In Autumn 2020, Essential's Buying Director, Jaspa Beese, and Jimmy Nelson from the Marketing Department visited the Campo Co-operative, one of their key Italian organic food manufacturers based in Isola del Piano, a small town in the agricultural Marche Region of Central Italy.

Founded in the late 1970s when the ideals of organic farming were few and far between, the Campo Co-operative noted that the use of chemicals and pesticides was destroying the land and would pose a problem of farming generations to come. Their vision was simple. Create a co-operative organisation of like-minded farmers, workers and supporters who shared an organic approach to farming and maintaining the land. With a belief that there is a universal right for people to consume food that is free from harmful substances, the focus is profoundly upon producing and supplying basic essentials; pasta, tomatoes, pulses and condiments. We asked Campo President, Lorenzo Massone, why his is still so passionate about organic farming after 30-years of directing the Co-operative. Lorenzo's answer was so wonderfully simple,

'There should be basic food for everyone. The sector needs people who can produce basic food.'

Keen to champion their produce on a global scale, prices compare favourably to mass-produced, chemically-farmed alternatives. Lorenzo emphasises that there are no technical reasons to use chemicals in food manufacturing. 'Wheat doesn't need cultivating and ingredients are simple.'

The Campo Project has an emphasis on affordable farming and processing methods that reduce waste. It's not only the produce that Campo are famed for, however. Their new packaging is as important to the business as the product. They focus on paper packaging rather than plastics and see this as the future. They have a new pallet range to suit the diverse delivery weights to their supply territories, thus saving on fuel and benefitting the environment. Even their new labelling machines are environmentally friendly!

Lorenzo commented that operating in the organic market has not been easy. There are now many organic producers and it has been challenging to compete. After initial struggles came a growth in the sector, particularly between 2014 and 2016. In 2017, the market slowed down and it has remained manageable since then. He quipped,

'It's not a boring sector as the market always changes!'

Organic farming has become a normality in the region, where the land is ideal for organic transformation. Wheats are accessible and farms readily join the Co-operative. Lorenzo was initially concerned about tomato produce in the spring due to the hot climate in Italy this year, but it thankfully proved not to be a problem and the produce still cultivated. However, due to the warmer weather, all the produce ripened simultaneously and it became a logistical challenge to have everything picked in time. The government did step in to help the farmers and Campo were able to satisfy their supply chain and service customers in many global territories.

Although the Campo Co-operative concentrate on basic necessities, they have been quick to recognise gaps in the market. Indeed, they were the first company to offer organic tomatoes in tins in 1985 and have since explored other areas that have needed addressing, to include a replacement for plastic straws. With the recent illegality of plastic straws and cotton wool sticks in the UK, pasta straws offer an organic and novel solution to a heavily used product.

We were also introduced to some of the Co-operative's new products on our visit. La Pastatina Bio, a new "puffed pasta" product is a healthy alternative to crisps with a new design and packaging. Aimed at a wide audience, the product is healthy and fun and deserves to be a success. Rizzati, a new brownie-based product, has an impressive six-month shelf life and is gluten-free. It will be available in pack size variations and is part of a forthcoming chocolate range which also includes palm oil-free chocolate spreads in a variety of flavours. Candy Puff, a forthcoming puffed rice product, comes in carrot, strawberry, lemon, various fruits flavours and can be placed into yogurts or used as breakfast cereal. Also in development is a coloured cappuccino range; coloured powders in beetroot and turmeric flavours that can be added to cappuccinos. Certainly a market-first!

Regarding Campo Co-operative's more traditional produce, Lorenzo was keen to tell us about the forthcoming tomato range that will be produced without any citric acid. A small amount of lemon juice is commonly included, but following some recent grievances the Co-operative has now found a new supplier who will bypass the component for all their cherry, peeled and chopped tomatoes and passatta. Campo will have the produce checked during the production process and there will be no increase in prices, highlighting once again the benefits of a co-operative organisation to the customer.

Campo's pasta lines are organic and gluten-free and this has been certified by Italian food authority, the Ministry of Health. Only produce with the Ministry's stamp of approval can be purchased in pharmacies, in addition to usual retail outlets. This is obviously very important to Campo and quite an accolade.

Lorenzo is an avid supporter of a co-operative business model. He enjoys collecting information from others and sharing his forecasts and predictions with the entire business. Transparency is a value he champions. The arrival of bigger co-operatives is challenging, but Lorenzo has stuck to his values and the ethos of the organisation. He believes that people are more productive and less confused when they work together and readily encourages entrepreneurship,

'When we all work together, we can be a mechanism. Plans are easier to develop together and a co-op collects the dreams of all the staff. There is no monarchy. We are a republic to ourselves.'

As an established leader of a vibrant organisation, Lorenzo feels rewarded when he is approached for advice and guidance. Indeed, he has seen collaborations even in the smallest of villages and his reverie is to develop a school of entrepreneurs. He desires to deliver projects in schools and 'deposit ideas into action.' As a realist, Lorenzo does recognise that not all ideas will develop, so he is keen to have others involved in his plans whenever possible and feels that Italy desperately needs some job-creation.

Lorenzo has an extraordinary and enviable energy. He has been writing a summary report to all of the partners each month since 1994. He shares his worries and ideas and enjoys 'helping the people to know and grow.' The Campo Co-operation's reputation speaks volumes and there is henceforth little need for promotion. A shared co-operative passion bought Campo and Essential Trading together when Essential were looking for a new tomato produce range. As the relationship developed, other products were introduced and the collaboration grew in strength.

We finally asked Lorenzo to sum-up his thoughts on organic farming and the produce within the market. His answer was naturally comprehensive,
'Until now, every organic producer tried to do something better, more niche, more exceptional, but people need to be offered a quality that is comprehensible and understandable. If there is a quality that you can't understand and is difficult to explain, the quality is thrown away.'

And what else does Essential love about Lorenzo? In a quest to learn and improve his English vocabulary, Lorenzo is an avid listener to The Archers on BBC Radio 4 and is particularly fond of any garden-based features. When he previously visited Bristol, he made a point of talking to homeless people to gain a grasp of more "every day" language. If only everyone shared this harmonious outlook.

As the unique wholesalers of La Terra e il Cielo's organic pasta produce in the UK, Bristol's Essential Trading were honoured to be invited to the market-leading manufacturer's 40th anniversary celebrations in the picturesque Marche Region of Central Italy. Attending from Essential Trading were Buying Director, Jaspa Beese and Marketing Officer, Jimmy Nelson.

As a fan of most things Italian, I was absolutely delighted with my invitation to La Terra e il Cielo for their 40th anniversary celebrations. Although perhaps not a name you have heard of, the business is pioneering in the organic produce market and serves as a wonderful example of what is possible when passions are implemented into a practical idea.

La Terra was initially the brainchild of Bruno Sebastianelli and a group of friends, who in the early 1980's decided to buy 50 sheep and produce cheese to sell to the local community. With dreams of an organic future, the sheep would go on to prove an invaluable lesson in soil-regeneration and set them on a career path to award-winning produce and a leading co-operative business model, of which Bruno has now been President for 32 years.

Following the disillusionment of political activism in the 1970's, Bruno and his like-minded fellows followed their farming ancestry and favoured country life. I asked Bruno why he and his friends embarked on the agricultural path. His response was so wonderfully innocent,

'We just wanted to be farmers and live in the countryside.'

He informed me that farming and the environment quickly became a "life choice". Now one of Italy's premier organic pasta producers, the story of Bruno and La Terra e il Cielo has become legendary in Italy's farming community since its establishment in 1980, a time when organic farming represented a virtually unknown niche.

The aim of the founders was to take a new, more sustainable approach to cultivation in the stunning Marche Region, where farming is of primary importance. The business may have started with just a few sheep for cheese making and soil-regeneration, but the visions of organic farming and the benefits for the local community where clear from the start. They studied nature and adopted a spiritual approach to their business model, something that is still very apparent today. Indeed, so passionate about organic farming, it took seven years for any remuneration, but in this time they were able to live off of the land.

With little interest in a management structure, Bruno and his colleagues were keen to govern themselves, although this brought with it risks in a lack of funding from investors. However, they wrote their prophecy and presented it to the local town hall who were so impressed by the appetite of the group, that they awarded them land to rent. They saw potential where others didn't and took their vision seriously. A co-operative business model of concurring individuals was soon created and together, they began to manage the land that had been so desperately needed. The initially-skeptical local farmers became increasingly curious and asked to join the organisation, further converting their land into organic matter. The business grew slowly, but as more members joined, the once-challenging trading began to flourish. Healthy agriculture for the farmers and for the consumers was a shared vision, and presently, 106 farmers based largely in the Marche Region are members of the Co-operative. Their combined contribution makes it one of the most devoted organic regions in Italy.

By 1985, La Terra e il Cielo was the first business in Italy to have the Demeter label on their products and in 1987, they secured their first foreign customers in Germany. Keen to promote healthy living options and explore new concepts, by the end of the 1980's they were producing two pasta variations; organic and biodynamic. However, due to the costs incurred to produce both types, they had to choose just one. Organic was chosen and in the early 1990's they left the biodynamic sector completely.

La Terra moved to its current "green building" location in 1999, where impressive silos for grain storage are displayed against a rustic backdrop. The grains used for wholewheat semolina and wholemeal spelt flour are ground using two stones which must be regularly scoured by hand, as the grinding process smooths the stone's surface. An old, idyllic stone mill with an impressive adjoining reservoir partly powers the plant. Their pastifici (pasta manufacturing plants, with whom they have long-lasting relationships) dry pasta over a 24-hour period, compared to modern pastifici - to include some organic ones - who dry their pasta for only four hours. There are lots of studies on slow and low-heat drying that say this process preserves the nutritional properties. Drying pasta at high temperatures, commonly 120C, destroys the amino acids and reduces the nutrition. Although it takes longer, La Terra's pasta is dried at optimal temperatures between 45C and 50C. Care and attention is paid to the mould used to make the different shapes and the process is closely monitored.

The rediscovery and relaunch of ancient varieties of cereals and legumes, selected for quality and not solely for quantity, represented and continues to represent one of the lynchpins of the Co-operative's activity. Among many other international awards, at the beginning of 2009 La Terra e il Cielo received the Silver Medal for the best durum wheat semolina pasta and wholewheat pasta from the Testzentrum Lebensmittel of Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft (DLG).

In addition to the wonderful food produce, a co-operative business model is of equal importance to Bruno. Bruno doesn't believe in capitalism. Being able to share wealth and health with others is important to him and to La Terra. The Co-operative guarantees the farmers a fair price for the raw material provided, regardless of the market fluctuations. This might not otherwise be possible, particularly with the rise in organic popularity and competition from its availability in supermarkets. La Terra have reacted to the problem and continue to supply premium goods at this challenging time, such is their reputation. Bruno further commented,

'A bigger business does not have the same care towards nature and the quality of the products as a small family one, so La Terra calculated all the costs for their producers and gave their farmers the funds they deserve. La Terra's fair price policy goes alongside the supply chain traceability.'

The organic industry continues to grow, but new ventures don't always share the ethical stance that La Terra adopts. La Terra's organic products carry values. They defend small family farming businesses and Bruno is adamant that such businesses safeguard the land and produce better products. Indeed, they were among the first businesses in Italy to have been certified for traceability. From a single packet of pasta they can trace back to the farmer who grew the wheat.

Many independent shops are struggling and small food production businesses are being bought out by finance companies, but this isn't something that Bruno encourages. Bruno remarked that the number of co-operatives is decreasing, but their business model is safe,

'A co-operative cannot be bought or sold. Only the brand can be purchased and so the business model is safe.'

In 40 years, the Co-operative has developed into a solid Italian organic reality, without ever losing touch with the values of solidarity, fairness and respect for nature, the principles that led to its birth. La Terra's products may be a little more expensive, but they offer accountabilities that other manufacturers don't. All the products are characterised by almost completely regional origin and full traceability, which is something that very few companies in Italy can boast. These are the reasons why Essential Trading are proud to be the UK's sole wholesalers of their lines of pasta, barley coffee, and pearled spelt since 2001. And what are Bruno's final thoughts on organic agriculture?

'Buono per la salute. Buono per il pianeta. Buono per l'agricoltore.'

'Good for health. Good for the planet. Good for the farmer.'

In the face of climate change, diet related ill-health and widespread decline in wildlife, the need to change our food systems has never been greater.

Organic September is a month-long campaign to raise awareness of the many benefits of organic food and farming, which include:

- Supporting biodiversity and wildlife

- Helping to combat climate change

- The highest standards of animal welfare

- Reduced exposure to pesticides

If you need more info or want to support Organic September, just follow the link.

Food as it should be, and food you can trust

The new Israeli Government has said that it intends to annex large swathes of Palestinian land in the West Bank, starting in July, land which was militarily occupied in 1967. This would be the culmination of years of appropriation of land – through the forced displacement of Palestinians, settlement and the annexation of East Jerusalem. Annexation, illegal under international law, is the forcible and unilateral acquisition of territory over which it has no recognised sovereignty and to make it an integral part of the state – in this case, Israel.

Palestinian civil society has made a global call for ‘effective measures’ to be taken to stop this annexation happening. If the measures are to be effective, this means the UK should now, at the very least, be adhering to an ethical policy on all the UK’s trade with Israel , in particular by applying international law on settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and stopping any arms trade with Israel that is used in violation of the human rights of Palestinians.

If you want to know more or just want to help, please follow the link.

National Vegetarian Week 2020 is all about enjoying delicious, plant-based food. It’s an unusual time at the moment, but it’s also a chance to have a go at something new and enjoy cooking at home. The Vegetarian Society is offering 7 classic, comforting meals with a plant-based twist for you to try. It’s really easy too – just download the simple recipe cards and get cooking!

Although we’re all at home you can still share National Vegetarian Week with your friends and family. Check the Do More page, following the link, for ways you can join in online. Let’s all get cooking!

#NationalVegetarianWeek

You may have noticed that we are discontinuing our popular Sosmix prepack. The reason for doing so is to switch to a palm oil free alternative, not only healthier but also more sustainable.

Our new Essential Burger Mix and Sausage Mix are both vegan recipes based in the time-honoured fashion on textured soy protein. Both are made more delicious with the addition of mixed vegetables, spices and herbs, and both are palm oil free.

Going for Gold Bristol has been announced as one of three city priorities during the last City Gathering on Friday 10th. It's great to see Bristol leading the charge, and we are very proud to be this project main partner and sponsor.

Find out how you and your organisation can help Bristol to achieve a Gold Sustainable Food Cities award! More than 1300 actions have already been taken.

If you want to know more, please follow the link.

I know! Christmas is everywhere, and we don't have time to think about anything else. But January is nearly upon us, and with the new year, we have the opportunity to change the way we eat and take care of the environment.

Since 2014, Veganuary has inspired and supported more than half a million people in 178 countries to try vegan for January - and beyond. They have been working with businesses to drive up vegan food provision in shops and restaurants, and have made veganism more visible and accessible through their work with national and international media.

Their mission is to inspire and support people to try vegan, drive corporate change, and create a global mass movement championing compassionate food choices with the aim of ending animal farming, protecting the planet and improving human health.

In January 2020, choose compassion. Try Vegan.

Of the 8 million tonnes of plastic we dump in the oceans every year, 2000 tonnes are plastic straws. In the UK we throw away 4.4 billion plastic straws every year. Here’s a solution: pasta straws. These Pasta Straws by Canù are made from corn, are organic, gluten-free, and 100% biodegradable.

However, we are encouraged not to regard edible food as something destined for disposal: you can use your used straws to make a pasta dish! For these straws are essentially bucatini pasta tubes. Available in a retail pack plus a catering size. ;-)

Due to the launch of the GDPR, last year we stopped preventively the sending of Newsletters and notifications that were not strictly necessary. From January 2020 we will resume this activity.

Therefore, and following the guidelines of the new legislation on privacy and data protection, if you wish to subscribe to our Newsletters, receive our promotional emails or fill out our surveys, please subscribe by following the link.

Remember that you can change your mind at any time by updating your suscription or unsubscribing.

As you surely already know Going for Gold is a Bristol-wide bid to be recognised as a Gold Sustainable Food City. Sustainable Food Cities is a national programme that celebrates and supports communities that are making positive changes to their food system.

It has been six months since Bristol launched its bid to be a Gold Sustainable Food City, an ambition to bring the whole city together to change food for good. By collectively changing the way the city produces, buys and eats food, we can have a hugely positive impact on the environment, our health, wildlife and communities, and tackle some of the leading causes of climate change.

However, to have the impact needed for Bristol to achieve Gold, we need to up our game. If you want to know mare about it, follow the link and get involved.

Essential Trading Co-operative have recently been made aware of allegations that a subsidiary of W H Marriage & Sons supplied peanuts to a third party which could be used in connection with the badger cull.

Essential Trading has asked Marriage’s for a clear response to these claims. We have received the following statement:

"Berry Ingredients (a subsidiary of W&H Marriage & Sons Ltd) is a major importer and trader of peanuts, selling them to retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers across the UK and abroad. It only markets products for the feeding of wild birds, which is clearly stated on labels and packaging".

We feel that the statement received does not fully address the claims being made, so we have suspended purchases from Marriages until further notice.

We hope Marriage's will be able to provide more information and assurances in due course. In the meantime, our customers can find many alternatives to their products in both our catalogue and on our website.

Hi, fellas. Organic September is back and there are lots of news and events everywhere!

Organic September is a month-long campaign designed to encourage more people to try organic as a way to promote and educate people about organic food & farming practices.

Following a year of unprecedented environmental protest and ground-breaking research, there’s never been a better moment to shout about the role organic farming has to play in the climate change debate, benefiting nature, the wildlife, the planet, and building healthy soils.

Campaigning for more organic food and farming means that together, we can slow down climate change, and improve our health.

You can get involved by:
- downloading the digital toolkit,
- running or attending an event in your local area,
- joining the Facebook event and let everyone know you’re part of #OrganicSeptember,
- cooking with organic ingredients or grow your own,
- or signing up to stay up to date with all things #OrganicSeptember .

If you want to know more, just follow the link on the left!

"Climate Change and Land" is the last report made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. It has been made by 103 experts from 52 countries and it states that it will be impossible to keep global temperatures at safe levels unless there is also a transformation in the way the world produces food and manages land.

It is a must read.

Essential Trading support sustainable production of palm oil. Our suppliers areaudited to ensure that principles and criteria for sustainable palm oil production are met, including the preservation of threatened species and habitats. The supplier of palm oil used in Essential products is an approvedmember of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and sources palm oil via a plantation management company that has a zero-burning policy.“The RSPO recognises that palm oil is an important and versatile raw material for both food and non-food industries, which contribute to the economic development of the producing countries and the diets of millions of people around the world. However, we believe that production of palm oil and the creation of new plantations must be done in a sustainable manner based on economic, social and environmental viability. Towards this end, the RSPO is developing a credible definition of sustainable palm oil production and will be promoting the implementation of best management practices that comply with this definition.”-Statement from our supplier, Ian McIntosh, MDof Aarhus United UKEssential products containing sustainably sourced palm oil:Essential FlapjacksEssential SosmixEssentialDarkChocolate Spread For more info, follow the link.

Essential operates a sustainable shipping policy and imports commodities from around the world via cargo vessel alone; never by air freight. The environmental impact of air freight versus sea freight is much larger. On average, goods transported by modern cargo plane will emit 500g of CO2 for every kilometerflown. In comparison, cargo shipped by sea reduces the emission to 15g CO2 for every kilometer voyaged.

If you want to know a few interesting figures, follow the link.

To excel as a sustainable businessprovidingethically sourced, vegetarian products from a pioneering worker cooperative–our vision defines not just what we dobut how we do it. From provenance to governance, our values and ethics are the very heartof our business. We maintaintransparency in our supply chain by developing close, long-termtradingrelationships. Suppliers for our own brandproducts are audited upon initialcontactand on an on-going basis, ensuring high standards in farming and employment practice at every step of production. We enjoy visits to our suppliers to learn about their processes, and invite them back to Bristol for the Open Day that we host at our premises every couple of years. Our brand carries a guarantee to be GMO free and 100% vegetarian.
To excel as a sustainable businessprovidingethically sourced, vegetarian products from a pioneering worker cooperative–our vision defines not just what we dobut how we do it. From provenance to governance, our values and ethics are the very heartof our business. We maintaintransparency in our supply chain by developing close, long-termtradingrelationships. Suppliers for our own brandproducts are audited upon initialcontactand on an on-going basis, ensuring high standards in farming and employment practice at every step of production. We enjoy visits to our suppliers to learn about their processes, and invite them back to Bristol for the Open Day that we host at our premises every couple of years. Our brand carries a guarantee to be GMO free and 100% vegetarian. Essential imports commodities from all over the world. We do not participate in boycotting war-torn countries as we believe thatfarmers and civilians have theright to earna living. We have farming and manufacturing partners in Sri Lanka, Italy and Egyptwho provide our tropical fruits and coconut range, Italian tomatoes and herbal
teas. Most of ourbrandedretail packs are manufactured in-houseusing our purpose built facilities. We distribute to a number of regions inthe UK using our own vehiclesand contract external haulier companies to reach farther flung places, including exportsto Europeand beyond. Our products reach our customers through approximately 650independent wholefood stores, 740cafes and restaurants, 45charities, 350community buying groups, and 80other wholesalers. We sell exclusively to independents –never to supermarkets, meaning that smaller shops have an added USP and are less easilyundercut on prices.
We look after our own business and since it belongs to all of us, we are able to make decisions together that ensure our workplace is safe, fair and non-discriminatory. We pay above the living wageto our workersandoffer regular employment contracts. Essentialare proud to be part of the co-operative movement, allowing for workers to have an equal vote in decisions that will affect them, and ensuring that our principles are embedded in our working practices and policies. Financial reports are given to themembers on a quarterly basis, and audited by an external party on an annual basis. Essentialwas born out of a drive to do things differently,without harming people or planet. We strive to take all the opportunities available to us to make a positive impact within the food sector. Our warehouse roof provides space to186 solar panels, generating around 38,000 kWh each year. This is equivalent to 27 tonnes of carbon -the same amount that would be sequestered by 21 acres of mature forest in a year. We engage with sustainablefoodand community-basedinitiativesto further our environmentaland socialimpactin the form of partnerships, sponsorships and in-kind donations.See more about our current partnership with Going for Gold here: https://www.goingforgoldbristol.co.uk/Our accounts are kept with Triodos Bank –a leading ethical bank that offers finance to companies deemed to hold social and environmental benefit. Find out more about Triodos bank here: https://www.triodos.co.uk/

Dear Customer,

We are recalling one of our Essential flapjacks because it may contain traces of nuts which are not declared on the label.

The following:

CHOCOLATE CHIP & COCONUT with the Best Before 21.08.19 which has been delivered to you in a VEGAN MIXED CASE (M760P)

Needs to be recalled.

Please use the attached (clicking on the link) poster to inform your customers.

We advise customers to let our sales team know how many of the above you still have in stock, contacting care@essential-trading.coop or ringing 0117 958 3550.

We will offer you credit if you can return the stock otherwise we can send you some labels to apply to the packaging.

Please accept our most sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

With best regards,
Quality Assurance Team.

A circular economy (often referred to simply as "circularity") is an economic system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources. In a circular system resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by slowing, closing, and narrowing energy and material loops; this can be achieved through long-lasting design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling. This regenerative approach is in contrast to the traditional linear economy, which has a 'take, make, dispose' model of production.

Proponents of the circular economy suggest that a sustainable world does not mean a drop in the quality of life for consumers, and can be achieved without loss of revenue or extra costs for manufacturers. The argument is that circular business models can be as profitable as linear models, allowing us to keep enjoying similar products and services.

Take a look to this very interesting video (following the link).

Collaboration has long been at the heart of the co-operatives. The earliest symbols of co-operative societies included beehives, the wheatsheaf and handshakes, all of which emphasised how working together was a core belief of this burgeoning movement.

This can also be said for the Co-operative College, which itself was founded as a result of the co-op movement coming together to provide education. When early discussions about a college were taking place, it was said there was a need for ‘harmony in industrial and international relationships’ and that those who were keen to set up the College were ‘entering a period of fierce national and international co-operation’.

Read the full article, by Sophie McCulloch, following the link

Every year hundreds of co-ops and organisations across the UK work together to promote co-ops during Co-op Fortnight.

Co-op Fortnight is organised by Co-operatives UK, sponsored by some of the UK’s most successful co-operatives and brought to life by co-ops across the UK.

From 24 June to 7 July 2019, join us for two weeks of mass co-operation to spread the co-op word and share the values that make our businesses different.

If you want to get involved or you want to know more, follow the link!

Some of Bristol’s busiest areas are to benefit from eight new free-to-use water fountain in a bid to fight against plastic waste.

The new water fountains will increase the number of refill fountains in Bristol and will be installed over the coming months by Bristol Water, in partnership with Bristol City Council and Bristol Waste. Collectively, they will prevent 50 miles of plastic bottle waste and save local people half a million pounds a year, versus bottled alternatives.

This step forward has been possible thanks to Ali Jennings, Bristol Water’s former Head of Communications. Ali was passionate about bettering the local community and came up with the idea of installing the fountains across Bristol. Sadly, Ali passed away in 2018 and she will be greatly missed.

Read more following the link.

After answering several inquiries from concerned customers, and also from the request of Ethical Consumer Magazine to offer an official response, we understand that it is necessary to make this clarification regarding the issue of bird deaths during the olive harvest in Andalucia, Italy and Portugal.

After speaking with our suppliers we can guarantee that the olive oil distributed by Essential Trading is completely bird-friendly, organic, cold pressed and collected using eco-friendly techniques.

For more information, we recommend that you take a look at the Ethical Consumer Magazine article about this topic.

In a declaration adopted on 24 May, members of the European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB) have called on European leaders to strengthen their efforts in the fight against climate change, by asking for measures to create incentives for the transition to a sustainable economy.

The declaration also points out that local and regional banks can play an important role in driving change by granting funding for energy efficiency, installation of solar panels, biomass power or households saving products linked to sustainability. However, the sector adds that this can only be achieved within an environment that allows local and regional banks to thrive.

If you want to read more, follow the link to read the article published by the Co-op News.

We’re happy to announce our partnership with Bristol’s Going for Gold initiative! The purpose of the award is to unify efforts to improve food sustainability throughout our city and build momentum for positive action. Over the next couple of years we’ll be working with the campaign and doing all that we can to help our city achieve a Gold Award as a Sustainable Food City. The goals will be set in seven key areas: buying better, food waste, urban growing, community action, eating better and food equality.

As an organisation and as individuals, we at Essential will be looking for ways to make more sustainable choices and increase our impact. We look forward to updating you on what we get up to and sharing tips and inspiration for changes that you or your business could make as part of the movement toward a sustainable food city.

To find out more about how you or your organisation can take action now, follow the link.

The National Vegetarian Week 2019 runs between 13-19 May and tries to highlight to the wider public the health and environmental benefits of a meat-free diet.

Endorsed by the Vegetarian Society, a web has been released and events will be held across the country to illustrate the recipes which make veggie food accessible and inclusive to all. Meat-eaters can still enjoy a vegetarian meal and many people have already adopted meat-free Mondays in to their diet.

Going For Gold is a Bristol-wide bid to be recognised as a Gold Sustainable Food City. Sustainable Food Cities is a national programme that enables a city-wide approach to improving the local food system. As one of the first three cities to achieve Silver status, Bristol has already shown that it has the motivation to make Good Food part of the city’s identity. Now, individuals, organisations and policy makers are joining together to make big and lasting improvements across six key Food Action Areas. Read on to discover how you or your organisation can play a part in this major leap towards making food that is good for people, the planet and the city accessible to everyone.

We have been advised that it is necessary to have a licence to BOTTLE olive oil (as every manufacturer does to pack down ingredients from bulk into consumer unit). Check the link.

Therefore the product cannot be sold on tap as refill as we suggest in our May / June 2019 catalogue. It can be used as such for personal and private purpose, but not as part of a transaction without the relevant licencing. Apologies for the confusion our advery may have caused. Any questions please contact either quality@essential-trading.coop or care@essential-trading.coop.

Thanks.

Essential Trading is closed on the May Bank Holidays - that’s Monday 6th and Monday 27th.

If you normally receive a delivery on a Monday.

If you normally receive a delivery on a Monday and you are NOT on our Cornwall A or Sheffield delivery runs (that’s either CORN or SHEFF on your invoices in the box marked RUN):

We will not be delivering to you during the week of a May Bank Holiday. Please place your order as usual for delivery on the Monday before or after the Bank Holiday Monday.

If you ARE on our CORN or SHEFF delivery runs, we will deliver to you on the Tuesday after the Bank Holiday Monday. Please place your order at your usual time for delivery on the Tuesday after the Bank Holiday Monday.

If you normally receive a delivery on a Tuesday.

We will deliver to you as normal on the Tuesday after the Bank Holiday Monday however because we will be closed on the Monday, please place your order by 5pm on the Thursday before a Bank Holiday Monday for priority service, or by 11am on the Friday for standard service.

Please enquire with customer services at Essential if you have any query about festive period closing and deliveries.

E-mail: sales@essential-trading.coop

0117 9430 800 or low cost 0845 458 0201

Essential Trading is closed on Good Friday April 19th and Easter Monday April 22nd.

Friday Deliveries.

If your delivery day is on a Friday, your alternative delivery options will be Friday 12th April or Friday 26th April.

Monday Deliveries.

If your delivery day is on a Monday, and you are not on our CORNWALL A or SHEFFIELD delivery runs, your alternative delivery options will be Monday 15th April or Monday 29th April.

If you are on our CORNWALL A or SHEFFIELD delivery runs, we can deliver to you on Tuesday April 23rd. If you would like a delivery on this day, please place your order by 11am on Thursday 18th April.

Tuesday Deliveries.

If your delivery day is a Tuesday, please place your order by 11am on Thursday 18th April for delivery on April 23rd.

Happy Easter!.

Here at Essential Trading Quality Assurance we take the integrity of all the foods we sell very seriously. We were conducting a HACCP review of our herbs and spices and found a specification recipe had changed before the labelling team had updated the pack label.

As our products are fully traceable, we recalled the hot curry powder immediately, contacting all affected customers and the Food Standards Agency, Allergy UK and Anaphylaxis Campaign.

We have conducted a root cause analysis in order to prevent any further omissions happening again, working with our suppliers and manufacturing team to ensure our labels are clear, correct and fully compliant.

We apologise to anyone affected by this and are happy to answer any queries you might have.

"The Co-op Group is launching a home delivery service for groceries, beginning with a trial in nine London stores.

It is the first time the organisation has offered online grocery deliveries via a dedicated website, shop.coop.co.uk, and follows a recent trial of autonomous robot deliveries in Milton Keynes and a free service by taxi for groceries at eight other UK stores.

The new service will initially be available to shoppers within a four kilometre radius of a store on the Kings Road in Chelsea, before being rolled out to eight more London stores. Orders will be fulfilled using zero emission electric cargo bikes, from e-cargobikes.com"

If you want to know more click on the link.

It’s nearly time for the annual awards for co-operatives in the UK – and nominations are now open.

This year the awards are for:

a) Leading Co-operative of the Year (for co-ops with turnover of more than £30m).
b) Inspiring Co-operative of the Year (for co-ops with turnover of between £1m and £30m)
c) Breakthrough Co-operative of the Year (for co-ops with turnover of up to £1m)
d) Co-operative Council of the Year (sponsored by CCIN)
e) Co-operator of the Year (open to anyone affiliated to a Co-operatives UK member)
f) Lifetime Achievement Award (for individuals who have made a significant contribution to the movement)

If you want to read more about this, follow the link!

For two weeks every year, thousands of people, charities, companies and groups across the UK come together to celebrate the people who grow our food.

These people very often live in some of the poorest countries in the world and are exploited and badly paid. This year the Fairtrade Foundation is focusing on the people – in particular the women – who grow the cocoa in the chocolate we love so much.

Join the Fairtrade Fortnight campaign following the link.

As of now we are no longer able to take extras after 11am on the working day before delivery.

In order for us to continue offering next day delivery we have to make a few changes, among these the discontinuation of extras.

Everything you need to order should be with us by 11am on the working day before delivery, so that we can make sure that our trucks are loaded safely and securely, to minimise damages and to ensure that we are within the weight limit for each vehicle. Our Transport managers can then decide which trucks are doing which runs depending on the weights and number of deliveries. The drivers can work out their loading plans so that the pallets are positioned correctly on the trucks for safe unloading.

Allowing additions to orders throughout the day has caused many problems:
- The weights are incorrect and the runs have to be reorganised.
- Extras may cause an order to be too big to fit on the pallet space allocated.
- Driver’s loading plans may be incorrect after orders are moved.
- Trying to fit extras onto existing orders can cause damage to stock.

We hope you appreciate our reasons for making this change. We trust that this will enable us to safeguard our ability to continue to provide a next-day delivery service.

People around the world choose to mark World Vegan Month in an array of different ways. You could host a vegan lunch at work or a vegan dinner party with friends; commit to taking part in vegan outreach in your local community; share your favourite vegan recipes on social media or even challenge your friends, family or work colleagues to go vegan for 30 days by taking our Vegan Pledge.

However you choose to mark World Vegan Month, be sure to share it far and wide using the #WorldVeganMonth and #WorldVeganDay hashtags on social media.

World Vegan Day is an annual event celebrated by vegans around the world every 1 November. The benefits of veganism for humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment are celebrated through activities such as setting up stalls, hosting potlucks, and planting memorial trees.

This event was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organisation and the coining of the terms "vegan" and "veganism".

In about 10 days we will celebrate our Open Day! We are hoping to see you here, but we also want to let you know that we'll be closing early on Friday 28th of September to have everything ready. If you are planning to place an order for delivery on Monday 1st (or collection on Friday 28th), please place your order by 11:00am on Thursday 27th. We will not be able to take extras on the Friday, as picking will be completed by midday. Thank you for your co-operation, and we look forward to seeing you there!

The Worker Co-op Weekend is a yearly gathering of worker co-ops from all over the UK organised by Cooperatives UK. This year it was in an outdoor centre in Derbyshire with dorm and camping options.

The weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon with an intro talk and an ice-breaker after dinner to introduce people and their co-ops to each other. Throughout the weekend there were lots of workshops and talks, and also lots of opportunities to network and chat to people. On Saturday evening we
had a social around a fire in the field, with a good dose of drunken singing. In total, there were about 40 people attending. We finished on Sunday early afternoon.

There were lots of worker co-ops attending – food co-ops were the majority but there were also co-ops working in very different industries, such as design, IT, ceramics, tools for the farming industry, a laundrette…it was very varied. There were also various individuals from colleges and universities researching the worker co-op movement.

Click the link on the left for more information.

We’re proud to announce that we are no longer selling water in plastic bottles. We've been waiting for the last bottle to leave the warehouse - and it's finally gone! (You can still buy water in glass bottles from us, though).
Essential Trading are firmly against the use of single-use plastics and we're innovating and making changes wherever we can.
You can read out statement on the use of plastic, following the link.

We've had a long and busy festival season but it's drawing to an end. We've delivered to over 15 music festivals this summer; all over the country! It seems as if there are more springing up every year. We're proud to be part of this alternative culture that is becoming more and more widespread and also happy to be ensuring that festival goers have access to wholesome and ethical food choices while they party! Our latest venture was to wholesale at Shambala this year in a similar manner but a much smaller scale than we do at Glastonbury- having a wholesale shop onsite aswell as delivering to businesses before the gates open. Ari from our distribution and goods in teams, Andrea from manufacturing and health and safety and Paul one of our drivers represented the coop onsite during the glorious weekend- big thanks to them. It was a successful venture and we're really glad to be involved with Shambala's mission to be a totally vegetarian festival.

We want to publicly thank all our drivers for enduring the mud, scorching heat and challenging driving conditions out in the fields this summer and the festival sales team for coordinating the drops! We hope you spied some of our products being served in yurts, domes, marquees, stages, dancefloors and treehouses this season and would love to see some festival pictures, especially eating some delicious vegetarian food, tag us in your instagram pics at @essentialtrading and use our hashtag #goodfoodisessential.

Essential is donating to Caring at Christmas for the 18th consecutive year.

Caring at Christmas is a registered charity which aims to improve the wellbeing of homeless people in the Bristol area by providing a safe and welcoming shelter, food and support for homeless people over the Christmas period. They provide practical information to homeless people and other stakeholders and tackle the causes of homelessness through working jointly with other charities and associations.

Over the Christmas week, they run a Christmas Shelter for people who are homeless or vulnerably housed in Bristol. This includes accommodation, food, medical services and entertainment.

To find out more visit:

www.caringatchristmas.org.uk

Essential Trading returned to VegFest this May to take part in the festivities and connect with the growing vegan community. We decided to come out swinging – inspired by the recent news that there are now over half a million vegans (and counting) in the UK – and sponsor the event to help show our continued support for healthy eating, concern for protecting the environment and opposition to the exploitation of animals.

Taking up a prominent position directly opposite the main entrance we were there to welcome people to the event and let them know about their local vegetarian worker co-operative. We had a range of samples including our new Dark Chocolate Coated Puffed Quinoa (M510Z) which went down a treat as well as classics such as our Organic Fairtrade Dark Chocolate Spread (S103P) and our Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter (S164P).

Thousands of people turned out despite the intermittent rain to try some tasty vegan food and dance to some sweet vegan music provided by the likes of Macka B, Stereo MC’s and Marshall Jefferson who all appeared on the Essential Trading sponsored main stage over the weekend.

Thank you to everyone who helped organise Bristol VegFest and to everyone who came and saw us, tried our delicious samples, bought our tasty products and had so many nice things to say about us! Special thank goes to our tradeshow co-ordinator Ava and the VegFest team (Ariyana, Dawn, Ian, Louise, Kaden, Phil and Rich) for giving up their weekend to help support the co-operative and spread the good word about Essential Trading!

Essential Trading is saddened by the recent expose of the coconut farming industry which revealed that a number of farms are exploiting monkey labour to pick their coconuts. Many of the monkeys used on these farms were abducted as infants and sent to special 'schools' were they are taught to pick up to 1,000 coconuts a day. They are subject to terrible abuse at the hands of their trainers and prevented from carrying out natural behaviours which causes psychological damage.

Essential Trading produces a range of organic coconut products all of which is sourced from sustainable coconut farms in Sri Lanka. We have visited the farms personally to ensure that they maintain the high standards we expect and that our customers expect when purchasing products from a company like Essential. The coconuts are harvested by hard working (human) farmers either by climbing the tree themselves or by using a long bamboo rod to pluck the coconuts from the tree tops. No monkeys are involved in the harvesting or production process of any Essential brand products.

As a company we are opposed to the exploitation of animals and strongly condemn the use of monkeys on coconut farms. Essential are proud to support the work of Wild Futures, the country's leading primate welfare and conservation charity. We have supplied Wild Futures with organic and fair trade whole foods for several years as well as making numerous donations to the charity.

Rachel Hevesi, director of Wild Futures, said about the exploitation of monkeys on coconut farms:

“The use of monkeys in the coconut industry is sad and cruel. Primates are intelligent, social animals that suffer when taken from their own kind. Infants must be taken from their mothers, causing distress and damage to both mother and child, in order to habituate and train them, but they will always retain the instincts and needs of a wild animal. These monkeys are also used to attract tourists, which we fear, in turn encourages the primate pet trade, a major welfare and conservation threat to primates.”

“Wild Futures has been purchasing food for staff and monkeys from Essential for many years, in the knowledge that their ethics and outlook are similar to our charity. We are delighted (but not surprised) that having learned of the potential conflict of interest, they have researched the sourcing of the coconuts in their products and it confirms our trust in them.”

You can rest easy when purchasing Essential Trading coconut products in the knowledge that no monkeys were involved in the production process and that by buying from Essential Trading you are supporting hard working Sri Lankan farmers and a more sustainable, organic future.

Essential Trading is excited to announce a new organic supplier for Essential Oat products. The new partnership is a UK collaboration thanks to an introduction from OF&G (Organic Farmers & Growers) who inspect and certify organic farms, mills and other enterprises in the UK.

The organic oats will come from an agricultural co-operative, and will assure the very best quality, purity and flavour for the oats in all Essential products including Jumbo Oats, Porridge Oats, Muesli and Granola mixes and special fruit Porridge Blends, each in a variety of sizes. Even Essential’s range of organic flapjacks, made from a range of Essential ingredients, will be affected by the change.

Esssential’s Eli Sarre commented:

“The change is a result of a long and careful decision process for us and we are really delighted to have found a new supplier that shares our co-operative ethos and can provide such a top quality product for our range. Our oats are sourced from a very established organic mill in Northern Ireland that is part of a farmer-owned cooperative. We look forward to introducing our organic UK grown oats from this autumn”.

* Essential Jumbo Oats are oat groats, rolled flat, partially pre-cooked in steam.

* Essential Porridge Oats are made with rolled pinhead oatmeal, partially pre-cooked in steam, for a creamier porridge. There is no need to pre-soak Essential Porridge oats.

* Essential Porridge Blends – a range of three fruit porridge breakfast blends.

* Essential Flapjacks – a range of eight flapjacks, vegetarian and vegan, made from traditional ingredients.

It is with good reason that oats feature so prominently in the Essential range. Oats are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein. Eating a bowl of oats in the morning has been shown to support cardiovascular and heart health and protect against the development of heart disease and certain cancers. Whole grain oats contribute blood sugar balancing properties, antioxidant compounds, as well as immune enhancing beta glucans (which contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels).

Essential Trading has partnered with Italian artisan pasta brand La Terra e Il Cielo (The Earth & The Sky) to distribute the award-winning range exclusively in the UK. The long lasting relationship between Essential Trading and La Terra began at the turn of the millennium at the trade fair Biofach. To celebrate this enduring partnership, Essential Trading is delighted to unveil the stylish new packaging designs for La Terra’s range. The fresh black and white graphics have a modern yet distinctly retro feel, inspired by the heritage and typography of iconic Italian packaging design.
La Terra is a thriving co-operative, established in 1980 in the Marche hinterland in central Italy, to the East of Tuscany and Umbria. Here La Terra has pioneered organic production for 35 years, and is committed to manufacturing using all-Italian raw materials. The company harnesses the combined efforts of more than 100 small producers and growers, guaranteeing them a fair price for organic, ethical and socially responsible agriculture. The ethos behind La Terra is very much in keeping with the culture at Essential Trading. Both businesses are co-operatives, and this mutually supportive working relationship is exactly what the co-operative movement is all about.

La Terra works hard to protect regional traditions and methods, and maintain the authenticity that is at the heart of their range - and this translates into flavour! The team manages all the different stages of the production chain, from the sowing of the (non GMO) seeds to the selling of the end product. This includes growing, threshing, storage, milling and last but not least pasta making. This traceability guarantees the ultimate quality for the range.

La Terra takes pride in researching and reviving old varieties of cereals such as spelt and durum wheat, to preserve their individual characters, flavours and nutrients. The milling of the wholemeal products is done in La Terra’s stone mill, powered by water turbines. La Terra was the first company in Italy to be built using bio-architecture and green building techniques. The main pasta factory, located in Teramo, is a family run business proudly handed down through the generations since 1874.

Conventional pasta production involves drying pasta at high temperatures of 120°C but La Terra pasta is dried at much lower temperatures of between 45°C - 50°C. Although it takes longer, these optimal temperatures and traditional techniques preserve the amino acids, nutritional value and flavour, and give the pasta a unique character.

The full range includes over 30 products, from classic white popular pastas, to more unusual shapes and speciality pastas with unique flavours such as the Organic Spaghetti with Nettles (rrp £1.90 500g). Pair these with a green salad tossed in La Terra’s Organic Extra Virgin Single Estate Olive Oil (rrp £15.60 750ml) - its bright green colour, intense aroma and delicate fruity flavour distinguish this as a truly artisan oil to savour. Metti su la pasta …

Essential Trading is thrilled to announce that its Organic Peanut Butter has won the award for best Vegetarian Store Cupboard Ingredient in The Veggie Awards 2015.

The awards were judged by a prestigious vegetarian panel of celebrities and food professionals including chef Rose Elliot who judged this particular category. Rose was full of praise for Essential’s peanut butter:

“This is the best peanut butter I have ever tasted and I find it such a useful product as it’s popular with young and old, not to mention rich in protein
and so versatile. The fantastic thing about it is you can use it straight from the jar in snacks like cookies, infuse it in Asian-style sauces, or mix it with honey and cocoa powder as a quick energy treat!”

Rose also shared one of her great recipe ideas:

“One of my favourite ways to use the Essential Organic Peanut butter is as a Satay sauce, which is so easy to make. Soften a couple of chopped spring onions in 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil for 2 minutes, then add 3-4 tbsp Essential Organic Peanut Butter, 1-2tbsp vegetarian red Thai curry paste, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1-2 tsp grated ginger, and gradually stir in 400ml can of organic coconut milk. In this thick state, it makes a lovely dip for fried smoked tofu. Or stir 200ml boiling water into the mixture, add lightly-cooked mange touts, sliced carrots, baby sweetcorn and red pepper. Scatter with chopped coriander, and serve with plain rice”.

With some brands of peanut butter adding cheap vegetable oils to their products, it’s good to know that Essential’s range of Organic Peanut Butter is made from pure peanuts, and no unwanted ingredients. Other commercial nut butters often contain added hydrogenated fats (trans fats) or palm oil (which apart from having fewer nutritional benefits also raises questions of sustainability). Then there is the possibility of excess salt, added sugar, monoglycerides (binding agents) and preservatives. Essential’s range is made from lightlytoasted, organically grown peanuts, so every mouthful is packed full of sustainable goodness.

Essential source their peanuts from organic growers who raise their crops without chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides. Conventionally grown peanuts are at risk of contamination from pesticides because they have a thin skin and lack a hard shell, so they absorb a lot of the chemicals.