Vale Fairtrade Breakfast Celebrates Ethical Food and Community Action
6 November 2025
Food Vale, the local food partnership for the Vale of Glamorgan, brings together people, organisations, and businesses to create a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable local food system.
The event – held at Craft Republic in Barry – was attended by pupils from St Andrews Major Primary School, Town and County Councillors and Jane Hutt MS, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice.
Guests enjoyed a breakfast made entirely with Fairtrade and ethically-sourced ingredients – arranged by the Llantwit Major and Dinas Powys Fairtrade Groups – as they heard about the forthcoming Vale Food Strategy 2025–2030, which includes renewing the Vale of Glamorgan’s Fairtrade County status.
Louise Denham, Co-Ordinator for Food Vale, said: “Ensuring that the people who grow, produce, and supply our food are treated with dignity and paid a fair price is a crucial part of building a healthy and sustainable local food system – regardless of where those people might be.“By supporting Fairtrade, we can strengthen the connection between global and local communities and building a more sustainable, ethical food future for everyone.”
Aileen Burmeister, Head of Fair Trade Wales, outlined the real difference Fairtrade makes for producers across the globe and celebrated Wales’ pioneering role as the world’s first Fair Trade Nation.
Speaking after the event, Aileen said: “Fairtrade provides better prices for farmers, more protection for the environment and community connections. We know ethical shopping is important to 7/10 people in Wales.“In the delicious breakfast we enjoyed in Barry, we saw how Fairtrade and local complement each other for the future of our food, and take home new enthusiasm and ideas to go further for Fairtrade in the Vale.”
Symon Dovey from The Big Fresh Catering Company – which provides catering services for several schools and cafés across the Vale – shared how the company is working to make its products more sustainable through Fairtrade.
During the event, participants shared ideas on how to boost awareness of Fairtrade in the community – from hosting more Fairtrade events to encouraging local businesses to stock Fairtrade products – before writing personal pledges on Fairtrade bananas to take home.
For more information about Fairtrade in the Vale as well as the wider Vale Food Strategy for the next five years, click here.
About Food Vale
Food Vale is the local food partnership for the Vale of Glamorgan, hosted within the local public health team.
Food Vale brings together people, organisations, businesses, and communities across the Vale of Glamorgan to transform our local food system.
We believe food is a powerful tool for change – for the health of our communities, our local economy, our landscape and our planet.
We champion sustainable food practices, support local producers, promote health and wellbeing through good food, and deliver a range of projects that get people growing, buying, cooking and eating good food.