Job title: Managing director
Company name: Liberation Foods CIC
Sales: £3.5m
HQ location: Curtain Road, London
Number of employees: Seven
What's it like to work for your company? Working for a young, mission-driven company is a bit like being on a rollercoaster: lots of ups and downs and you're never quite sure what is around the corner. But I believe in what we are doing as pioneers in ethical business we are the UK's biggest supplier of Fairtrade nuts and are co-owned by farming groups in Malawi, Mozambique, Bolivia, Nicaragua, India and more. There's nowhere else I'd rather work.
Why is it a good employer? We have the freedom and flexibility to use our experience and that of our farmer shareholders to define the future of our company and create a business that will benefit the farmers and their families.
What's the best thing about working there? The variety of activities and issues we all get involved in on a day-to-day basis, from building the first peanut processing factory in Malawi to planning publicity stunts with comedian and Fairtrade fan Harry Hill, with whom we developed Fairtrade brand Harry's Nuts.
Does the company offer any unusual benefits? The chance to visit nut farmers in far-flung places I have sat under a cashew tree in a remote part of Mozambique discussing quality with farmers and have crossed the Peru/Brazil border in a canoe to visit nut gatherers in the Amazon rainforest.
How does the company differ from its rivals? Compared with a 'conventional' food company, the fact that we exist to increase the income and security of small-scale nut farmers in 'developing countries' means I never struggle for motivation.
Is there a definable company culture? I think we are still defining it as we are only three years old, but I could sum it up so far as fair, fun and funky. We balance the needs and aspirations of the farmers with the demands of the market; we work hard but rarely lose our sense of humour; we see things from a global perspective and we compete effectively in the conventional retail sector in our own unconventional style.
What's the training like? Training is very much hands-on all staff are encouraged to visit and get to know all aspects of our business, from farm to factory to retailer, as well as attending external courses.
What has been your proudest achievement over the past 12 months? Launching the re-designed version of Harry's Nuts into Sainsbury's and Waitrose another major supermarket will be stocking them from October. I still can't believe our luck that Harry Hill approached us saying, as he is a huge fan of Fairtrade and eats a lot of nuts, he wanted to do something to help the farmers.
Is the company working on anything exciting that you can tell us about? We are launching National Nut Day in the UK on 22 October we are importing the idea from the US.
Company name: Liberation Foods CIC
Sales: £3.5m
HQ location: Curtain Road, London
Number of employees: Seven
What's it like to work for your company? Working for a young, mission-driven company is a bit like being on a rollercoaster: lots of ups and downs and you're never quite sure what is around the corner. But I believe in what we are doing as pioneers in ethical business we are the UK's biggest supplier of Fairtrade nuts and are co-owned by farming groups in Malawi, Mozambique, Bolivia, Nicaragua, India and more. There's nowhere else I'd rather work.
Why is it a good employer? We have the freedom and flexibility to use our experience and that of our farmer shareholders to define the future of our company and create a business that will benefit the farmers and their families.
What's the best thing about working there? The variety of activities and issues we all get involved in on a day-to-day basis, from building the first peanut processing factory in Malawi to planning publicity stunts with comedian and Fairtrade fan Harry Hill, with whom we developed Fairtrade brand Harry's Nuts.
Does the company offer any unusual benefits? The chance to visit nut farmers in far-flung places I have sat under a cashew tree in a remote part of Mozambique discussing quality with farmers and have crossed the Peru/Brazil border in a canoe to visit nut gatherers in the Amazon rainforest.
How does the company differ from its rivals? Compared with a 'conventional' food company, the fact that we exist to increase the income and security of small-scale nut farmers in 'developing countries' means I never struggle for motivation.
Is there a definable company culture? I think we are still defining it as we are only three years old, but I could sum it up so far as fair, fun and funky. We balance the needs and aspirations of the farmers with the demands of the market; we work hard but rarely lose our sense of humour; we see things from a global perspective and we compete effectively in the conventional retail sector in our own unconventional style.
What's the training like? Training is very much hands-on all staff are encouraged to visit and get to know all aspects of our business, from farm to factory to retailer, as well as attending external courses.
What has been your proudest achievement over the past 12 months? Launching the re-designed version of Harry's Nuts into Sainsbury's and Waitrose another major supermarket will be stocking them from October. I still can't believe our luck that Harry Hill approached us saying, as he is a huge fan of Fairtrade and eats a lot of nuts, he wanted to do something to help the farmers.
Is the company working on anything exciting that you can tell us about? We are launching National Nut Day in the UK on 22 October we are importing the idea from the US.
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