Introducing True Origin

The new brand name for your favourite fair trade products

Other products, including the jam and chutney range from Eswatini and Beer Bread from Barrett’s Ridge, will follow as our 2023 purchase orders from these suppliers arrive over the summer/autumn.

We expect that more than half of our products will be in True Origin branding by October 2023. And over the summer we will be moving our websites, online shops, social media and email addresses across to True Origin.

True Origin Partnerships

You may be aware that JTS was founded in 2009 by The Balmore Trust, our parent charity. As it seeks to focus its development work on partnerships with our producers and their communities, The Balmore Trust will also be adopting a new name and image, becoming True Origin Partnerships later in the year. 

So in short, we’re excited with this positive step forward for the business and we’re confident that consumers and supporters will love the newly designed packaging – we’ve certainly had very positive feedback from our producer partners overseas and our trade customers in the UK.

Below is a video telling you a little more about the rebranding:

Our website will change to: www.trueorigin.org.uk in due course but in then meantime, please continue to contact us in the usual way:

Website:       www.jts.co.uk

Email:            info@jts.co.uk

Phone:          0141 255 0901

Below are some FAQ's but if you have any other questions, please do let us know. We will do our best to answer them, this list will be added to as we receive questions from our customers and supporters.

Why the change in branding?

At JTS, we are focused on our relationships with producer partners and over the last couple of years we have been considering how we can grow our purchases from these partners to enable them to deliver increased positive impact in their communities.

We have always had great support from the fair trade community in UK, but we have struggled to really enthuse a wider audience about our product range. In order to grow our sales, market research and feedback from some of our larger customers have told us we need better product packaging and more cohesive look to our range so that customers can, for instance, see a link between Kilombero rice and Eswatini curry sauce. 

It's also true that JTS is not yet well known even in the fair trade sector. Our role as the importer and distributor of such a wide range of quality fair trade foods is often invisible with potential customers unclear where they can source the products. 

As part of our five-year strategic plan, we are aiming to substantially grow our work with our producer partners. This will involve widening our customer base, whilst encouraging our current customers to keep buying, in order to increase our sales turnover. It will also involve increased collaboration with our parent charity, the Balmore Trust, who support projects with our producer partners.

Over the last eighteen months, we have been listening to customers, learning about how they feel about our products and their packaging, seeking to understand what would help them to sell more of our range. Based on this feedback, and following detailed discussion internally and with The Balmore Trust, we are thrilled to announce our new brand.

How will the new brand affect the products?

The products themselves are not changing. It’s the same great tasting products with a fresh new look.  

Currently JTS products are sold under the producers’ brands, creating a diverse but visually incohesive portfolio of brands. Now these products are all being brought under one brand, True Origin. This change allows True Origin to build a cross-category presence, promote repurchase and target a wider market, while still honouring the producers.

Our products have strong support from the fair trade community. This re-brand brings with it new opportunities to additionally position True Origin as a brand for foodies, and those who want quality ingredients.

What is the new brand?

For JTS, the new brand will be “True Origin” with the tag line “fair & fine foods”. The Balmore Trust will become known as “True Origin Partnerships”.

Is there an environmental impact on the change in branding/packaging?

The film used on the True Origin Kilombero Long Grain Rice will be recyclable – increasing the ethical stance of these great products.

Obviously, we are keen to minimise any waste associated with the branding change so you will continue to see our current branding on some products throughout 2023 and possibly beyond as we sell through existing stock. We know, for example, that most of our Christmas gift range will be in current branding for 2023 to avoid wastage of gift boxes and product. And, in the case of the rice, we have used up stocks of old-style bag film to provide 1kg bags for the 90kg Rice Challenge for this year.

What about the practicalities?

We will of course keep you updated but don’t worry – current email addresses and website addresses will redirect you to the new ones when that is relevant.