A NEW PRICING deal with suppliers has ensured that Bartlett Mitchell can offer Fairtrade bananas at competitive prices.
The boutique contract caterer has announced a new deal with fresh produce supplier, Reynolds, which will allow it to offer customers Fairtrade bananas at the same price as regular bananas for the first time.
A commitment to buy a larger quantity of the bananas is at the heart of the new deal.
This type of situation is a challenge for all caterers, but by structuring a deal like this it is a win-win all round, said Luke Ayton, Reynolds event and key account manager.
[We have] been able to commit to buying larger quantities of Fairtrade bananas [while] Bartlett Mitchell can offer them to its customers without an increase in cost and the consumers are no worse off financially. Best of all, its a great deal for the Fairtrade growers.
Sally Grimes, Bartlett Mitchell, quality standards manager added:
At a time when many consumers are increasingly aware of food provenance but are also watching the pennies, the challenge with Fairtrade bananas has been that they are more expensive and many consumers opt for cheaper bananas as a result.
Our relationship with Reynolds, together with a higher volume commitment, has meant that we have been able to source Fairtrade bananas and sell them at a price that would match regular bananas.
Last year, consumers spent almost 5 billion Euros on Fairtrade-certified products.
