In recognition of its outstanding achievements and pioneering business model, Cafédirect was crowned Ethical Business of the Year at the Triodos Women in Ethical Business Awards.
Picking up the award, Anne MacCaig, CEO of Cafédirect said, “For Cafédirect winning Ethical Business of the Year is a fantastic way to recognise our way of doing business and inspiring others. We hope this will encourage other companies to change their thinking and emulate our model.”
The Triodos Bank Women in Ethical Business Awards (WEBA) launched in 2006 and honours the women running the nation’s best ethical businesses. The WEBA winners are true entrepreneurs who are blazing a trail for doing business in a way that benefits people or the environment.
In her acceptance speech, MacCaig dedicated the award to the quarter of a million smallholder growers. Andrew Ethuru from Michimikuru Tea Co-operative in Kenya also shared his pride in the accolade:
“It’s great news, not only for Cafédirect, but for us in Michimikuru as we are all one family. A Cafédirect win is also a Michimikuru win. We are delighted and we share the happiness.”
Since its launch in 1991 Cafédirect has been a thought-leader in ethical business and this award acknowledges their unique way of doing business. Producer partners are paid a fair price for their crop and a social premium, however Cafédirect goes beyond these minimum requirements by ploughing back over 50% of its profits into grower businesses.
The award follows a very exciting start to the year for Cafédirect, unveiling a £3m redesign of its portfolio, with the marketing launch spearheaded by a national press and digital advertising campaign. The campaign features expert smallholder growers revealing the secrets of their great tasting products under the strapline ‘We are the Growers and You can Taste it’.
*Nielsen week ending 21 March 2009
To learn more about Cafédirect visit www.cafedirect.co.uk
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