The Department for International Trade (DIT) has highlighted the efforts of Divine Chocolate as a model for success.
The Government department highlighted that Divine’s ethical business model plays a key part in its international exporting success, with the United States being its biggest market, finding that it is leading the way in the ethical chocolate industry. The Department for International Trade (DIT) recently helped Divine to acquire a Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) Grant, which enabled the company to attend BIOFACH 2019, in Germany.
Secretary of State for International Trade, Dr Liam Fox MP, commented: “It is exciting to see a UK company like Divine Chocolate, who was involved in our Britain is GREAT campaign, not only finding success in overseas markets but also ensuring that these hard-working cocoa farmers get the remuneration and industry recognition that they deserve. This is an excellent example of how important international trade is for empowering producers in emerging economies to increase prosperity and wealth.
“The UK exported an impressive £713.7m worth of chocolate last year, highlighting a global demand for British-made produce. This is a golden opportunity for other UK producers to tap into the demand and explore new international markets, and my international economic department has a network of experts on hand to help navigate the entire exporting process.”
Sophi Tranchell MBE, Group CEO of Divine Chocolate, added: “We knew from the UK market – where our initial audience and supporters were primarily Fairtrade supporters – that consumers were very proactive in spreading the message about Fairtrade products, and our chocolate was a favourite way to tell the Fairtrade story. Therefore, it made sense to grow into markets where our chocolate would be loved, and our ethical story would be appreciated.”
The store portfolio at Planet Organic has further expanded with the opening of a new London offering.
The new 2,300 sq ft retail space can be found in Queens Studios on Salusbury Road, Queen’s Park, and represents part of the ambitious plans from the retail chain, which started life in 1995, to increase its store footprint across London over the next five years.
The Queen’s Park store, which becomes Planet Organic’s eighth location, is the first new opening since Tottenham Court Road in 2014. In impressive expansion plans, the retailer plans to have a minimum of 14 stores operating by 2023, with the idea being to open 10 new stores in the next five years.
Al Overton, Planet Organic’s Buying Director, commented: “Planet Organic is firmly community-based in each of its locations. And Queen’s Park, with its strong community ties, is an ideal fit for us.
“We’ve been in business since 1995, which makes us the original and oldest organic supermarket chain in the country. The trend towards healthier eating is only increasing and we are expanding to meet that demand. Our original mission, eat well, live better, is more pertinent now than ever, and we remain committed to it. Increased awareness in ethical retail is growing too, so more and more shoppers are coming to us. For example, we’ve been plastic bag free for 12 years and have always sold most fruit and vegetables with zero produce packaging. Those things, always important to Planet Organic, are now more widely important to shoppers.”
The new store stocks a huge range of organic essentials, including unpackaged, as well as gluten free and vegan groceries, countless kombucha varieties and cauliflower crust pizza. Natural bodycare, health, fitness and beauty products are also available. The in-store café serves organic coffees with many dairy alternatives, fresh juices, as well as wholesome soups and superfood salads.
A football club described as the world’s only vegan team has teamed up with Faith in Nature.
The vegan beauty brand has signed with the world’s greenest, vegan football club, Forest Green Rovers, which will see Faith in Nature selling a Forest Green Rovers line of products, which includes a body wash and a hand wash that will be used in all bathrooms at The New Lawn, FGR’s stadium, during the 2019/20 season. With the natural scent of freshly cut grass, they contain Epsom salts to aid sports recovery, as well as extracts of grass actually taken from the certified vegan Forest Green Rovers pitch.
The team plays on a vegan pitch, fertilised with Scottish seaweed, cut by a solar powered robot lawnmower and is the world’s only 100 per cent vegan football club.
Joy Parkinson, CEO of Faith in Nature, commented: “We are proud to be supporting Forest Green Rovers Football Club. No football team in the world is doing more for sustainability and environmental awareness than Forest Green Rovers. We’ve been baking those values into our business for 45 years now and are so pleased to be doing our bit to spread the green word in the sporting world. We wish Forest Green Rovers a fantastic upcoming season and will be supporting them every step of the way, in their endeavours both on and off the pitch.”
Organic & Natural Business magazine