Discover Fairtrade shopping across Leeds and surrounding areas
Leeds has proudly held Fairtrade City status for more than 20 years, reflecting the city's long-standing commitment to supporting farmers, producers and workers around the world through fairer trading practices.
The University of Leeds has been a Fairtrade University since 2005 and was one of the first universities to participate in the National Union of Students' Fairtrade University pilot scheme. Together with Leeds University Union, the University continues to support Fairtrade through the sale of Fairtrade products across campus and activities that raise awareness of fairer trade among students, staff and the wider community. Read more about the University's Fairtrade journey in this blog post by Student Sustainability Architect Mimansa Deshkar, who explored 20 years of Fairtrade at Leeds through the Fairtrade Curator Project.
As part of Fairtrade Fortnight 2026, the University of Leeds and Leeds University Union's Fairtrade Partnership, together with Global Learning Leeds, have collaborated to showcase some of the independent retailers, community organisations and local initiatives helping people shop more ethically across the city.
From health food stores and refill shops to independent boutiques and community-led projects, Leeds offers a wide range of opportunities to support Fairtrade and ethically sourced products. Whether you're looking for everyday essentials, unique gifts or ways to reduce your environmental impact, there's something for everyone across Leeds.
This guide highlights just a small selection of businesses and organisations contributing to a fairer and more sustainable city.
A note on Fairtrade and other ethical labels
This article focuses primarily on locations where shoppers can purchase Fairtrade products. Fairtrade is a globally recognised certification and social movement that aims to secure fairer prices, improved working conditions and more sustainable livelihoods for farmers and workers around the world.
We recognise that Fairtrade sits within a wider ethical shopping landscape. Many businesses featured in this guide also sell products that carry other certifications or values-based approaches, including organic, local, vegan, refill, low-waste, recycled and environmentally responsible products.
The purpose of this guide is not to compare different ethical labels or establish a hierarchy between them. Instead, we have chosen Fairtrade as a clear and well-established starting point for highlighting ethical shopping opportunities across Leeds during Fairtrade Fortnight.
Where relevant, we have included shops and organisations that demonstrate a broader commitment to ethical consumption, sustainability and responsible business practices, recognising that many consumers look for a combination of social, environmental and economic benefits when making purchasing decisions.
By showcasing these businesses, we hope to encourage conversations about the impact of our everyday purchases, while celebrating the many ways Leeds residents can support a fairer and more sustainable economy.
About this guide
Leeds is home to many businesses, community organisations and retailers that stock Fairtrade products or support ethical consumption. This guide is intended as a starting point rather than a comprehensive directory. The organisations featured here represent just a small selection of the many places across Leeds where shoppers can find Fairtrade and ethically sourced products.
We recognise that there are many other deserving businesses, cafés, markets, retailers and more places and spaces that are contributing to Leeds' Fairtrade City status. Their omission from this article should not be taken as a reflection on their commitment to Fairtrade or ethical trading.
If you would like to suggest a business or organisation for inclusion in a future article, we would love to hear from you. Please email [email protected] and we will consider your suggestion.
We hope this feature encourages readers to explore and discover even more Fairtrade options across the city.
The organisations featured are included as examples of places where people can access Fairtrade and ethically sourced products and services, and their inclusion does not constitute endorsement by the University of Leeds.
Leeds City Centre
Out Of This World
20 New Market Street, Leeds, LS1 6DG
A well-established fixture in Leeds city centre for more than 20 years, Out Of This World has long been a destination for ethical, environmentally conscious and health-focused shopping.
The store stocks a wide range of Fairtrade products, including dried fruit, chocolate, coffee, bananas and other grocery items, alongside organic foods, toiletries and household products. Ethical sourcing is at the heart of the business, which has built a loyal customer base by combining Fairtrade, organic and locally sourced products under one roof.
Chilli Shop
70 Merrion Street, Leeds, LS2 8LW
A unique independent retailer in the heart of Leeds, Chilli Shop specialises in all things chilli-related, from sauces and seasonings to gifts and speciality foods.
The shop stocks fairly traded chilli chocolate produced by the South Devon Chilli Farm, which also grows many of its own chillies. With a strong commitment to supporting local suppliers and avoiding palm oil in the products it sells, Chilli Shop demonstrates how ethical principles can be incorporated into specialist retailing while offering customers something a little different.
Yellow Sunrise
Grand Arcade, Leeds, LS1 6PG
Yellow Sunrise is an independent boutique specialising in ethically sourced homewares, gifts and crafts from around the world. While not primarily a food retailer, the shop supports fair and ethical trading through its selection of handcrafted products sourced from artisan producers.
Shoppers can browse a carefully curated collection of home accessories, textiles, ceramics and gifts that celebrate traditional craftsmanship and help support livelihoods in producer communities. The shop offers an excellent opportunity to explore the wider impact of fair and ethical trade beyond food products.
University of Leeds Campus
Green Action Zero Waste Shop
Leeds University Union
Students, staff and visitors can find a range of ethical groceries through the Green Action Zero Waste Shop at Leeds University Union.
The volunteer-run store regularly stocks Fairtrade essentials such as tea, coffee, hot chocolate, sugar and snacks alongside other ethical and low-waste grocery items. By selling products at affordable prices and reinvesting in sustainability initiatives, the store helps make ethical consumption more accessible.
LUU Co-op
Leeds University Union
The Co-op has been supporting Fairtrade for many years and stocks a wide range of Fairtrade products. At the LUU store, visitors can also enjoy freshly ground Fairtrade coffee and hot drinks, with even the sugar sachets carrying Fairtrade certification.
Gear
Leeds University Union
Based in Leeds University Union, GEAR stocks official University of Leeds merchandise from a range of sustainable and ethically sourced suppliers, including Fairtrade-certified products where available.
Great Food at Leeds Cafés
Various locations across the University of Leeds campus
Great Food at Leeds (GFaL) cafés have proudly supported Fairtrade since 2005. Across 12 campus locations, customers can find a selection of Fairtrade products including fruit juices, chocolates and other snacks.
Whether grabbing a drink between lectures or picking up a sweet treat on the go, visitors can support Fairtrade producers while enjoying refreshments from one of the University's many catering outlets.
North Leeds
The Refilling Station
176 Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, LS7 4NZ
Chapel Allerton is home to a fantastic range of independent businesses, making it the perfect setting for The Refilling Station. This forward-thinking shop combines traditional values with modern sustainability, enabling customers to reduce packaging waste while purchasing everyday essentials.
Alongside its loose foods and refill ranges, shoppers can often find Fairtrade products including Divine chocolate, alongside a range of ethically sourced grocery items. The store's wider focus on low-waste shopping, local sourcing and sustainable household products makes it a popular destination for environmentally conscious shoppers.
Natural Food Store
23 North Lane, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3HW
The Natural Food Store is a members' co-operative in Headingley and has been serving the local community for more than 30 years, making it one of Leeds' longest-established wholefood shops.
The store stocks a wide range of organic, Fairtrade, ethical, vegan and vegetarian foods, as well as environmentally friendly toiletries and household products. Shoppers can also find natural remedies, dietary supplements, raw food ingredients and gluten-free products. Its commitment to ethical trading and sustainable living has made it a valued resource for generations of Leeds residents looking to shop responsibly.
Oxfam Headingley
45-47 Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3AB
Oxfam's Headingley shop offers far more than pre-loved books, clothing and household items. Visitors can also browse a dedicated selection of Fairtrade gifts, crafts, food products and seasonal items sourced from producer groups around the world.
By purchasing Fairtrade goods through Oxfam, shoppers help support both global producers and Oxfam's wider work to tackle poverty and inequality. The shop provides an accessible way for Leeds residents to discover Fairtrade products while supporting a well-established charity with long-standing links to the Fairtrade movement.
Zerø Muda
85 New Road Side, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 4QD
Zerø Muda is a refill and zero-waste store dedicated to helping customers reduce packaging waste while making more sustainable shopping choices.
Alongside refillable household and grocery products, the shop stocks a range of ethically sourced and Fairtrade goods, including selected Biona products, Doves Farm flours, Suma items and Fairtrade chocolate ranges. By combining waste reduction with responsible sourcing, Zero Muda enables shoppers to support people and the planet through their everyday purchases.
Like Nana Did
14 Orchard Gate, Otley, Leeds, LS21 3NX
Like Nana Did is a refill and zero waste shop founded in February 2020 inspired by the owner’s own childhood memories of going with her Nana to the local 'Fill and Save' shop. Since opening, the store has become a well-loved part of the town, offering package-free groceries and household products to help reduce plastic waste as well as supplying locally sourced and Fairtrade ranges. There are plans in train for the company to be owned by the community through the Otley Development Trust, maintaining its sustainability commitment.
Further Afield Fairtrade Shopping
Holmfirth Fair Trader
32-34 Huddersfield Rd, Holmfirth, HD9 2JS
The Holmfirth Fair Trader features a wide range of fair trade and ethical gifts, including beautifully designed accessories, jewellery, toys, homeware, and fashion. They often feature displays from local artists and host creative events.
Harrogate Fair Trade Shop
St Peter's Church Porch, Cambridge St, Harrogate, HG1 1RW
A dedicated Fair Trade shop putting people and planet before profit. A curated collection of jewellery, accessories, cards, wooden toys, food and gifts from around 30 suppliers who work with producer groups worldwide.
Looking for more sustainable shopping options?
Interested in reducing waste and cutting down on packaging? Look at the University of Leeds' guide to refill shopping across Leeds
Want to see if what you're buying is Fairtrade? Learn more about the wide range of Fairtrade products available in the UK.
We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our work on Fairtrade is linked to the following SDG's:
- Goal 1: No Poverty
- Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Find out more about our impact on the SDGs.