What to expect from Rainbow Turtle in 2014

The Rainbow Turtle team has been kept busy over the last year and there is no sign of slowing down for next year.  We've got so much to look forward to in the coming year and here is why…

Logo

Since October we had reviewed our current logo design and decided it was time for a change.  A graphics company, Pod Design, offered to design us one for free and came up with some ideas.  It took a while to home in on the one that we all agreed on but we have finally made a decision.  All of us at Rainbow Turtle are so excited about this new logo and cannot wait to unveil it next year!

New Website

The current website is outdated which has resulted in some of the features not functioning well. In order to keep up with the movement towards online purchases and to give better customer service we have decided to invest (modestly) in a new site which will incorporate the rebranding of the new logo design.  It will also be easy for us to maintain ourselves. The new website will function in two ways, a Fairtrade information platform for schools, churches and businesses as well as acting as an ecommerce website which will include more product selection for customers to purchase.  It will be a work in progress from January onwards so apologies for any disruptions it may cause.

January Shop Window Display

We can’t wait to get started on our new window display next month!  We will be stripping back and keeping it simple with this window display theme and a meaningful message for the start of the New Year will hopefully be picked up on.

Coffee Machine Proposal

Watch this space for information on how you can get one of these fantastic coffee percolators to allow you to serve ground coffee at the flick of a switch at church services and events. 

Ukuva iAfrica – The Senses of Africa

If you haven’t been to our shop or bought one of our spicy hampers recently, you’ve been missing out!  Ukuva iAfrica products have been introduced at Rainbow Turtle for a few months now and we are delighted with how well it has down with our customers.  What is Ukuva iAfrica you ask, well I’ll tell you! 

Ukuva iAfrica meaning “The Senses of Africa” in Xhosa was founded in Cape Town in 1996 by two travellers.  The recipes for the products were developed from the traveller’s journal named “Recipes from a Rucksack”.  The Ukuva product range includes a variety of different sauces and grinders which has their own unique flavours from all around the country.  The sauces range varies from mild to hot so there’s something for everyone; my favorite is the Malawi Gold hot chilli sauce.  The grinders truly do give you a sense of the different palates from all over the continent; they are a great accompaniment to any meal!  Did you know the inspiration behind the look of the sauce bottles came from the image of African beauty; many of the tribal women wore metal rings or beaded hoops around their necks to show their family’s status in society which holds cultural and social significance.

In January 2012, Turqle Trading adopted the Ukuva iAfrica brand, however prior 2012 the company had helped with the development of some of the Ukuva iAfrica sauces and spice grinders.  Turqle was established in 1997 in Cape Town in order to create sustainable jobs in South Africa through trade in fair and ethical food.  This is achieved by 2.5% of the export price of all Ukuva products going into the Fair Trade Trust.  The Trust is used for the education of the workers and their families in South Africa, for personal development courses and education to prevent HIV/AIDS.  The school fees of the children whose parents work at the factories which produce the Ukuva range is also paid for by the trust.

Why not give the Ukuva iAfrica range a try today, you won’t be disappointed!

Christmas Mayhem!

It’s been a busy month for Rainbow Turtle with our online hamper orders coming in thick and fast which is not surprising since they all have delicious Far Trade products in them.  From our Taste of Africa to our Chocolate Delight Hamper, you will find a great selection of hampers to choose from to send loved ones this Christmas.

We have been kept busy to our shop making sure it’s fully stocked of quality goods ranging from children’s toys, home furnishings, jewellery and much more!  If you still haven’t had the chance to pop along to see our Christmas window display, why not do it this week and come inside to see what we have to offer.

Christmas stalls have been coming in and out of the warehouse non stop over the last few weeks.  We would like to thank all the schools & churches who have requested one of our stalls to run during this Christmas period.  We would also like to thank Gryffe High School, St Vincent's Primary School, Glenifer High School, Our Lady of the Missions Primary School, Lourde’s High School, Castlehead High School and St Luke’s High School who all invited us to run our stalls at their schools and staff rooms.  They all turned out to be a hit with both pupils and teachers and we hope to continue to run more stalls for them in the New Year. 

Our Fairtrade Photo Exhibition made a visit to The University of the West of Scotland and Rainbow Turtle were on hand to run a stall for them and encourage staff and students to take an interest in Renfrewshire’s efforts to support Fairtrade over the last ten years.  I wonder where the exhibition will be heading next.....keep an eye out!