Is it that
time of year again ?
I am
astounded at how fast this year has slipped by. Last week we received our 2013
Calendars and Diaries. Both, Bev and I were extremely surprised. Summer slipped
by in an Olympic haze. Spring was a blur of café creation. Autumn has arrived
with winds and cooler but sunny days.
With the
arrival of Calendars for 2013, we became promptly assured that the end of the
world was not on the horizon and that time would continue its listless
progression. Comforted that the Mayan calendar had simply run out and that they
forgot to order the next 5125 year cycle, we had a quick look around the store
and both started making mental lists.
This will be
our 14th Christmas at Global Tribe Crystals and our 1st
in Global Tribe Café. Each year we begin to look at Christmas stock and gifts in
September and October. Can you believe that we order the bulk of our calendars and
date books in March ? Each year the process gets easier and easier. I remember
the second Christmas and all the flurry and nervousness around what to order
and how many ?
These days it’s
all a lot simpler and easier. There are a few companies that we simply love to
order from. Our three main suppliers are Fair Trade and have amazing ethics. It’s
not something that we have advertised, but a large percentage of our products
are Fairly Traded. Maroma is one of our
favourite suppliers and they have an amazing track record. They are Fair trade,
they use lead free glazes, sustainably produced packaging and vegetable dyes in
their packaging.
Another
company is inspired by Buddhist values and ethos. They regularly give to many
charities and support some fantastic schemes to help communities throughout the
world. When we first met them, their representative introduced himself as a
Buddhist Monk. Then he told us that many of the employees are also monks.
We also work
with some individuals who go to various places and work closely with specialist
craftsmen and women. One of our suppliers regularly travels to Nepal, where she
purchases the best quality singing bowls that we have found. She buys these
directly from the makers, who hand raise each bowl. She has a wonderful heart
and does a lot of work for animals and animal charities in Nepal, working with
local vets.
We have a
very simple attitude when it comes to business. We only work with nice people
who have good attitudes and ethics. It makes life so much more beautiful, when
we have a good relationship with our suppliers and we know their ethics are
sound.
We are
finding some excellent suppliers for the café too. Just today I contacted a UK
firm that works with ethical food suppliers all over the world. They have been
recommended to us by some fantastic nutritionists in Yorkshire. I am happy to
say that they pride themselves in knowing the origin of their food produce and
how their people are treated. These little extras make it much easier for Bev
and I to do business.
We know that
the money we spend on stock for the shop or food for the café, is given to
companies that have a clear conscience and will use that money in an ethical
way. That’s how Bev and I shop and I have heard from many of our clients, that
they shop this way too. If politics isn’t helping, we can always vote with our
pounds. We can support businesses that work in ethical and conscious ways.
So for me it’s
back to ordering for the madness which is to come. We will keep you posted as
to the new products that we will begin to stock as they come in. There are a
few new ranges due in. These include Fresh loose teas ( yes, the ones we serve
in the café), the glassware that we serve them in and some very exciting new style oil burners.
Thanks for
Reading….
Love,
Mario
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