Barry Callebaut Beverages hosted its annual golf day at the Macdonald Portal Hotel in Tarporley with all funds raised to be split between two good causes: The first is an ongoing corporate initiative to support the cocoa growers in Central and West Africa. The rest of the money will be contributed towards the costs of a charity choir performance at Chester Cathedral, in support of the Hospice of the Good Shepherd, to be held next year.
The event was well-attended by Barry Callebaut’s customers, suppliers and representatives of key media, with the majority of the guests enjoying the great golfing opportunity offered by the rolling Cheshire countryside that surrounds the spa hotel. Others made use of the leisure opportunities, joining the golfers for drinks and dinner later in the day.
Head of sales for Barry Callebaut Beverages in the UK, Paula Bentley was delighted with the turn out: “We were keen to create an informal atmosphere where people could benefit from the best networking opportunities as any business talk was incidental to relaxing and having fun. These days always prove popular and provide great value as they give people the chance to forge links which can prove useful to all going forward.
“I have to say, our customers and suppliers are a generous lot and were happy to make healthy contributions in support of both of our charitable causes. There was a small, token auction during the meal but we relied mainly on donations, with envelopes provided for this purpose, and our guests did not disappoint.”
Guests at the event included representatives from quality coffee and tea maker, James Aimer, Nestle Professional and NIVO. The latter’s Graham Kingaby comments: “There was a great mix of vending and non-vending representation that was especially interesting from a networking point of view.”
Eric Duncan, the managing director of James Aimer adds: “It was great to catch up with some people I have not seen for ages.” All were in agreement that they had had a great time and that the venue was perfect for the purpose of the event.
Barry Callebaut Beverages has engaged in a number of charitable initiatives this year to raise funds for the cocoa farmers in keeping with the work of parent company and world leading supplier of high quality chocolate, Barry Callebaut. The Group is a keen advocate of sustainability, working with smallholder farms in West and Central Africa, supporting farmer training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). It has laid out a series of enterprises that aim to increase productivity and improve the quality of cocoa while positively impacting on livelihoods on a large scale.
