A Bath charity making eco-friendly knickers, a specialist building maintenance firm and the city’s two universities were among the winners at this year’s South West Fairtrade Business Awards.
Kerala Crafts, established in 2001, supports projects in Kerala, Southern India, including a women’s stitching co-operative and cotton co-operative. Its products, which range from oven gloves and bibs to knickers and nightware, are sold via its website and through Fairtrade retailers across the UK.
The charity landed Gold in the Best Fairtrade Retailer – multiple products – category for the second year running at the prestigious awards, staged last week in Bristol. 
Also winning Gold were the University of Bath and Bath Spa University in the Best Fairtrade University or College category while BPM Maintenance, secured Silver in the Best Fairtrade Office category.
Sophie Kirk of Bath & North East Somerset was among the Gold winners for Best Fairtrade Advocate.
Now in their fourth year, the awards champion businesses that demonstrate commitment to using and promoting fairtrade and supporting fair and ethical business practices.
The overall winner, gaining the title of Best Fairtrade Business in the South West 2016, was Lee Abbey Fellowship in Devon.
The results were announced at a ceremony at the At-Bristol Science Centre, hosted by ethical beauty and wellbeing expert Liz Earle MBE, who recently launched a range of Fairtrade Gold jewellery in association with Cred Jewellery.
She spoke eloquently at the event about the massive difference Fairtrade makes to gold miners and was delighted to see her jewellery range at local jewellers John Titcombe. The event was opened by Molly Scott Cato MEP.
The seven categories were: Best Fairtrade Office, Best Fairtrade Retailer –single product, Best Fairtrade Retailer – multiple products, Best Fairtrade Café or Restaurant, Best Fairtrade Accommodation or Conference Centre, sponsored by Sawdays, Best Fairtrade University or College, and Best Fairtrade Advocate Award, sponsored by SWTUC.
Other category winners included Bristol-based Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast and Minuteman Press. Other winners from across the region are Fair’s Fair in Barnstaple, Full of Beans café at UWE, Erica Sharpe Fine Jewellery in Wedmore and City College Plymouth. Winners of each category receive a unique trophy designed by Bristol Blue Glass, presented by a range of local VIPs including Alastair Sawday, and Clare McGinn from the BBC.
The Best Fairtrade Advocate Awad, sponsored by the SWTUC, went to Sophie Luxon of Computershare in Bristol. She runs Fairtrade stalls at work and has persuaded not just her own company, but also neighbouring companies, to switch to using Fairtrade products.
The 68 shortlisted businesses have between them spent nearly £500,000 on Fairtrade products, making a massive difference to the lives of producers in developing countries.
A Fairtrade Brunch and business-to-business networking after the ceremony was sponsored by charity Shared Interest Foundation, which supports fair trade businesses in developing countries.
Bath Business News’ sister title Bristol Business News was again media partner of the awards.
