The annual Rutland Fairtrade Christmas Market returns to Oakham Castle on Saturday 18 November, and will be launched by Cllr Gale Waller, the Leader of Rutland County Council.

With stalls offering a fabulous variety of Fairtrade and ethically traded products from around the world, the Market will be an ideal opportunity to stock up on gifts and foods in the run up to Christmas.

The Market has been running for more than ten years, becoming well-established as a popular event in the seasonal calendar. There will be a huge variety of items on sale, including food and drink, clothes, accessories, jewellery, crafts, toys, aromatherapy products and Christmas decorations.

The Market is organised by the Rutland Fairtrade Forum, a voluntary group which works to promote Fairtrade locally.

David Lewis from the Forum commented: "The stallholders travel from across the East Midlands to attend the Market. Our regulars are with us again this year, but showcasing new products, illustrating the broad range of Fairtrade goods now available. From small beginnings, centred on coffee, tea and bananas, there are now more than 6,000 different Fairtrade products on sale in the UK."

Browse and buy a range of handmade and locally produced items at Oakham Castle this November 2023. Image credit: Rutland Fairtrade Christmas Market.

He continued: "Our Market will feature items produced by small traders in countries across the world, including Nepal, Ghana, South Africa, Peru and Uganda. A lot of the producers have limited resources and use great ingenuity in making beautifully crafted items from recycled materials. We are also delighted to welcome back our friends from the Co-op who will be offering samples of Fairtrade wines, and new for this year there will be a chance to buy locally produced mulled cider."

By supporting Fairtrade, visitors to the Market will be helping producers in some of the world's poorest countries to use trade as a means of improving their living standards. These producers receive a guaranteed price for their produce plus a Fairtrade premium which is invested in social or environmental projects in their wider communities.

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Rutland has been a Fairtrade County since 2007.

The Market will run from 10am to 3pm on Saturday 18 November and admission is free.