1. Tell us a bit about your business
Fillers sandwich bar was one of the first takeaway sandwich shops in the island and cater to the business community and other workers in St Peter Port mostly. We offer a range of sandwiches, jacket potatoes, salad boxes, snacks and drinks as well as homemade cakes and pastries.
2. Where can people find you?
We are right at the top of Smith Street next to the GSPCA charity shop and at www.fillers.gg.
3. What products do you use or supply that are certified Fairtrade?
We sell biscuits, bananas, chocolate bars and nuts that are all Fairtrade certified. We have Fairtrade Vego bars to cater to vegans which are one of the best vegan chocolates that you can buy. We serve Fairtrade teas and coffees and use fairtrade sugar. When we make cakes we are using Fairtrade chocolate and sugar plus bananas for our banana cake and Fairbreak biscuits and raisins in our Rocky Road.
4. How long have you been using or supplying Fairtrade (approximately)?
About 15 years between various establishments.
5. Do you support Fairtrade in any other ways (e.g. Fairtrade Fortnight events)?
We try to advertise Fairtrade during Fairtrade fortnight. I plug it on my social media and encourage people to buy Fairtrade. Fairtrade items are also highlighted around the shop and advertised when they are included in cakes and specials.
6. Why is supporting Fairtrade important to you and your business?
It is not only vitally important that farmers get a fair price for their produce but only right that they do so in the way that in the same way that we would expect people to pay a fair price in our business. I don’t think people are always aware or even think about where food comes from and whether people have been exploited as a result. If you are buying cheap food someone or something has suffered along the way. The Fairtrade stamp is also important as they plough back funds into the communities in which they work and audit businesses to ensure that the workers are not being exploited, have safe working conditions and child labour is not being used.
7. Do you support any other environmental or community initiatives, either locally or worldwide?
We are trying very hard to buy eco friendly or recyclable products. We offer discounts to people who bring their own cups or packaging for salad boxes, wraps etc.. We recycle as a business and use only free range eggs. We have for many years used paper bags rather than plastic. We would like to do a lot more but it is difficult on the island to get catering quantities of Fairtrade items or farm assured meats delivered.
