Ground heroes!

The awards are facilitated by Coleraine Borough Council and during Fairtrade Fortnight earlier this year, tea and coffee connoisseurs voted Ground Espresso Bar Coleraine the best Fairtrade café in the borough.

Within the borough, cafés that stock three or more Fairtrade products were eligible to take part in the awards. Participating cafés included The Cornerstone Garvagh; Ground Espresso Bars Coleraine and Portrush; Pieces of Eight (both Coleraine shops); New Society Coleraine; and Starbucks Coleraine. Customers of all participating cafés were invited to vote online by the local Fairtrade Group and when voting had closed, Ground Espresso Bar Coleraine had received 27 per cent of the votes.

The Mayor of Coleraine, Councillor Sam Cole, who presented Ground Espresso Bar staff with their certificate and said: “It’s good to know that when the public are enjoying a Fairtrade tea or coffee, they are helping farmers and growers in developing countries work for a better standard of living, buy medicines and pay for healthcare and education for their children. Buying Fairtrade products makes a real and tangible difference to thousands of people and their families.

“Congratulations to Ground Espresso Bar in Coleraine on winning the Coleraine Borough Fairtrade Café Award 2013. I would like to thank all the cafés, shops and stores who sell Fairtrade products and for their support.”

Ground Espresso Bar Operations Director, Karen Gardiner, said: “We were delighted when the Coleraine Borough Fairtrade Group nominated us to be entered into the Borough’s Fairtrade Café Awards.

“It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Fairtrade work we have been pioneering at Ground Espresso Bars. We are proud to be celebrating ten years of serving Fairtrade products at Ground Espresso Bars and are delighted our customers enjoy the Grounds Fairtrade experience.

Coleraine Borough Fairtrade Group encourages everyone, in their place of work, Church, home, school, or group, to make the switch and buy Fairtrade goods where possible.

Many local shops, supermarkets and cafés in the Coleraine Borough stock Fairtrade goods and provide an opportunity for shoppers to make the right choice, that is, to buy Fairtrade whenever possible.