20 December 2010
It’s Christmas time so families across the UK are preparing for their annual festivities. Food and drink play a major part in the seasonal celebrations, with many of us making requests for our favourite finger food, drink, trimmings and puddings to be present. So planning the list for the great Christmas food shop is essential.
By using Fairtrade products in your Christmas recipes you will be helping people like peanut farmer Rosemary Kadzitche from Malawi and green bean producer Anthony Mucheke from Kenya build a livelihood which will provide the essentials for their families. So here are a few Fairtrade alternatives you can add to your shopping list.
Christmas classics
If you are planning to bake your Christmas pudding, cake or mince pies from scratch, many of the UK supermarkets stock Fairtrade versions of the ingredients. Try using Fairtrade dried fruit such as raisins, currants or sultanas in your mincemeat. Or swap your usual brand of dark brown sugar for a Fairtrade version in your Christmas cake or pudding mix.
Picture: jystewart
Finger food
Whether you’re attending the office, school, or football party there will be one thing in common; a vast array of finger food. There are various Fairtrade nuts available in our shops - why not choose some bags of roasted peanuts, cashews or pistachios to take to the party?
Warming drinks
Now that we're in the grip of the coldest winter for a generation, a glass of warm mulled wine or a mug of rich hot chocolate could be a real people pleaser. There are lots of Fairtrade red wines to make your mulled wine with. Plus spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg can be added to the mixture. You can even finish it off with a slice of an orange. As for the hot chocolate there are several Fairtrade brands, so you can enjoy a cup throughout the festive period.
Picture: David Singleton
Christmas dinner
We all have a preferred meat or accompanying trimmings for our Christmas day dinner. When choosing your vegetables for your meal bear in mind what is in supply. For instance you could switch your usual brussel sprouts for Fairtrade green beans. There are lots of different recipes for stuffing, with interesting combinations of ingredients. Experiment by adding dried apricots or cranberries to your stuffing recipe.
Stocking fillers
A variety pack of chocolate is a very popular stocking filler. This year instead of buying the big brand packs get your friends and family a Fairtrade equivalent. Or if you prefer the more traditional fare, you can purchase clementines and satsumas to fatten up a stocking.
For a detailed list of where Fairtrade products are stocked in the UK go to the Fairtrade Foundation’s website. However, our local shops and supermarkets are packing more and more Fairtrade products on their shelves, so keep an eye out when you embark on your shopping trip.
Picture: richardmasoner