Mike Batten, Venture Foods, on adding a Fairtrade twist to a British favourite

Venture Foods is a small, independent company specialising in organic vegetarian foods. Mike Batten owns the company with his wife, Tracey, and here talks to Fair Comment about the exciting launch of the first ever Fairtrade certified baked beans.

Why did you become involved in sourcing and selling Fairtrade certified products?
We have focused on organic vegetarian and vegan food since launching Venture Foods in 1999. In response to customer demand, we extended our range to include Fairtrade certified products, starting with our Fairtrade mango chutney. This was a natural step forward for us, as Venture Foods and its customers care about the environment, animals and people.

Why do you think Fairtrade is important?
I believe we should give a fair days pay for a fair days work, and buying products with the FAIRTRADE Mark is a good way of doing this.

Have you faced any challenges in launching Fairtrade baked beans?
The demand for this product has been really encouraging, but ensuring we would have sufficient Fairtrade certified beans to meet the demands of the market was challenging.

And what have been the high points?
It’s been great watching the product evolve and working with Waitrose, who really know this product category. It’s also been really rewarding to understand the impact it will have on the bean producers.

What’s your message for British shoppers?
I want to encourage British shoppers to give Fairtrade baked beans a try! This is an everyday item that will really make a difference to the lives of Mongolian bean producers.

What’s next for Venture Foods?
We’re looking forward to working with producers in North Africa, and extending our product range to include other types of beans.