Fairtrade Fortnight went out with a bang in Matlock last Sunday evening. Matlock Mayor Steve Flitter along with other Town Councillors and members of the public attended the Late, Late Fairtrade Breakfast event hosted by Third Space church in Imperial Rooms.

Welcome Fairtrade drinks kicked off the event where people were invited to take part in information stations which explained how Fairtrade works and how it helps some of the world’s poorest workers and farmers who produce our food. One in seven people in the world go hungry every day, Fairtrade aims to end food insecurity.

The event featured the story of Rozina from Bangladesh, desperately poor, married at thirteen, eating one meal of rice a day. Her dream was to eat three times a day. She worked picking tea and earned 55p a day. She learned there was profit in growing tea and with the help of Traidcraft, a UK Fairtrade company, started growing tea on the families’ plot.  The story ended with Rosina and her family being able to build a new weather proof house with a kitchen, beds and electricity. Her daughter is now able to attend school.

Rozina says “I want more people to be self-sufficient so no one goes to sleep with an empty stomach. I want to educate my children and believe my dream can come true, poverty can be defeated.”

Rosemary Chapman one of the guests said “We had a smashing evening and learned a few things too.”

The menu consisted of Fairtrade wine, fruit juice, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Fairtrade ingredients were used to make a variety of scones, cakes and deserts. Local foods included sausages, cobs, butter, milk, cream, lemonade and mineral water.

The event attracted people from as far away at Lincoln. Jon Powrie from Little Eaton said “All your hard work resulted in a well run event which represented Fairtrade and Third Space values to the wider community.”

One of the popular deserts was Fairtrade Rocky Road which is so easy to make and contains lots of Fairtrade ingredients.

• 200g Fairtrade dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids works best)
• 2 – 3 tbs Fairtrade golden syrup
• 135g butter
• 200g Fairtrade cookies
• 1 small box Maltesers
• Fairtrade icing sugar for dusting
• Bar of Fairtrade white chocolate chopped into small pieces
• Optional ingredients
• Fairtrade nuts
• Fairtrade dried fruit
• Anything else that will add taste or crunch that you like

1. Line a small to medium sized square baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place cookies into a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin or just the side of your fist until they’re broken into a mixture of everything between dust and 50p size lumps. Put this to one side.
3. Put syrup, butter and chocolate in a large pan and heat gently on a low light until the chocolate has nearly all melted then remove from the heat.
4. Add biscuits and half of the Maltesers and any other additional ingredients you fancy.
5. Mix together until all the ingredients are mixed in.
6. Pour into the baking tray and level out pushing right into the corners.
7. Push in remaining Maltesers and sprinkle the white chocolate pieces evenly over the top.
8. Refrigerate for at least two and a half hours.
9. Remove from the fridge dust with icing sugar and cut into small squares. ENJOY!