Hartlepool Fairtrade supporters step up to chocolate challenge

Fairtrade Fortnight chocolate competition with winners Throston Primary School. Pupils from left Oliver Harrison, 8, Annalise Frater, 10, Neve Watson, 9 and Sadie Jukes, 10 with Deputy Mayor Rob Cook.

A number of Hartlepool schools entered a competition to make something imaginative out of chocolate as this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight draws to a close.

Every year, Fairtrade Fortnight celebrates the farmers and workers who grow the food we eat, promoting a living wage and fair trade.

This year’s campaign focussed on the people who grow the cocoa that goes into our favourite chocolate products with much of it coming from West Africa.

Hartlepool Fairtrade Town Steering Group encouraged supporters in the town to create something great using chocolate to help raise awareness.

The entries were judged by the Deputy Mayor of Hartlepool Councillor Rob Cook at the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

Throston Primary School was victorious for delicious cake topped with Maltesers that appeared to float in the air.

Annual Fairtrade Fortnight chocolate competition. Catcote Futures with their Mad Hatter's Tea Party entry.

Other entrants included Catcote Futures, Catcote Academy, Clavering Primary School, and Fairtrade Hartlepool group member Chris Eddowes.

As well as cakes, Catcote Futures students used milk and white chocolate to create a series of edible pictures and signs including of he Fairtrade logo.

They also used chocolate to paint pictures with.

Chris Eddowes, who made chocolate rose flowers, said: “The ingenuity is fantastic. You can do more with chocolate than eat it.”

Another entry in the Fairtrade Fortnight chocolate chellenge.

Coun Cook said it was very difficult choosing a winner adding: “It’s nice to see so many people turn out.

“It’s impossible to decide which is the best. They are all really fantastic.”

Each entrant received a certificate and a special one went to Catcote Futures for making a replica giant chocolate bar which spent the last week travelling around Teesside to raise awareness for Fairtrade.

Martin Green, of Hartlepool Fairtrade Town Steering Group, said: “As usual the standard of entries really surprise us, they’re excellent.

“We are always amazed with what people come up with.”

Hartlepool has been an official Faitrade Town since 2005.

But Martin said more support from the community is always needed.

He added: “It’s important to support Fairtrade because the whole idea is it guarantees a fair price for the producer, a living wage, which you can’t always guarantee with any other mark.”