For a Fairtrade-led car boot sale, choose unopened bars bearing the classic black FAIRTRADE Mark if you want every ingredient that can be Fairtrade-certified to be covered. The Fairtrade Foundation distinguishes this from the white Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark, which applies to a named ingredient such as cocoa. Check each bar’s current wrapper before describing its Fairtrade credentials, and keep its ingredients and allergen information visible.
If you plan to call your refreshments Fairtrade, check the mark on each unopened bar. The Fairtrade Foundation distinguishes the classic black mark, which covers all certifiable ingredients, from the white Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark for a named ingredient.
Divine is a brand to investigate if you would rather start with a stated range-wide commitment. The Fairtrade Foundation says all Divine products are Fairtrade and their certifiable cocoa, sugar and vanilla are Fairtrade-certified; still inspect the bars you intend to sell.
Cadbury, KitKat, Galaxy, Mars, Snickers and Twix may fit a familiar-brands selection. Do not describe an individual bar as Fairtrade on the strength of its brand name or a company cocoa programme; use the claim shown on its current wrapper.
Decide how specific your Fairtrade claim needs to be, then check the individual bar and its packaging for sale.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade claim | Look for the current pack’s mark. The Fairtrade Foundation says the classic black FAIRTRADE Mark covers all ingredients that can be Fairtrade-certified; the white Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark identifies a named ingredient. | I want to describe the bars accurately. If my claim is about Fairtrade cocoa specifically, I need the ingredient named on the pack rather than assuming the whole bar has the same scope. |
| Range selection | Check the exact flavour and wrapper as well as any brand-wide statement. The Fairtrade Foundation says all Divine products are Fairtrade, but a brand’s history or a general cocoa programme does not establish the mark on another individual bar. | A clearly stated Fairtrade range would help me choose stock, while the packs I put on the table still need to support what I tell buyers. |
| Food information | Keep manufacturer packaging intact and the ingredients and allergen information readable. Food Standards Agency guidance distinguishes already-prepacked food from food packed at the place of sale before a customer selects it. | Buyers should be able to inspect the label on the bar they are considering, rather than relying on a separate description at the stall. |
| Selling arrangements | Check the organiser’s conditions and ask the relevant local authority about your selling pattern. GOV.UK food-business guidance includes temporary stalls; Business Companion notes that buying stock for resale or selling regularly can indicate trader status. | If I am buying bars specifically to resell, I need to establish which arrangements apply before setting up the refreshment table. |
The Fairtrade Foundation’s black FAIRTRADE Mark and white Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark have different scopes. Mars also describes a separate, mass-balance cocoa programme; it says cocoa in a particular product may not come from that programme.
Describe each bar using its current wrapper: make a claim about Fairtrade cocoa only when the relevant mark names cocoa, and do not turn a company programme into a product-level Fairtrade claim.
Removing or obscuring the wrapper makes ingredients and allergen information harder for buyers to inspect. Food Standards Agency guidance also sets specific labelling requirements for food packed at the place where it is sold before selection.
Keep manufacturer-packed bars unopened and their labels visible. If you intend to repackage food, check the applicable labelling requirements before doing so.
GOV.UK food-business registration guidance includes temporary stalls. Business Companion says buying goods specifically to resell or selling regularly can affect whether a car boot seller is treated as a trader.
Before buying stock, check the organiser’s conditions and ask the relevant local authority what applies to your location and selling pattern.
A brand can help narrow the search, but the current wrapper determines what you can say about a particular bar.
The Fairtrade Foundation says all Divine products are Fairtrade and that their certifiable cocoa, sugar and vanilla are Fairtrade-certified. Divine describes itself as farmer co-owned.
The Fairtrade Foundation describes Tony’s Chocolonely as Fairtrade-certified and refers to its milk, dark and white chocolate in UK materials.
Green & Black’s is associated with Fairtrade chocolate, but a past product association does not establish the certification scope of a bar sold now.
Mars says its European responsibly sourced cocoa programme purchases annual volumes equivalent to the cocoa needs of its direct European factories for these brands. Mars says the programme uses mass balance and that cocoa in a specific product may not come from it.
Cadbury describes its Dairy Milk 110 g bar as milk chocolate and vegetarian friendly.
KitKat UK describes its 4 Finger Milk bar as a 41.5 g milk-chocolate and wafer product.
These dark and milk chocolate options offer different flavours and bar sizes for a car boot refreshment table. Inspect each current wrapper for the Fairtrade mark, ingredients and allergens before deciding how to describe or sell it.
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A raspberry and dark-chocolate option for the refreshment table. The Fairtrade Foundation says Divine products are Fairtrade; check this bar’s current mark and its ingredients and allergen label, particularly before making any milk-free or vegan claim.
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A 180 g dark bar if you want a plain dark-chocolate option. Check the current wrapper for the Fairtrade mark’s scope and for ingredients and allergens before describing it to buyers.
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A 90 g dark bar labelled 85% for buyers looking for that chocolate style. Check its current Fairtrade mark and wording; do not assume a mass-balance sourcing description means ingredients are physically segregated. Keep the allergen label available to buyers.
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A 180 g milk-chocolate choice with caramel and sea salt. Check which Fairtrade mark appears on the current wrapper and what it covers, and leave the ingredients and allergen information visible at the sale.
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A 180 g milk-chocolate bar with pretzel and toffee for a different flavour and texture. Inspect its current Fairtrade mark and ingredients, and make sure buyers can read the allergen information on the wrapper.
Check its current wrapper for the FAIRTRADE Mark. The Fairtrade Foundation says the classic black mark covers all ingredients that can be Fairtrade-certified, while the white Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark applies to the ingredient named on the pack, such as cocoa.
No: Mars’s European responsibly sourced cocoa programme is not, by itself, a Fairtrade claim for an individual bar. Mars says it uses mass balance and that cocoa in a specific product may not come from the programme. Describe a bar as Fairtrade only when its current wrapper bears the relevant mark.
Keeping manufacturer-packed bars unopened makes their existing ingredients and allergen information available to buyers. Food Standards Agency guidance says food packed at the place of sale before a customer selects it can fall under prepacked-for-direct-sale labelling requirements, including a food name and full ingredients list with allergens emphasised.
Yes, check whether your activity is treated as a food business before trading. GOV.UK food-business registration guidance includes temporary stalls, while Business Companion notes that buying goods specifically for resale or selling regularly can affect trader status. Ask the relevant local authority and the sale organiser what applies to your circumstances.