Back in 1991, Craig Sams founder of Whole Earth was sent a sample of 70% dark chocolate made with organic cocoa beans. His wife Josephine Fairley tried it and thought like herself, other chocolate lovers would also appreciate its unique taste and so they set about creating a product and a brand.

The name Green & Black’s was dreamt up by Craig & Jo with fond memories of confectionery brands of their childhoods, like Callard & Bowser and Barker & Dobson. Green symbolises the strict organic principles they employ and black symbolises the intensity of the chocolate and iconic style of the brand.

Following the success of the original 70% bar, Maya Gold was created and earned Green & Black’s the UK’s first fairtrade mark. This was followed by the development of a whole range of bars, each with the trademark richness, depth and high quality ingredients.

Green & Black’s went on to be purchased by Cadbury plc and then in 2010 Cadbury was acquired by Kraft Foods Inc., but one hopes that the underlying principles will remain and the use of fine organic ingredients, that are ethically sourced, will continue.

Click here to choose from 46 wonderful Green & Black’s products with a 5% discount at www.buybigorganic.co.uk.

1. Buy in bulk – saves money and packaging especially good for frozen products and storecupboard products with long-shelf life, plus you can also buy body and cleaning products and just decant them into smaller bottles.

2. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables in smaller quantities and prepare it yourself. Chopping your own vegetables up and washing your own salad is cheaper and retains more nutrients than buying products that are pre-prepared. Buying what you need means your fresh produce is fresher and you waste less – think of how much fruit and vegetables you throw out because it’s gone off – everyone has had something ‘growing’ in their fridge at some point.

3. Cook from scratch – even for the most time-pressed preparing healthy and tasty meals can be just as quick as popping something processed and full of salt/sugar/fat into the microwave. If you need inspiration there are lots of fantastic food websites full of handy recipes, available for free try BBC Food,  UKTV Food or Delicious Magazine.

4. If you’re a meat-eater cook a whole (at least free-range if not organic) chicken once a week, you’ll be amazed how far it can go if you use every bit – from roast dinner to pasta dishes, from stir-fries to curries and from sandwiches to soup.

5. Look out for offers – all shops have special offers but buy sensibly e.g. watch out for products that can be frozen or have long shelf life – if it ends up in the bin because it went out of date it’s more than just a waste of money.

6. Cook in bulk – make double portions one for today and one to freeze – you’ll always have something to eat and it saves time too. Works with casseroles, quiches, curries etc but remember to defrost carefully and heat thoroughly before you eat.

7. Bulk out dishes with cheaper ingredients – beans, lentils and many vegetables are great for making a dish go even further.

8. Make leftovers appealing – cooked vegetables can always be turned into soup or bubble and squeak and meat or chicken can be combined with vegetables or potato and turned into tasty fritters or pies.

9. Use your freezer creatively – unused coconut milk can be frozen using an ice tray and then popped into a freezer bag and then you can simply pop a frozen cube in when you are cooking. Fresh herbs can also be washed, dried and frozen in small Tupperware tubs/freezer bags. Plus bits of bread that are past their best can be frozen and used for breadcrumbs – older bread works even better than fresh.

10. Finally, don’t succumb to those meal deals – they might seem good value but what’s even better value is making your own packed lunch with sandwiches/soup/salad and at least you know exactly what you are eating.