Brewgooder has launched a Fairtrade Fonio Session IPA (4.3% ABV) which has been picked up by a number of supermarkets for their beer aisles.
Fonio is a climate-resilient supergrain, native to West Africa, which is quick to harvest, doesn’t require fertilisers, and uses much less water to grow than barley.
In a world first, Scotland’s first B-Corp certified brewer is using a Fairtrade-certified supply chain, ethically sourcing the grain from smallholder farmers.
The crisp and hoppy beer is packaged in colourful cans, urging shoppers to ‘Fairtrade up your beer’. It has already been recognised with a Great Taste Award.
“We’re really excited about launching the Fairtrade-certified Fonio Session IPA,” said Waitrose beer and cider buyer Jourdan Gabbini. “It’s a first to market, and we know just how important Fairtrade is to our customers.
“We’re really proud to be working with a brand that is focused on doing good and making a difference in the communities around them, while also offering a really fantastic-tasting beer.”
Alan Mahon, founder of Brewgooder, said: “There’s a huge appetite for Fairtrade products in the UK, and it’s absent in the beer category at present. If people can achieve it through the products they buy, then they will make that choice.
“With the increasing interest in Fonio grain in brewing and beyond, we saw an opportunity to ensure the upside of its increasing popularity would be felt by the farming communities that grow and supply it for many years to come, we decided to go one step further.”
Brewgooder, whose turnover increased 74% to £3.7m last year, predict the new beer will add more than £2 million in retail sales to the UK’s Fairtrade market annually, with the potential to grow significantly beyond that.
LJ Loftus, deputy director of partnerships at the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “Let’s raise a glass to Brewgooder for introducing the world’s first Fairtrade certified fonio grain IPA onto the UK market. Every sip will ensure West African farmers are getting a better deal.”
