Buy one, give one free - the brands giving back on your behalf

What does being a mindful consumer mean to you when it comes to what you choose to eat and drink? For some, it might mean looking out for organic or Fairtrade goods. For others, it could mean eating locally sourced, seasonal produce or choosing restaurants and cafes with a zero-waste policy. It may also mean reducing your meat and dairy intake, or being fully plant-based. For some, it could mean all the above. 

But what if we could do more than that? What if we could choose brands that gave back even more to local communities and charities? 

That’s entirely possible! There are food and drink brands that support clean drinking water initiatives, healthy school meals and other great sustainable endeavours. 

Ever your ethical servant, here’s my list of hero UK brands that donate to charities and other good causes.

Some are certified B Corporation, or ‘B-Corp’, companies. This means that they meet the highest standards of social and environmental factors. They balance profit and purpose and are redefining business success to be more inclusive and sustainable.

Others belong to the 1% for the Planet initiative. Those that join give at least 1% of their annual sales directly to approved environmental, non-profit organisations.

Drinks brands doing good

Whether hot, soft or alcoholic, you can do your bit with every sip. 

Brewgooder 

Brewgooder produce ‘clean water lager’ – a great tasting craft lager, with extra ‘do good’. They’re a B-Corp that donates 100% of their profits to clean water charities. So far, they’ve funded 60 projects, helping over 33,000 people in Malawi by helping to fund well-digging projects. 

Their mission is to positively impact the lives of 1 million people. All at the same time as producing great beer. Find your nearest stockist and do good whilst you drink! 

Cafédirect 

Cafédirect are a B-Corp producer of Fairtrade coffee, who give 50% of its profits to Producers Direct. Producers Direct is a UK charity that works directly with coffee farmers to improve their sustainability and protect their livelihoods. 

Cafédirect have its own coffee roastery in London and you’ll find their great tasting coffee in most supermarkets and ethical food shops.

Brew Tea Co

Brew Tea Co are a hot drink B-Corp doing good things differently. Instead of donating profits, they give all their staff two days off a year to volunteer at a charity. As an example, one member of staff spent quality time with FareShare, the food redistribution charity. 

Brew Tea Co teas are made from 100% rolled, whole leaves and are hand-packed in Manchester. They believe in quality ingredients to make the perfect cup of tea. Buy their plastic-free, compostable teas online.

Supporting good causes while you snack 

Next time you’re peckish, reach for a snack from one of these brands with ethics at their core. 

The Bondi Kitchen

The Bondi Kitchen make superfood energy balls in various tasty flavours. They belong to the 1% for the Planet scheme and help to protect the planet with each energy ball sold. Set up by an Australian-born, now London-based, natural food chef, The Bondi Chef products are full of natural, healthy ingredients. Get on board by buying their healthy snacks online.

Boundless

Boundless make healthy activated nut snacks, flavoured with bold and surprising spices such as cayenne pepper, turmeric and aleppo. 

Activated nuts have been soaked, making them easier to digest and more nutritious. Boundless support water charity Frank by regularly donating profits to the cause. Frank provides safe drinking water to communities across the world who need it the most. Find Boundless snacks at a stockist near you and snack with ethical abandon!

Montezuma

Montezuma is an innovative chocolate manufacturer. It’s run by a couple who spent time camping on a cocoa plantation in South America. They were inspired to make their own chocolatey treats when they returned home in 2000. 

Now, the company has grown to one with a strict ‘trading fairly policy’. They support Children on the Edge, a children’s charity that works with children, quite literally living on the edge, all around the world. Find them online or in a shop local to you.

Cooking with a conscience 

Doing the food shop at a bulk buy store, or going for a meal kit from an ethical brand, might be easier than you think. 

Earth. Food. Love

Earth. Food. Love was the UK’s first zero-waste, organic, bulk buy, plant-based, wholefoods shop. And it’s wonderful! Based in Devon and run by a couple disenfranchised by living a fast-paced city life, this OG of bulk buy shops encourages us all to live gently. 

They’re a 1% for the Planet company that truly believes that changing the way we shop is the most planet-friendly thing we can do. If you’re local or passing through, make sure you visit them!

Mindful Chef

Mindful Chef is a B-Corp company that specialises in healthy, simple meal kits. Sign up and you’ll have ready-to-cook meals delivered to your door as often as you like.

With each box sold, Mindful Chef donates a school meal to a child in poverty. So far, over 800,000 meals have been donated as part of the One Feeds Two charity.  

Why choosing food and drinks brands mindfully is so important 

If we’re in a position to support brands and restaurants that donate proceeds to charity, then we’re in a very good position indeed. These UK brands have worked super hard to achieve B Corp status or give 1% for the planet. Not because they have to, but because they want to. 

Supporting them not only supports UK businesses but also those they’re giving back to. Because we might not see the hardship of poverty, poor working conditions or harmful practices, it doesn’t mean they don’t go on. We can choose to support bad practices, or we can refuse to, each time we put our hands in our pockets. 

But it’s ok to take things one step at a time. We can’t all do it all, all of the time. Choosing to switch our snacks or change our brand of coffee can make our households kinder. It makes an awful lot of difference, even if we can’t see it. 

Don’t believe that you alone can’t make a difference. If we all thought that, then nothing would ever change. And we’re seeing change with brands like these. So be a proud part of it!