Natural Fair Trade Colas (alternatives to the big brands)

Cola is one of the world’s most popular  drinks. If you like it, then search out for alternate brands, which  are made with more natural ingredients, support artisan brands and also taste nicer!

Steep Cola is a blend of sweet and spicy notes, with a gentle fizz and smooth flavour from pure cane sugar. It’s also available in a ‘light version’, sweetened with stevia.

Avoid caffeine (cola) or follow NHS guidelines of no more than one a day.

Always pop ring-pulls back over hole before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.

Most sodas have now added in disgusting-aftertaste artificial sweeteners (same with fruit squash) to try to eek more profits, due to the upcoming sugar tax.

One critic of the new recipe for Ribena (a vitamin-C-rich blackcurrant squash developed during World War II, when citrus fruits were not available) wrote ‘Adding sweeteners to Ribena was intended to reduce our sugar intake. This has worked, as I no longer buy Ribena!’

Karma Cola is the main brand which you’ll find in many indie shops and cafes, and it’s even sold in train stations. This brand pays a premium price for kola nuts to farmers in Sierra Leone, to ensure good welfare and income.

It also comes in a light version (still made with natural ingredients, and sweetened with stevia).

Like cocoa beans for chocolate, most cola beans are bought in bulk by big companies for low prices, which means that despite huge profits for industry, the farmers see very little financial benefits.

This brand does things differently. And also makes raspberry lemonade, orangeade and other fizzy drinks, ideal for those who like sodas, but also helping to support farmers abroad.

Fentimans Curiosity Cola is botanically brewed in Northumberland, and has cinnamon undertones. It’s popular in artisan bars and hotels, and tastes more like proper cola used to taste, when it first was invented.

This brand was founded by someone who was given a recipe (instead of money) to pay back a loan! The company dog used to look after staff over 100 years ago, and his face still appears on all the bottles!

You’ll also find traditional lemonades and rose lemonades, as well as ginger beer and other goodies, along with a range of natural tonic waters (avoid for pregnancy/nursing, due to quinine).