSED every day over the Christmas and New Year period.
It RE-OPENS at 11.00am on Thursday 2nd January, after which it will be OPEN as usual 11.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Saturday inclusive.
If anyone needs supplies between Christmas and New Year, please get in touch by email to 84gillygate@gmail.com or by text / phone to 07877 947793 and we will respond quickly and arrange to deliver.
True Origin Food Recall Alert – Update
Further to the Fairer World update of 01.12.24, would customers please read the following updated and extended Food Recall Alert:
Fairer World has received more information from True Origin about True Origin Eswatini products, after mould was found in some of these products. This further information is contained in the following email from Nicola Taylor at True Origin (below) and an attached statement from the Chair and MD at True Origin (pasted below the email).
If anyone has concerns about this information (all of which is also displayed at the Fairer World shop) or would like more information, please get in touch with us by email to 84gillygate@gmail.com or text / phone to 07877 947793.
Moira and Charlie Bridge, Fairer World, 84 Gillygate
Email received from True Origin:
“From: Nicola Taylor Sent: 16 December 2024 16:41 To:84gillygate@gmail.com. Subject: Update on Products from Eswatini Kitchen
Good Afternoon,
We have a further update for you but first of all thank you for your patience as we’ve investigated the cause of the mould on the Peach & Ginger Jam. It’s not good news I’m afraid, our worst fears have been confirmed and it’s more widespread than just one jam, it has affected some of the other jams and marmalades and therefore we will be extending the product recall to now include:
Lime Marmalade
Orange Marmalade
Orange & Cinnamon Marmalade
Ruby Grapefruit Marmalade
Gift Sets:
Christmas Duo
Festive Duo
Fruit Duo
There has been no mould found in any of the savoury products, however, as we think the issue might be related to the lids not creating a proper vacuum seal, we have decided, in line with advice from Foods Standards Scotland, to withdraw these products from sale as a precautionary measure. This affects the products below where they have a black lid:
Medium Curry Sauce
Swazi Fire
Lime Pickle
Mango Pickle
Vegetable Pickle
Hot Mango Chutney
Mixed Fruit Chutney
Pineapple Chutney
Gift Sets:
Spicy Duo
Spicy Trio
Chutney Trio
You do not need to recall these products or refund them, however, if you have any stock, we ask you to take them off sale.
Now we know the full extent of the issue, we will be in touch next week as we start the credit note / refund process.
Please find attached a letter from our Chair and MD containing more information and on this issue, and a recall poster for you to put up in your shops or website.
We thank you for your understanding and we will be in touch shortly”.
Follow up statement from True Origin’s Chair and MD on product issues, issued 13 December and attached to the above email:
“As you are aware, it came to our attention on 27th November that there is a quality issue with the Peach and Ginger Jam that we source from Eswatini Kitchen, with some jars developing a surface mould. As you know, we have been investigating the issue and the root cause and we asked you to stop selling/consuming all products from the Eswatini range whilst this investigation was ongoing.
We know the wait for results has been frustrating and we apologise for the inconvenience this has caused. The delay has been because the lab needed time to culture the mould and to see if other products developed anything similar.
Unfortunately, we are now confirming that we are widening the scope of the product recall to include all the other jam and marmalade products in the Eswatini range (listed below). Whilst the incidence of mould in these other products is much lower, there are some jars that are developing mould, and the investigation is finding some issues with the vacuum seals on these products. We have now informed Food Standards Scotland (FSS) of the need to recall these additional products (only where they have black lids):
Lime Marmalade
Orange Marmalade
Orange & Cinnamon Marmalade
Ruby Grapefruit Marmalade
In line with the FSS recall, customers need to contact the place they bought the stock. For customers who have ordered these products direct from True Origin:
We will be in touch in the next week to confirm credit note/refund process for affected stock that you have ordered
Please destroy any remaining stock you have
If you sell stock on, please display the attached recall notice for your customers.
Customers who purchased any of these products from elsewhere, need to contact the retailer that sold them the product.
No mould has been found in any of the savoury products either by us or by the independent lab (or by Eswatini Kitchen’s analysis). However, given these products are from the same production run and there has also been incidence of poor vacuum seal on these lines, as a precautionary measure we are withdrawing these products from sale (again only where they have black lids):
Medium Curry Sauce
Swazi Fire
Lime Pickle
Mango Pickle
Vegetable Pickle
Hot Mango Chutney
Mixed Fruit Chutney
Pineapple Chutney
For customers who have ordered these products direct from True Origin:
We will be in touch in the next week to confirm credit note/refund process for affected stock that you have ordered and still have in stock
Please destroy any remaining stock you have
As we said previously, this issue is isolated to the Eswatini Kitchen product range. The rest of our range is not affected as we source these products from other suppliers. If you can, we ask that you keep buying from across our wider range True Origin | Food that has True Impact at Origin – True Origin Retail .
Thank you again for your patience and understanding. We understand this has been very difficult for everyone.
This has been an incredibly challenging time for the full True Origin team. If you would like to discuss ways to support us as we continue to work through the implications for our business, please get in touch: tracy@trueorigin.org.uk or mary@trueorigin.org.uk
True Origin, the fair trade company at Paisley which supplies Fairer World with Eswatini products, and imports them into the UK, has issued a recall notice for True Origin Peach and Ginger Jam best before 12.04.27. It has sent a Fairer World a poster for display (below) and suggests customers dispose of the product in question or return it to Fairer World who will refund the purchase price. This poster is also on display at the Fairer World shop.
Between now and Christmas the Fairer World shop will also be opening on Sundays, 11.00am to 4.00pm.
Monday to Saturday opening times remain guaranteed as 11.00am to 5.00pm, but, whenever possible, the Fairer World shop will be open from 10.00am to 6.00pm.
Fairer World Ventilation
The Fairer World shop will continue to have a ventilation draught at all times, as a measure to reduce viruses spreading. This does have the effect of making the Fairer World shop cold, so please wrap up warmly if you are planning to be in the shop for any length of time. We will also do our best to allow social distancing for those who wish to observe it.
New Stock
Fairer World has plenty of new stock.
Here is an overview of the new products:
* socks, earrings, silver jewellery, Palestinian pottery and olive wood crafts, soap and candle pots, single everyday and handmade cards, Christmas cards, Advent calendars, Christmas / year round wrap, plus seasonal food favourites: Zaytoun caramelised, chilli and smoked almonds from Palestine, chocolate from Divine, chocolate truffles from Cocoa Loco and a range of beer breads from South Africa*
New stock in more detail:
We have 65 new designs of Thought bamboo socks, nearly all of which are out on display in the shop.
Lots of new designs of affordable Mexican earrings from Just Trade, plus metal bracelets and nodding animals from the same source.
Silver jewellery from small scale silver workers in remote jungle areas of Bali.
Palestinian ceramics from Hebron and olive wood crafts mainly from Bethlehem:
Palestinian ceramics
Candles in terracotta pots and soap, all from the oppressed Dalit community in India.
Everyday cards supporting Transform Trade (an organisation previously called Traidcraft Exchange) and hand made / hand painted cards from Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
Christmas cards from Amnesty International (20 designs) and from Transform Trade (22 designs):
Small selection of our varied Christmas card stock
Milk and dark chocolate Divine Advent Calendars, milk chocolate Real Advent Calendars and old stock Traidcraft card Advent Calendars.
Sustainable wrap from Nepal made out of lokta paper and recycled paper wrap both from Transform Trade and from New Internationalist, from whom we also have 2025 calendars in stock.
Zaytoun caramelised, chilli and smoked almonds are all back in stock.
Divine Christmas chocolate treats and coins, as in previous years, using cocoa from Ghana.
Cocoa Loco organic hand-made chocolate and truffles, also as in previous years, using cocoa from the Dominican Republic.
True Origin original and flavoured beer bread baking mixes from a small women-focused business in South Africa
New price lists
Here and on the Price Lists page (where you will also find details of our local delivery service and how to order from us) are new price lists for Food products and Cleaning and Household products. There are not enough short-dated products to be included on a separate price list so they are included in the table below.
The new price lists include some price increases, unfortunately, especially in chocolate products, where the manufacturers have been forced to raise their prices following a rise in the world cost of cocoa. Equal Exchange and Tropical Wholefoods, who now function as one organisation, have also recently raised some prices, but, because we have started buying these products direct from the Equal Exchange co-operative, we have been able to mitigate some of the price increases and have also been able to reduce other prices a little.
We are also told to expect a rise in Cafedirect coffee prices in mid-November but will try to keep our prices unchanged until the New Year, as we will also try to do with Zaytoun Palestinian products.
Product
Best before
Reduced price
Divine cocoa 125g
31.01.25
£2.40
True Origin Malawi brown rice 500g
31.01.25
£2.20
True Origin Malawi white rice 500g
31.01.25
£2.20
Short dated foods and consequent price reductions
White Poppies
Fairer World has white poppies for sale, as in previous years.
Ceilidh for York Amnesty International 23rd November
York Amnesty group are hosting a fundraising evening of Ceilidh dancing featuring live music from Bandiera Rossa. No experience of Ceilidh dancing necessary as a caller will give instructions. Bar, raffle and interval snacks. Tickets £10 (under 16yrs £5) available from Fairer World.
This year Fairtrade Fortnight will be held between 9th and 22nd September, after being held at the end of February / start of March in previous years. This year’s theme is Be The Change, which, as it turns out, is an echo of the message on the plaque from the Gandhi Institute in India which is affixed to Fairer World’s cash register, with the message “Be The Change You Wish To See In The World”. 2024 is the 30th anniversary of Fairtrade Fortnight.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2024 at Fairer World
We have been ordering busily so customers can expect to find plenty of new products on the shop shelves (see below in this update for very brief descriptions, and a few photos, of some of them).
There will be tasters and samples of some food products at Fairer World 9-22 September and, when possible, we will be offering tasters of the new hot drinks – Cafedirect Machu Picchu coffee bags (including decaf), Satemwa Morning Malawi English Breakfast teabags, and the full range of herb tea bags available at Fairer World – Hampstead Camomile, Lemon & Ginger, Peppermint & Spearmint and Wild Rosehip & Hibiscus, plus English Tea Shop Rooibos.
Some new food products
Dalit spices in glass jars from Kerala, South India
Satemwa Morning Malawi English Breakfast tea bags and Earl Grey tea bags from Malwali
True Origin tomato and garlic sauce from Kenya
Zaytoun caramelised, chilli and smoked almonds from Palestine
Some new craft products
Ceramics from Hebron, Palestine – snack bowls, serving bowls, trays and plates
Coconut bowls from Vietnam
Elephant dung paper weekly planner
Fabric dolls from Sri Lanka
Hand decorated small greetings cards, with envelopes, made from cotton waste, from children with learning difficulties in India
Glitter pens, glitter bangles from India.
Key boxes from India
Key rings, aluminium from India and felt from Nepal
Olive wood decorations from Palestine.
Painted wooden jigsaws from Sri Lanka – more designs in the 1-5, 1-10, 1-25 and alphabet jigsaw range.
Paper decorations from India, papier mache ones from Kashmir.
Photo frames from Bali and India.
Rainbow pottery from Thailand – teapots and mugs, plus milk, sugar and salt & pepper pots.
Scented candles in terracotta pots from Kerala, South India
Scented soap from Kerala, South India
Silver jewellery from Bali – earrings and studs, some pendants and rings and some silver and gold rings
Small notebook covered by recycled embroidered sari fabric.
Soapstone bookends from India.
Stainless steel, hand painted, tiffin style lunch box from Kerala, South India
Here is a selection of the above new crafts:
Christmas cards
New season Christmas cards from Amnesty International and Transform Trade (formerly Traidcraft Exchange).
Calendars
2025 New Internationalist Family Calendar, One World Calendar and World in Your Kitchen Calendar – plus One World Almanac.
Advent Calendars
Divine dark chocolate and milk chocolate Advent calendars
(Meaningful Chocolate Co. milk choc Real Advent calendar has not arrived yet)
Wrap
Silk screened lokta paper gift wrap from Nepal
New Fairer World price lists in preparation
New Fairer World price lists for Food products, Cleaning and Household products and Short-dated Food products are being prepared and will be issued in a few weeks’ time.
Some coming events
Chocolate Has a Name – a celebration of cocoa and its impact on culture in Ghana, with a group of performers from West Africa, who will share contemporary music, poetry and art inspired by cocoa and fair trade, on Friday 20 September, 6.30pm, at All Saints Church, Pocklington. Suitable for all ages.
A ceilidh to support York Amnesty International in November. Fairer World is due to be selling tickets. More details later.
To let everyone know that we will be giving the Fairer World shop a good clean during the week commencing Monday 5th August, in preparation for the run-up to Christmas. We plan to continue to serve customers at the shop while cleaning takes place, but access to some of the shelves may be restricted from time to time. Staff members will be on hand to help customers to be served well.
To give details of some more new products. (Some photos may follow at a later date). The products are available at the Fairer World shop now and will be included in new Fairer World price lists which are likely to be issued in late August / early September.
Some new products for the Food Products price list:
Cafedirect Machu Picchu Coffee Bags – box of 10 coffee bags, selling at £3.55.
Cafedirect decaf Machu Picchu Coffee Bags – box of 10 coffee bags, selling at £3.55.
Both these boxes of coffee bags are nicely packaged. The bags are individually wrapped, however, so they do include extra (recyclable / compostable) packaging, compared to ground coffee or coffee beans.
Clipper organic decaf teabags in a 40 teabags size, selling at £3.50, in addition to the Clipper organic decaf teabags in the 80 bags size which are still available.
Tony’s Chocolonely Milk Chocolate bar 180g, selling at £4.05.
Vermeiren organic Chocolate Chips biscuits 125g, selling at £2.25
Vermeiren organic Wheat biscuits 125g, selling at £2.25.
Some new products for the Cleaning & Household Products price list:
Ecover non-bio laundry capsules, 18 pods, selling at £9.79.
The Cheeky Panda Natural Colour Bamboo Toilet Rolls, 9 pack, selling at £7.49.
Traidcraft Toilet Rolls, each, selling at £1.
Traidcraft Toilet Rolls box of 36 rolls, selling at £34.99.
The Traidcraft toilet rolls are produced in the UK from post consumer waste in a partnership between Transform Trade (formerly Traidcraft Exchange), which controls the Traidcraft brand name nowadays, and Serious Tissues. The selling price funds tree planting and includes a donation to Transform Trade.
New books
Bethlehem (illustrated Palestinian cookery book), 240 pages, selling at £28.00.
Palestine (50+ colouring activities for kids / all ages to celebrate Palestine and the Palestinian people), 76 pages, selling at £9.99.
