Cafédirect launches TasteFair

To celebrate the art of coffee growing, Cafédirect, one of the biggest names in Fairtrade, is staging the first ever TasteFair. There will be nine days of eco-lifestyle events to stimulate the senses during Fairtrade Fortnight at Whole Foods Market, Kensington High Street, London. TasteFair will run from the 21st February – 1st March 2009 and will feature a line-up of some of the UK’s best-known ‘eco’ celebrities and experts including Wayne Hemingway and Oliver Heath. There will also be food tastings, music evenings, story time readings, coffee classes and a specially created photographic exhibition tracing the incredible journey of coffee. Daily ‘seed to cup’ sessions will be available for coffee lovers and novices alike, to learn about the coffee-making process, giving them the unique opportunity to hand-roast and taste coffee beans direct from Kilimanjaro under the expert supervision of Amen Mtui, coffee cupper from Tanzania. Cafédirect was founded in 1991, predating Fairtrade in the UK by three years and was the first coffee brand to carry the mark. With a turnover of £22.34 million (2007/08), Cafédirect is the UK’s largest 100% Fairtrade hot drinks company, the 5th largest coffee brand, and 7th largest tea brand. The organisation’s work has directly improved the lives of 1.4 million people in developing countries by partnering with nearly 300,000 smallholder growers through 39 grower organisations across 13 developing countries. To find out more about Cafédirect’s TasteFair and to see the full programme of events during the nine days, please visit http://www.tastefair.co.uk.