Fruition, Leigh-on-Sea: Fair Trade Fruit from Colombia - Meet the Founder!

This Event is being held on the occasion of the UK visit of Giovanni Porras, Founder of Fruandes, and in partnership with and hosted by Leigh Road Baptist Church.

Twenty years ago a church started a Dried Fruit company in Colombia. They employed 35 single mothers who had been forced to leave their homes by armed groups and ended up in desperate poverty. The company, Frutos de los Andes (Fruandes) also made sure to pay the smallholder fruit farmers a fair price at a time when most farm workers earned only 80% of the minimum legal wage. Today Fruandes generates fair trade income for 384 families.

We've invited Giovanni Porras, founder of Fruandes for a 2-week tour of the UK to take us on a whistlestop tour of the fruit farms from among the 15 smallholder associations and offer tastings of delicious dried Mango, Pineapple, Banana, Pitaya and Goldenberry.

What is Pitaya? It's another name for yellow Dragonfruit, which grows on a cactus, with a beautiful exotic flower which comes out in the moonlight. Pitaya has a gentle sweet taste quite unlike anything else. Dried Pitaya has a slightly crunchy texture, like a biscuit but without the calories. It's also delicious stirred into Greek yoghurt or blended as a milkshake.

What is Goldenberry? It's another name for Physalis, and ripens wrapped in a 'lantern' of delicate dried leaves, peeled away to reveal a beautiful orange or goldenberry. Fresh Colombian goldenberries are a healthy alternative to a packet of crisps - look out for fresh Physalis in UK supermarkets. Dried Goldenberry sultanas are great in cereal or in baking.

Giovanni will tell how Frutos de los Andes has grown over the years as a fair trade company and explain the biggest challenges they have faced - those they have overcome and the obstacles they still face.

UK importer Fruto del Espiritu CIC are seeking "Fruit Aficionados" (people who love fruit) to join the adventure with one exotic fruit case per year, so we can offer these fruits much more widely. Or why not share a yearly case between friends!

We look forward to meeting you and offering you a Taste of Colombia!

Info: Mango, Pineapple, Banana, Pitaya (Dragonfruit) & Goldenberry (Physalis)

Info: Assorted Case (84x30g) £96; Half Assorted Case(42x30g) £49; Qtr Assorted Case (21x30g) £25

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