Ultimate Fairtrade Brands List UK – Best 35 Food & Fashion

When I was thinking about Fairtrade brands in the UK and putting together my previous list Sustainable and Ethical B Corporation brands I didn’t actually think there would be that many Fairtrade food brands and affordable ethical clothing brands in the UK.

I suppose that’s not a bad thing but my previous list contains 50+ of the B Corporation certified brands and this list contains 35 ethical clothing brands, Fairtrade food brands and others brands who have a focus on sustainability and ethical trading.

There are a few Fairtrade brands that I’ve encountered whilst composing my lists that are B Corporations and Fairtrade. So if you’re interested in the following brands see my previous list (linked above) for more information. Cafe Direct, Proper Snacks, Clipper & Divine.

This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small profit if you buy through my link. I would never recommend something I didn’t believe in or wouldn’t buy myself, thank you for your support.

Fairtrade Foundation

The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation which focuses on four key areas of work in the UK. Licensing the use of the Fairtrade mark, help to grow demand for Fairtrade products, finding new ways of working with partners to support producer organisations and networks and raising public awareness of the need for Fairtrade brands and certification.

The foundation was established in 1992, similar to the B Corporation certification they ensure that Fairtrade brands meet standards of social, economic and environmental requirements and continually meet them – for the sake of farming organisations or estate workers.

What’s Fairtrade? Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

Fairtrade.org

Fairtrade Food Brands

Ben & Jerry’s

You may have already noticed this, however Ben & Jerry’s the popular ice cream is a Fairtrade food brand.

What’s actually really transparent is they break down on their website how much they paid the farmers for each individual ingredient such as sugar, cocoa, vanilla, coffee and bananas.

They do also have several vegan flavours as well now which is good for vegans or people with dairy allergies.

They are owned by Unilever now in the interest of full disclosure so I don’t personally buy from this brand but they are a Fairtrade food brand so belong on this list.

Chocolate and Love

I can’t believe I’ve not heard of Chocolate and Love before, this Fairtrade food brand has the most beautiful packaging. I feel like the packaging is just the sort of colourful patterns that really appeal to me.

They’re organic, ethically made and ethically run – with no plastic around their bars at all. They’re not fully vegan but they do have a lot of interesting vegan flavours as well.

Their chocolate is sold in a lot of countries and online via their website. In the UK specifically it’s sold in a lot of Health stores, Ocado and The Vegan Kind (I will definitely be buying some in the future).

Co-op

The Co-op Supermarkets in the UK are a different kind of supermarket because they’re owned by members rather than corporations and the members have a say in how it’s run.

Ethically Co-op are leading the way and have been committed to Fairtrade for a long time.

I have been looking into Green banking lately and in the UK the Cooperative bank is the second best option ethically because they strongly believe in Fairtrade for all. Environmentally Triodos bank comes up number one but the Coop is still a great option.

English Tea Shop

English Tea Shop is company which blends tea from Sri Lanka, they are carbon neutral, Organic, Sustainable and a Fairtrade food brand (technically a drink brand but had to categorise). Not only do they pay a premium on top of the Fairtrade price to farmers, they also have in house training for the farmers such as English, ICT and Farming etc.

They’ve actually got a huge range on their website in the form of a booklet and they’re another plastic free tea brand which is awesome. They are sold in Harrods, Debenhams, Selfridges and WHSmith.

Green & Blacks

Green & Blacks has been around since 1994, I remember it being quite a different brand of chocolate and it was the first organic chocolate to be certified Fairtrade back then.

It’s worth noting this brand is owned by Mondelez now, through Cadbury and not all of their chocolate is Fairtrade now. Apparently due to the amount of cocoa needed for the brand.

Greggs

Although not fully a Fairtrade brand, Greggs in the UK uses only Fairtrade coffee in their takeaway coffees.

Good to know if you need a takeaway coffee in the future.

Grumpy Mule

Grumpy Mule is a Fairtrade coffee company based in Meltham since 2006. They are really passionate about great tasting coffee that’s also good for farmers, customers, mules and carrots.

They state their coffee is traceable, ethical and 100% Arabica. A brilliant brand if you’re a coffee connoisseur but want to buy Fairtrade.

Holland & Barrett

I do generally prefer to support the independent health stores, as opposed to Holland & Barrett. However, there is only a Holland & Barrett in my local town so I do shop there occasionally.

In 2019 they banned wet wipes, they now send zero waste to landfill and they only use RSPO (responsibly sourced Palm oil).

At Holland & Barrett they also sell a lot of Fairtrade tea and chocolate.

Moser Roth (Aldi)

Moser Roth a chocolate brand sold in Aldi, it’s a Fairtrade food brand available in the UK. They sell bars of chocolate and some boxed chocolates which some are also suitable for vegans.

M&S

M&S switched all of their tea and coffee to Fairtrade in 2006, they also stock Fairtrade wines and chocolate.

They’ve recently expanded their vegan Plant Kitchen range, which I haven’t tried yet. However, they have marshmallows, posh dogs and even hot cross buns so I definitely will get some things to try in the future.

Oxfam

So this isn’t strictly a Fairtrade food brand collection, however as well as selling second-hand clothes etc Oxfam online and in their charity shops. Oxfam also sells other sustainable and ethical brands. Such as Cafe Direct, Tony Chocolonely and even things for the home like seagrass baskets made in Vietnam.

Percol

Percol is a coffee brand which is Organic, Climate Neutral, and of course a Fairtrade Food brand.

They’re based in Ruislip and they are clear about exactly what materials are used on their products. It seems that the sleeve on their instant coffee and lid is the main things that they still use plastic on. They are aware of this issue and currently working towards an alternative which I do love to read.

Percol can be found at all the major supermarkets in the UK and The Vegan Kind.

Seed & Bean

Seed & Bean is another brilliant Fairtrade brand available in the UK. I think I possibly mentioned this one in my Valentine’s day gift post. They sell dark chocolate suitable for vegans and you can even sign up for a subscription which is delivered in cardboard as well.

I definitely will try this Fairtrade food brand at some point.

Suki Tea

I’m really impressed by Suki Tea they are a tea brand based in Belfast. They have a huge variety of loose tea and tea bags on their website. They’ve been trading since 2005.

They’re also committed to sustainability and a Fairtrade brand of course. What has attracted me to me this Fairtrade Food brand is that they are also completely plastic free as well! They have a whole section of their website discussing what they’ve implemented and explaining about the terms ‘biodegradable’ and how it can be a way that companies mislead customers.

Therefore they are not only ethical they are also fully plastic free which is awesome.

Starbucks

Starbucks have been ensuring that majority of their tea, coffee and chocolate is sourced ethically. They state 100% of their cocoa is Fairtrade, 99% of their coffee and 100% of their tea.

Taylors Of Harrogate

Taylors of Harrogate are a coffee and tea brand which I have seen before but didn’t know much about. They’re based in Yorkshire since 1886 and they work closely with their suppliers to build contracts, improve quality and find solutions to the challenges that impact the people they buy from.

They believe that investing in these relationships and paying a fair price, they can help the communities they work with.

They state on their website that they have been unable to completely stop the use of plastic because they want their coffee to remain fresh. However, they are looking to switch to a recyclable material by the end of 2021. I appreciate there transparency regarding this.

Tate & Lyle

Tate & Lyle is a Fairtrade Food brand famous for their sugar products. They’ve now entered into a partnership with Co-op and majority of their sugar and syrups are certified Fairtrade which is awesome.

They’ve been trading for 143 years in total although under a different trading name initially. Since 2008 they’ve been working closer with farmers and making a big difference in their lives!

The Raw Chocolate Co

I’ve been a big fan of The Raw Chocolate CO for a while now, I don’t have a big sweet tooth and prefer to eat chocolate for the health benefits. Due to this Raw chocolate is probably my favourite type of chocolate, it’s slightly dark but sweetened with coconut blossom sugar so still delicious.

I was pleased to hear that they’re a Fairtrade food brand in the UK. You can buy their raw chocolate directly from the website.

Vego

Nik the creator of Vego vegan chocolate is from Germany, he decided there was a gap in the market for a really good tasting vegan chocolate. I have to agree as Vego is probably the nicest tasting vegan chocolate I’ve tried. This Fairtrade brand uses a lot of hazelnuts in their chocolate and chocolate spreads.

Vego is one of my favourites, it’s awesome that they’re a Fairtrade food brand as well. They are in the process of switching their plastic packaging for something 100% compostable as well.

Waitrose

This supermarket chain in the UK sells Fairtrade coffee, sugar, tea, cocoa and bananas. They state in 2007 they were the first supermarket in the UK to sell Fairtrade bananas.

Waitrose are actually a really good Fairtrade food brand, over the last few years they’ve been switching all of their own brand products to Fairtrade brands such as black tea, sugar and confectionery.

Way To Go (Lidl)

This Way To Go chocolate is one of the Fairtrade brands available in Lidl. Along with bananas, tea and cocoa.

I’m not actually sure if any of the flavours are vegan but thought I would list this Fairtrade food brand anyway.

Zaytoun

Zaytoun is a community interest company, founded to support Palestinian farmers through Fairtrade. This Fairtrade food brand sells things like spices, dates, olive oil and almonds.

Their products are sold in the major towns and cities in the UK and on The Vegan Kind.

Fairtrade Fashion Brands

Arthur & Henry

Arthur & Henry is one of the menswear ethical clothing brands in the UK. Made ethically in India, using organic fairtrade cotton and they’re very transparent on their website which I appreciate as an ethical consumer.

They’re not the most affordable ethical clothing, however they’re not overpriced either. Shirts etc on their website were under £100 so it really depends on your budget.

In regards to sustainability they state that most of their clothes is even delivered to them in compostable polybags. I know that this is something else to consider when you’re buying products. Sometimes in zero waste stores for example they get things delivered in plastic and dispose of the plastic themselves and sell it to consumers as zero waste. This is the sort of thing that really frustrates me!

It’s refreshing to see Fairtrade brands that admit they’re not perfect but doing what they can.

Cotton Roots

Cotton Roots is one of the ethical clothing brands with a focus on “clothing with moral fibre”.

Even in their office they’ve sourced pre used furniture etc so they really are aware of sustainability as well.

They sell really affordable ethical clothing as well, which isn’t always the case. For example a Fairtrade and organic Children’s t-shirt is from £3.40 on their website. They also make things to order as well if you have specific requirements.

I buy my children’s clothes second-hand, however if I am unable to find things in the future I will definitely be buying from Cotton Roots!

Kangawrap

Kangawrap is an amazing ethical clothing brand, the profits go directly to help the mothers in India to improve their standard of living. The Kangawrap is a not for profit Fairtrade brand which makes it well worth considering if you’re in the market for a wrap for your baby.

Kool Skools

This is possibly one of the first school uniform ethical clothing brands in the UK called Koolskools.

They only accept orders from schools naturally but if a school decides to work with them they provide a logo school colours etc and go from there. I love that they use organic Fairtrade cotton and the polyester is made from human resource waste i.e plastic bottles.

It seems to be affordable ethical clothing as well which is really cool. I do hope that this brand manages to get more schools in the UK to join them!

Little Green Radicals

This ethical clothing brand Little Green Radicals is 100% organic and Fairtrade children’s clothing. They’ve proudly been one of the first Fairtrade brands in the UK, since they started in 2005.

Their rainwear is all made from recycled plastic bottles and they also have a plastic free skincare range as well. It seems quite affordable ethical clothing as well considering it’s new, organic and Fairtrade. However might not be within everyone’s budget.

Noctu

Noctu is an organic Fairtrade sleepwear brand for men, women and children.

Again, I do think affordability is subjective – however they seem affordable ethical clothing for organic cotton and Fairtrade sleepwear.

People Tree

People Tree is one of the affordable ethical clothing brands that has been around for 20 years. They started in 1991 and they’ve been committed to Fairtrade and sustainability ever since.

In 2013 they were the first clothing brand to be awarded World Fair Trade Organisations Fairtrade mark. They are really transparent on their website and they seem to be committed to sustainable practices such as utilising rainwater etc.

Traidcraft

I didn’t know where to list this Traidcraft, Fairtrade brands shop. This is because they actually stock the top Fairtrade food brands and ethical clothing brands such as Divine, Zaytoun, Thought etc as well as their own branded goods.

Definitely a great place to shop if you wanted to buy everything Fairtrade and ethical in one place.

White Stuff

White Stuff is an ethical clothing brand which started in 1985 by two men selling their clothing near the French Alps. They’ve been members of the Ethical Trading Initiative since 2013 and they do have a big range of affordable ethical clothing with the Fairtrade stamp.

A great Fairtrade brand with lots of clothing to choose from on their website.

Others Food & Fashion

It seems that some of the smaller brands don’t always deem it necessary to join the Fairtrade scheme for example. Apparently because of the costs involved and because of it not always being relevant to their company.

It seems that some smaller companies who already have a good working relationship with farmers or whoever is in their supply chain, don’t think it’s relevant for their company to become one of the Fairtrade certified brands.

This is a bit of a grey area and I think this means consumers have to put a bit of trust in the company which is definitely difficult these days. When it comes to Fairtrade chocolate for example some companies seem to have the Ethical Trading Initiative stamp instead of being a Fairtrade food brand.

That-being-said I have included some brands below that fall under this category as they have to be better than the likes of Nestle or fast fashion.

Bam Clothing

Bam clothing (referral link) is a brand that makes sustainable clothes in the UK. They specialise in bamboo clothes as bamboo is such a sustainable material. I have their bamboo socks and they’re honestly so comfortable and well made. On their website they have a lot of active wear and some other sustainable and ethical fashion items.

I personally love this ethical clothes UK brand, their website is really easy to use and they often have sales on sustainable fashion items. This is my go-to website for new sustainable clothes in the UK.

Montezumas

This brand started in Brighton by a couple Helen & Simon who used to be lawyers. I love the whole ethos of this company and the colourful packaging.

They use fully biodegradable packaging in their products which is really awesome. Although they aren’t fully vegan they do have a decent vegan range.

They also have been helping charity Children On The Edge over the last 10 years raise funds to help 15,000 of the world’s marginalised children to get better rights, education and protect their environment.

Nomad

Nomad is another example of ethical clothing brands in the UK. They have been trading ethically since 1989, however they have their own fair trade policy. They sell affordable ethical clothing in the UK is inspired by the vibrant colour of India. I would describe this brand as hippy style clothes with some more classic pieces of sustainable fashion.

They use organic cotton and other natural fibres and are usually available on their website or in Alternative clothing stores in the UK. This brand is ethical clothing with brighter colours.

Plamil

Plamil are a fully vegan brand that started out in the 1960’s by producing plant milk initially and then branched out to produce other foods such as chocolate and mayonnaise.

They use 100% renewable electricity to produce their products which is brilliant and they score highly in the Ethical Consumer magazine.

However on their website they state they are reliant on third party organisations to ensure their ingredients are not a result of child or forced labour. They also state that they would like to work closer with cocoa farmers in the future to forge a better partnership, suggesting they don’t currently.

This is a difficult one because I know they do use some Fairtrade chocolate in their products but I found it difficult to find out which on their website.

That-being-said they definitely have a lot of information about their policies on their website for everyone to check.

Thought (Formally Braintree Clothing)

Thought is a great option for ethical clothing brands UK based. The style of this ethical fashion is contemporary and they use bamboo, cotton, hemp & recycled polyester which is really cool.

They have a specifically Fairtrade T-shirt collection on their website and they are also members of the Ethical Trading Initiative. Although the sustainable fashion items they sell are a bit pricier they are using some great materials.

I hope this Fairtrade brands list has been useful, I have been pleasantly surprised that so many ethical clothing brands have a strong focus on sustainability. I was surprised to learn which brands in the UK are Fair trade food brands as well. We are very lucky to have access to all of these wonderful Fairtrade brands.

As with all my blog posts, in my research I may well have missed some Fairtrade brands so if that’s the case – please do let me know in the comments so I can add them to my list.

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