Central England Co-op to host free Fairtrade wine tasting event as part of Co-op Fortnight celebrations

Posted by james brindle | Published: 17/06/2021


Central England Co-op is inviting wine lovers to join a virtual tasting event as part of a two-week celebration of co-operatives which begins next week.

The retailer, which has over 260 food stores across 16 counties, is working with The Wine Events Company for the free Fairtrade Wine Tasting event which takes place during Co-op Fortnight (21 June – 4 July).

The virtual event will be led by the charismatic sommelier and wine educator Tony Elvin, formerly of Hotel Du Vin in Birmingham, and those joining the event will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a case of Fairtrade wine.

At this live 60-minute event, four wines will be tasted and there will be an opportunity to learn the basics of wine tasting and enjoy a few games, activities and polls to ensure everyone has fun.

Those taking part will discover some superb quality wines which they can pick up from their local Co-op at a great value price, whilst still ensuring that producers get a fair price for their product.

People can taste along with Tony if they wish by picking up the wines beforehand, which will be Co-op Fairtrade South African Chenin Blanc 75cl, Co-op Fairtrade Argentinian Bonarda Shiraz 75cl, Co-op Fairtrade Argentinian Shiraz - Rosé 75cl and Co-op Fairtrade South African Sauvignon Blanc 75cl (or alternatively Co-op Fairtrade Torrontés).

Store Manager Jamie Joyce said: “At Central England Co-op we are proud of the great range of Fairtrade wines we are able to offer our members and customers and this wine tasting event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the quality of the wines and have some fun along the way.

“Co-op Fortnight is also a great time to shout about our Co-op difference and our ongoing support for Fairtrade is a major part of that.”

The event takes place on Thursday, 24 June from 7.30pm and free places can be booked at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/co-op-fortnight-fairtrade-wine-tasting-read-between-the-wines-tickets-154465692043

 

Notes to editors

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its over 7,800 colleagues serve customers across 400 plus trading sites in 16 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Its purpose is to inspire communities to create a sustainable Society for all.

It actively campaigns for the Government to increase sentencing for violent attacks on retail workers and works with FareShare Midlands and hundreds of food banks, generating enough food donations to create over 2.1 million meals for people in need.

The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter, while it is also fully committed to addressing the impact of climate change and is on track to be Carbon Neutral by 2030. 

It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £175,000 shared out between 116 good causes over the past 12 months.

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop