We are the Social Enterprise behind Lemonaid and ChariTea soft drinks in the UK. All our ingredients are organic certified and sourced from Fairtrade farms. But it’s not just the desire to slake your thirst with delicious soft drinks that drives us. We started the Lemonaid & ChariTea project to incite and shape the process of social change.
About us
Why did we start Lemonaid & ChariTea? It’s pretty simple: we want to play our part in making a fairer world, through a Fairtrade product that supports charitable initiatives in our farmers’ local communities. Obviously, we don’t want you to drink our iced teas and soft drinks just because they’re for a good cause, but because they taste fantastic. In 2008, we quit the day jobs and got going, brewing tea after tea in our kitchen, adding a splash of fresh juice here, a dash of agave syrup there. We got some friends together to pick out the best – natural drinks which simply hadn’t been around until that point. Pure good taste, just like homemade.
Our values
Lemonaid and ChariTea drinks were born out of a desire to give back. It's not about simply donating money to good causes - although we are on board with this, too. Our mission is to empower people so that they can help themselves. We work directly with farming co-operatives in the Global South and pay higher prices for our raw ingredients to support fair and dignified farming.
Beyond Fairtrade for every bottle sold 5p go to the Lemonaid & ChariTea Foundation which supports people and communities to help themselves, with over £7 million raised to date. Focusing on parts of the world frequently disadvantaged in the global economy, the Foundation supports local initiatives which work to improve social, economic and ecological structures.
That's why we believe: Drinking helps.
What is our company culture like?
In the UK, we are a small, enthusiastic team of 7. We're an ambitious, energetic lot, all big believers in our mission and dedicated to making a difference.
Together with our international colleagues from our offices in France, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, we travel to our Foundation's project regions every year. Escaping the city life, we shoulder our backpacks and head off to Sri Lanka, India, Mexico or South Africa to work with our farmers on their fields and visit the local NGOs we support. Experiencing life in the growing regions first-hand and understanding the impact Fairtrade and sustainable agriculture have on local communities, is what all unites us in working for this unique social business.