Divine Chocolate and the Eden school trip

Sara and Wendy finish their tour at Eden with Paul and Kojo

Two groups of fourteen year old school girls were taken for a tour of the tropical Eden Biome to see cocoa pods growing on the trees before being treated to presentations from Kojo and Paul. After taking the groups through the bean to bar process they were also able to talk in detail about the benefits of Fairtrade and the importance of their roles as Kuapa Kokoo recorders in their villages. After a Q and A session everyone was treated to Dubble chocolate bars.

Divine Chocolate in Eden

Caitlin Guest, winner of the Divine Chocolate Poetry Competition read her poem at Eden

Paul and Kojo in the biomes at the Eden Project

Photos accredited to the Eden Project

Another early start, another hearty fry-up (with extra mushrooms and bacon) and we were back on the train, headed to St Austell in Cornwall. We were greeted at the station by the multi-coloured Monroe Shephard from the Eden Project. He took us to meet the St Austell Fairtrade steering committee and local council members before leading us around a number of shops taking part in St Austell’s ‘Fairtrade trail’. Kojo and Paul were delighted to see shops stocking the Divine Easter Eggs and one bookseller kindly gave Paul a bible.

After lunch we were taken to the steamy wonderland of Eden Project’s tropical Biome. Kojo and Paul were astonished to be introduced to Hetty – Eden’s very own cocoa farmer! – before being introduced to Eden’s very own cocoa trees! The winner of the Divine Poetry competition (12-16years age group), Caitlin Guest, had made a special trip to Eden to meet the farmers. We were privileged enough to hear a live reading of her winning poem ‘Not Just Cocoa’.

School groups were treated to first hand stories of cocoa farming in Ghana and Paul gave a live demonstration of splitting open a cocoa pod with a machete! Visitors were given the rare opportunity to sample the fruity pulp of the cocoa seed in the Biome and the chance to sample delicious Divine Chocolate up in Eden’s shop. Having seen the biome Kojo said “I can’t believe that all the plants we were telling you about are here. We’ll have to watch out … soon Eden will be growing cocoa for the UK’s chocolate!”.

ASDA support Fairtrade and Divine Chocolate

ASDA head office staff in Leeds had a chocolaty treat when they got to sample Divine Chocolate and Fairtrade fruit with the Divine Chocolate fountain on Thursday. It was a real hit with everyone!
Also on site sampling of Fairtrade coffee, fruit, chesses and wine the Fairtrade Foundation Bus was on site before moving on into the Leeds city centre

Divine Chocolate tour Exeter

Paul and Kojo outside Exeter Cathedral

Paul with Exeter school children

Paul and Kojo proudly holding up a fabric painting from the school children

Kojo and Paul fuelled up for the day on a hearty fry-up (with extra mushrooms and bacon) before we all headed off on the bus to our first destination – ‘The West of England School and College for Children with Little or No Sight’ in Exeter.

Three different groups of students enjoyed a day of learning, cooking and painting. Kojo and Paul took us through the ‘bean to bar’ story, and introduced students to cocoa pods, fermenting and dried cocoa beans. Touch, smell and taste all helped to familiarise unsuspecting participants to the surprising origins of their Divine and Dubble Fairtrade chocolate.

It was a great morning and we were rewarded with delicious chocolate dipped bananas and pineapples (all Fairtrade of course!) At the end of the workshops Kojo and Paul were presented with a wonderful ‘bean to bar’ fabric painting that the students had worked on during the day. The scene depicted each stage of the bean to bar story and included seeds and beads to give the pods a great textured finish. We thanked all the students and organisers with Dubble bars and ‘Stock the Choc’ postcards before leaving for the next destination – Exeter FM radio station!

Following Kojo and Paul’s interview we were taken (via a delicious Fairtrade Café!) to Exeter’s Global Centre, where we got the opportunity to meet Martin Odoch, Field Manager for the Mpanga Growers Tea Factory in Uganda. Kojo, Paul and Martin talked to Plymouth University students about Fairtrade and how its benefits are experienced by cocoa and tea farmers. Following the talks, the celebrations begun for the evening and we were treated to farmer presentations, songs, role plays and, of course, some delicious Fairtrade food and wine! (Devon Fairtrade campaign)

Divine Chocolate sampling in Sunderland

Sunderland University celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight with hot chocolate, a chocolate fountain with Fairtrade bananas and Divine Chocolate samples. Divine Chocolate’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Alistair Menzies, gave a talk to the business school students showing how Fairtrade businesses can benefit everyone including the producers throughout the supply chain. Sunderland University have been great supporters of Fairtrade for many years and have Fairtrade University status.

6 Mayors and a President

Now Fairtrade Fortnight is over, we look back at the Mayor’s and the President Divine Chocolate and the Kuapa Kokoo farmer’s met along the way!

Divine Chocolate and Kuapa farmers in the City

Kojo and Paul were out and about in London’s financial district on Monday. In the morning, they spoke at a well attended Business Breakfast at Guildhall, the old 15th century seat of government for the City of London.

At the event there was also a speaker from the Fairtrade Foundation, and someone from BT, who spoke about how they implemented Fairtrade purchasing across the company. Kojo and Paul spoke about the benefits of Fairtrade to cocoa farmers in Ghana, and about how Divine’s unique farmer-owned model meant that they themselves received a share of the profits from Divine’s first dividend last year.

Off to nearby St Mary le Bow Church on Cheapside for a lunchtime debate, organised by Trading Visions and Justshare. The farmers spoke alongside speakers from Divine, Tropical Wholefoods and Fairtrade Foundation, along with an academic and a sceptical business consultant. It was a lively debate with good audience participation, with wine and chocolate afterwards.

Paul and Kojo had time to visit St Paul’s while they were in the City, climbing the great dome of one of the largest cathedrals in the world. They thought it was an amazing building and really enjoyed the bright February sunshine views across London, though they also found the wind rather cold!

A Divine Fairtrade Fortnight Launch

What a fantastic start to Fairtrade Fortnight!

Fairtrade companies, supporters, producers, farmers, Londoners and everyone in between gathered together on the Thames on London’s Southbank to celebrate the launch of Fairtrade Fortnight with a Fairtrade Fairground.

Divine Chocolate was giving away free delicious tasters of chocolate and were joined by a Henna Tattooist who was giving free Adinkra symbol Henna tattoos (the Ghanaian symbols which feature on the Divine packaging). The two Ghanaian cocoa farmers from Kuapa Kokoo, the cooperative of farmers which co-owns Divine Chocolate, had flown into Heathrow that morning and met visitors to the stall and telling everyone about the difference Fairtrade is making to them and their communities. The weather was glorious and the event was a lot of fun thanks to dancing Fairtrade bananas, a walking talking Dubble bar, games and rides for the children and lots of wonderful Fairtrade samples to try.

Happy Fairtrade Fortnight everyone

From everyone at Divine Chocolate and Kuapa Kokoo

Countdown to Fairtrade Fortnight

Sunrise in Bayerebon, Ghana

Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 is round the corner! There are so many ways you can get involved to make this the best year yet!

• Send off for your free Divine Chocolate supporter kits from Ethical Superstore. They contain leaflets, postcards, posters and of course chocolate so you can set up an event to spread the Divine word! http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/products/divine-chocolate/divine-chocolate-supporter-promotion-pack/
• Check out our events calendar and attend an event and meet the farmers for yourself. Divine Chocolate will be in London, Exeter, St Austell, Wales and Ireland, see you there! http://www.divinechocolate.com/events/upcoming.aspx
• Visit the Fairtrade Foundation bus tour http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/fortnight_bus_tour.htm
• Make something Divine, like a cake and take it into work. For recipe ideas visit http://www.divinechocolate.com/joinin/recipes.aspx
• Look out for offers in your supermarkets over the next 2 weeks on Fairtrade goods, especially delicious Divine Chocolate!
• Stock the choc, if your local newsagent or store does not stock Divine Chocolate then please request for them to sell it. You will be directly benefitting thousands of Ghanaian farmers by doing so
  

Valentines Day

While you wait for Fairtrade Fortnight, celebrate Valentines by sending your loved one a free bar of Divine Chocolate http://www.divinechocolate.com/home/default.aspx