Ecotone UK

Our resident beekeeper, aka Clipper Teas Technical Manager Jean-René, has been busy running an all-important bee club! 🐝 As part of our ongoing volunteering work at Ecotone UK, Jean-René visited Symondsbury School in Bridport to help children get ‘buzzed’ about natural beekeeping. Here, he was joined by the charity Nature Buzz, a collective of beekeepers passionate about educating people on the joy of caring for bees. Clipper is supporting the charity through its partnership with Glastonbury Festival this summer, where a portion of on-pack promo profits will be donated. Funds are also being funnelled into The Forest Food Project and Black2Nature. While 75% of the world’s food crops depend on pollinators such as bees, intensive agriculture is forcing biodiversity into decline. This is why we advocate more planet (and bee) friendly farming practices across our portfolio of products. 🌽 Find out more about Nature Buzz here: https://buff.ly/3xQh45r #BeeKeeping #Biodiversity #EthicalBusiness

🎉 Happy EcoFest! We recently got together on a gloriously sunny day at Oakley Hall Hotel in Hampshire for our annual Brand Day. 🎪 Here, the team gathered to hear from the marketing teams across our purpose-driven brands Whole Earth, Kallo, Clipper Teas, and Mrs Crimble’s. Our theme this year was around creativity, and as such, we encouraged our whole team to submit ideas for the brands to take on board. It was incredibly positive to hear so many exciting plans to come over the next year, entering new territories and considering new partnerships. 🙌🏻 And naturally, it wouldn’t be an Ecotone Brand Day without lots of celebration: from recognising the agile and adaptable work from across the business, to rides on our very own ferris wheel. Stay tuned for more! #BrandDay #TeamBuilding #Festival

Tomorrow marks a momentous day as the public heads to the polls for the #GeneralElection. 🗳️ With a potentially entirely new government on the horizon, according to the polls, there may be some big changes in store for the food industry. Here’s what we’re calling for: ✅ More visibility and better education around the benefits of organic ✅ Investment and support into more sustainable farming practices ✅ Encouragement and education around choosing sustainable and ethical food Read more on what each political party is pledging in their manifesto via The Grocer here: https://buff.ly/3L9Fpq5. #FoodForBiodiversity #Farming #Organic

♻️ It’s Plastic Free July! ♻️ We need to take action on plastic. Reducing our plastic impact is a key part of Ecotone's sustainability journey and the reason why we're part of WRAP UK. We are currently on target to make all our packaging fully recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. We take this seriously across our brands, investing in sustainable packaging and nurturing partners who share our values. Just one example is Clipper Teas - the first tea brand in the world to bring unbleached, plant-based, non-GM, and fully biodegradable teabags to market. Here are a few tips to embrace less plastic as a consumer: 🗑️ Choose reusable bags and containers: Try to use reusable options where possible, whether it’s your trusty tote bag, water bottle, or tea caddy! 🚮 Recycle responsibly: Properly sort and clean your recyclables to ensure they are processed correctly 🙌🏻 Educate and inspire others! Share your journey and tips with friends, family, and colleagues to spread the word #Sustainability #PlasticFreeJuly #EthicalProducts

Pack your bags...it's time for Glastonbury! The iconic festival returns to Worthy Farm from today and welcomes Clipper Teas as it's headline tea partner. Our organic and Fairtrade tea brand has set up camp in the Green Futures field, serving up cups of naturally delicious teas and sharing the importance of choosing Fairtrade. ☕🏕️☕🏕️☕ #ClipperTeas #GlastonburyFestival #Fairtrade

Our planet's biodiversity wouldn't be the same without its helpful critters. From beetles to butterflies, insects are at the very heart of a healthy planet and sustainable food system. Here are just five ways insects make a difference (there are loads more!): 🪰 Winged insects such as bees and butterflies are primary pollinators for lots of different plant species - vital for flowers to reproduce and for the production of fruits and seeds 🐜 Insects such as ants, beetles and flies can decompose organic matter, helping to recycle nutrients back into the soil which is good for soil health and fertility 🪳 Many critters serve as a primary food source for other animals - making them a crucial part of the food chain 🐞 Some insects can help to regulate the populations of other pests that can damage crops and forests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides 🪱 Burrowing insects aerate the soil which improves water infiltration and root growth Choosing organic is just one way we can protect our precious insects as it involves using no harmful pesticides or chemical fertilisers. Small changes can make the world of difference. #NationalInsectWeek #FoodforBiodivestiry #Organic #SaveOurSoil

The power of peas and lentils 🫛 Did you know, more than 65% of global diets are based on nine overconsumed ingredients? Three of these – rice, wheat and corn – provide 50% of all calories! This needs to change. That's why we are innovating with different plant ingredients - ones that are not only better for the planet, but better for people too. Our Kallo Veggie Cakes are a good example - a puffed snack made with a unique blend of lentils and peas. Here are three reasons why peas and lentils are an excellent alternative: - Combined, peas and lentils are a good source of protein, fibre, vitamins & minerals - Lentils and peas fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and are often used in crop rotation cycles for this purpose - As lentils and peas can be grown in temperate climates like Europe, for us, they have lower carbon footprint #HealthierSnacking #Sustainability #PlantProtein

🏃🏇 Man V Horse x Whole Earth returns to Wales! 🏃🏇   Our natural food brand, Whole Earth peanut butter, recruited its athlete ambassadors to take part in Whole Earth Man V Horse - a quirky marathon event that pits horse riders against runners over 24-miles of challenging Welsh terrain.   Among the crowd of 1,200 runners and 60 riders, were two elite relay teams representing Whole Earth. Divided by their love of either smooth or crunchy peanut butter, there was also a little friendly rivalry between the two teams consisting of…   1. Team GB Crunchy: Jason Kenny, Sam Cross & Heather Fisher 2. Team GB Smooth: Shona McCallin, Gareth Warburton and Moe Sbihi   So who was victorious? Team Smooth not only beat Team Crunchy, but also came third overall in the mixed relay 💪.   A truly nutty challenge requires a truly nutty sponsor, which is why Whole Earth, as the UK’s number one peanut butter – was a proud partner last weekend for its 10th consecutive time.   Through its athlete ambassadors and alignment with sporting fun, the brand aims to showcase how exercise coupled with a nutritiously delicious breakfast, can help fuel everyday greatness as part of the brand’s Goodness behind the Greatness campaign.   #ManVHorse #NumberOnePeanutButter #WholeEarth 

The innovations just keep coming for Kallo this year! And this one is extra special as Kallo makes its debut into ambient dips. Made with organic and natural ingredients, tasty Kallo Veggie Dips come in three irresistible varieties, delivering bold and uncompromising taste from vegetables, herbs and spices: 🍅 Organic Chutney Tomato & Lentil 🍅 Organic Tomato & Olives 🍅 Organic Spicy Tomato Featuring sweet umami tomato, each flavour offers something different: richness from olive, a hit of spice or a hearty punch from chutney and lentils. Perfect for picnic season! #VeggieDips #Innovation #HealthierSnacking #DiverseIngredients

A Cleaner Snack Kallo brand controller, Charlea, recently caught up with The Grocer about how rising awareness of UPF is driving interest in healthier snacking brands that focus on natural ingredients 🌿 "Less is more in terms of the ingredients you use and ensuring there are minimal levels of processing," she says. #CleanerSnack #HealthierSnacking #Kallo