It all starts with Audrey, a food engineer. After having worked for more than 10 years in the development of organic dry grocery products, she embarked on the design of her own recipes based on dried fruits. For years, Audrey had been developing, improving and fine-tuning her own dried fruit recipes coated with spices and herbs, where she met with enormous success with those around her.

Gourmet and good living, she makes the following observation: as delicious as they are, the organic offer of dried fruits to nibble during the aperitif is limited and the products are often too fatty, too salty, too sweet and filled with additives. This is how in 2017, she created Happy Hours!

These are artisan roasters and manufacturers of dried fruit and nut mixtures, etc. All their recipes are imagined, developed and handcrafted in their eco-designed building in Biovallée in Drôme.

Their values :

• Organic: 100% of their products are organic.
• Eco-responsibility: they favor short, fair and responsible supply chains.
• Zero packaging: they mainly sell in bulk. No over-packaging and their packaging bags are recyclable.
• Quality: they carefully select all their ingredients to always guarantee us quality products
• Freshness: they produce to order to guarantee optimal freshness
• Homemade: all products are handmade. The products are dry roasted, with no added fat or additives.

Why did you choose them ?

It all started with a meeting at Natexpo in Paris in October 2021. With Benoît, their stand particularly attracted us. We tasted their seeds, and it was an incredible culinary discovery! In addition to having met very nice people, we were really won over by all their mixtures. They were our favourite of the show!!!

Unfortunately for us, they only sell in bulk. And then, by dint of having requests from several customers, they launched their ranges of packaged seeds, to our delight.

We therefore offer 3 sweet mixes and 3 savory mixes for the aperitif that we offer in boxes.

Don't hesitate to try them, these mixes are really exquisite. They have conquered all of us at Essence Box and we are convinced that they will also conquer your guests.

Gaspajoe is the brand that Valérie launched in 2010. Even if today, it seems obvious to reduce plastic consumption, at the time, no one believed in it!

The ocean is his refuge. Taking care of the blue wave, the sea, the ocean is what she has always wanted...

In 2008, she joined the Bloom association, which campaigns for the conservation of marine biodiversity. She then fell in love with the abyss, these fascinating deep seas threatened by overfishing and plastic pollution.

It was then that she decided to tackle the heart of the problem.

The beginning of the adventure

In 2010, she created her first stainless steel water bottle. For her, it's obvious: we must put an end to disposable plastic bottles.

These items should be durable. They must pass the years without degrading or breaking:

• 100% 18/10 stainless steel (equivalent to American 18/8: 18% chrome and 10% nickel.) lightweight and unbreakable from the base or neck.
• Efficient design that lasts over time.
• Anti-escape items.
• Stainless steel guaranteed to be odourless.
• No needless overproduction, just smart clip-on accessories.

In 2017, Valérie escalated her fight and other adventurers came to join her with the desire to abolish single-use plastic.

What are their values?

• Anti-Giants: you will never see their brand on the shelves of hypermarkets or among web giants.
• Fair and justified prices all year round: the prices are fixed, it is out of the question for them to inflate the prices artificially. All their objects are reliable, with robust materials as well as a thoughtful and thoughtful design, manufactured in factories that respect labor laws.
• Independence: out of the question to appeal to shareholders who favor productivity at all costs to the detriment of ecological and societal improvements. Gaspajoe objects are not a business but a means of making a lasting difference.
• Made far away but well: for Gaspajoe, proximity does not always rhyme with fairness. The factory they work with is located in China. It designs quality products according to real know-how and in compliance with international labor law. Gaspajoe is a global citizen brand that refuses that benevolence stops at the borders of France.

Why did you choose them?

We were looking for water bottles to complete our zero waste range and we fell in love with the design of their water bottles and the values ​​of Gaspajoe.

In addition, we appreciated the exchange we had with Jessica from Gaspajoe. We had the same vision and the common goal of drastically reducing the production of single-use plastic.

We thank them for allowing us to do this with their collaboration.

Other stainless steel objects complete their catalog (lunch box, cups, etc.). If you like their water bottles, we will gladly expand this range.

Its goal : 

• Reconciling ecology, fun, pleasure and practicality
• Become an actor of change and allow everyone to act now for tomorrow.

What are their values?

Zero waste

Anotherway offers us ecological and practical alternatives to everyday objects, especially single-use ones. Their products are sustainable and/or with end-of-life recycling solutions.

They are also committed to minimizing their carbon footprint as much as possible.

Local

They also favor local production, if possible in France if not in Europe. And a supply of raw materials as close as possible. 

They also create local jobs (already more than 8 today).

A committed company

In addition to offering us ecological and zero waste products, Anotherway is a member of the "1% for the planet" association. That is to say that he donates 1% of his turnover to participate in concrete actions for the environment.

For example, in 2020, Anotherway donated their 1% to the French beekeeping industry through the BZZ association which is in Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur to set up hives in the region.

In 2021, they decided to donate 2% of their turnover to 4 different associations:

• Pure Ocean : which helps protect fragile marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Our bees in France : which fights daily for the maintenance, survival and development of bees and apiaries in Provence.
• One piece of waste per day : citizen initiative from Marseille. The goal: that everyone picks up at least 1 piece of waste per day.
• Les Lyonnes des dunes : who participate in a 100% female rally where eco-driving is valued. Donations and medical consultations will be made for the local populations.

Why did you choose them?

As for many brands that we have on the site, it is a meeting at the Natexpo show and a very friendly exchange with the people we met.

We couldn't find better for our range of zero waste household products. The products are very effective and we considerably reduce our waste. 

We are convinced by their products and we hope you will be too.

To summarize, by choosing Anotherway products: 

• You act for the planet
• You support a young French company
• You support the association "1% for the planet"

We thank Anotherway from the bottom of our hearts for trusting us!

Ecoidées was founded in 2002 and is located in Bas-Rhin, in the town of Soultz-sous-Forêts. It is an independent family business with about twenty employees. They favor the sectors of small producers and develop "Bio & Fair Trade" projects.

Ecoidées is based on a single concept: non-violence. Non-violence in words, thoughts and deeds. Their guidelines: peace and benevolence!

What are their values?

Solidarity

They carry out solidarity actions in Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Croatia and France.

Involved in the local social fabric

Ecoidées packages its products in workshops for disabled workers (ESAT) and has also developed a subcontracting partnership with the Strasbourg prison.

Ecology

Since 2019, Ecoidées has been committed to gradually reducing all plastic packaging to switch to 100% recyclable or 100% biodegradable packaging. (some packaging is still plastic due to stock run-out).

Fair trade sectors

This implies that Ecoidées works with small producers dependent on peasant agriculture. They establish long-term partnerships that go beyond a simple commercial relationship. Producers have a fair income that allows them a decent standard of living.

Ecoidées is also committed to the BIOPARTENAIRE label, a label that meets the criteria of excellence of Fair Trade:

• Remunerate producers at a fair price
• Support development projects
• Require social and environmental approaches
• Distribute in organic stores
• An associative and transparent label

Why did you choose them?

It is for all these reasons mentioned above that we have chosen to work with Ecoidées. We met them at a Natexpo show in October 2021 and we were touched by their story and the values ​​they defend. This corresponds perfectly to the idea that we have of our online site.

Know that you will not find these products in supermarkets. Their brands are distributed exclusively to specialist store networks.

We thank them for trusting us.