With their clean, neat cuts and simple loom hemp cloth, Turkish company Perma Organik are the modest creators of no-nonsense yet idyllic styles. Case in point: their yoga trousers, which are so elegant and comfortable it seems a waste just to wear them for sun salutes.
As well as creating great clothes, Perma Organik pride themselves on doing it the old fashioned way. Their hemp cloth is organic and made using a traditional hand loom technique by women in small, remote villages in the northern tip of Turkey. “By doing this we try to bring back the ancient technique and support the local community, especially the rural women”, said Gulenay Pema Antep of Perma Organik. Perma Organik are also strong believers in working with respect for the environment and trading fairly - what more can a fashion hungry girl want!
competitions
The Soil Association website is giving away three adventure-packed family breaks on Soil Association certified Stonyfield Farm organic farm in North Yorkshire. You can also win one of three romantic breaks for two at Penrhos Court Hotel in Herefordshire.
It’s all courtesy of Stony Yoghurts, an American company now launching in the UK. They're the world’s leading organic yoghurt producer, making delicious and organic yoghurt desserts produced ethically and in an environmentally-friendly way. Founded by Gary Hirshberg, President and CEO of Stonyfield Farm, have a taste of Vanilla the Hun, Sustainably Strawberry and Natural High - they sound as good as they taste. Maybe you could be eating a pot, while relaxing on one of those free holidays – it’s got to be worth a try!
Food & drink
I have to admit when I found September Organic Dairy's website I had to clear the drool off my keyboard! They have a fabulous range of ice cream which is made using only the finest organic ingredients. The mouth watering flavours include delights such as brown bread, butterscotch crunch, cafe latte, plus seasonal ice creams such as Christmas pudding. The company are an independent family run business based in a small village in Herefordshire. Their name was chosen as September is the month of harvesting, plus it was the month they made their first ever organic ice cream. Mmmmmm.
Related: Organic Treat of the Week: Rocombe sublime organic ice cream | B’Nice Vegan Ice cream | Mackies of Scotland Ice Cream
Organic Treat of the Week
Creative Nature is a great online resource and shop for ethically-traded products of all sorts, but being a true foodie, I found out about it through my stomach when I sampled some of their delicious cacao products. Cacao nibs are little pots of organically grown Peruvian cacao seeds, which can be added to all sorts of recipes to give a rich, chocolately flavour.
Cacao is naturally bitter on its own, but when mixed with something sweet (banana works very nicely) the delicious rich taste of pure dark chocolate is unmistakable. It's less fattening though, and extremely rich in antioxidants. You can also try it in cereal, yoghurts, smoothies or anywhere else you might want to add a bit of goodness. And if it's still not sweet enough, Creative Nature's new Cacao Kapow bars will be - I was addicted from the first bite! It's not chocolate, but it's the best rival I've found so far.
Organic Treat of the Week
It's beer garden time again, and even for the most dedicated wine drinkers among us, it's time to give the grain another go as the seasonal drink of choice.
Cool Blonde Lager is an organic pale beer that would go perfectly with a slice of lemon and a sunny day, and it's brewed in Sussex for a delicious alternative to Belgian beers which are usually flown in. The beer has a floral note, and the purity of its flavour is protected by meticulous cold filtration. It's served at top vegetarian restaurant Demuths in Bath, which is the highest seal of approval as far as I'm concerned! But you can also buy it by the bottle for just £1.29 at Vintage Roots, or why not get a case to keep chilling in the fridge for those unexpected scorching days, or for barbeques with buddies. It's £30.96 for 24.
Organic Treat of the Week
Thought you'd had enough of chocolate for one year? Well, for many of us Easter has simply stoked our latent addiction for the stuff, and while on a sugar high this weekend I discovered the goodness that is the Chocolate Alchemist.
This isn't the sort of chocolate you dip absent-mindedly into your coffee, and nor is it a comforting cure for PMT: it's powerful chcolate with a twist. All handmade in Sussex and completely organic, this magical chocolate manifests in many forms: 'spicy bars' are peppered with exotic spices, there are jars of chocolate-coated fruits to be had, and you can even get your fix with the Alchemist's range of drinks and spreads. You can contact the alchemists by phone on 01798 860995.
Organic Treat of the Week
It's a day for new beginnings here, and what better way to celebrate beginnings than with a bottle of bubbly?
Why, with an organic bottle of bubbly, of course. There's quite a lot of organic wine to choose from now, and it's getting more affordable and interesting, but organic champagne is harder to find. I stumbled across this one at The Green Shop, where you can order online. At the moment, they're selling Brut Carte d'Or Jose Ardinat organic champagne for £26 with a free pack of Roccoco organic artisan chocolate in a choice of flavours.
If it's a more exclusive bottle you're looking for, there's also a selection of fine organic champagnes on the site, starting at £55.
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