All about our packaging

At Feelgood Organic Hampers one of the most common questions we are asked by our customers is how do we package our hampers?  So today I thought I would show off our gift boxes and tell you why we chose this particular solution.


Just over 4 years ago when I started Feelgood Organic Hampers I started looking around for baskets to pack them in.  Up until this point my image of a hamper was a basket packed with produce wrapped in cellophane but I knew I wanted to do something different for my company.  I wanted something that would stand out, that would ensure that recipients of the gift would remember this hamper and the person who sent it.  I also wanted something that would enhance our brand and promote our eco-friendly and ethical ethos.


I looked at lots of different baskets, some were inexpensive made in India and China, both the air miles associated with these and ethical concerns I would have about the conditions in the factories where they were made meant that they were not an option.  Some were beautifully crafted and Irish made but sadly beyond the price I was able to pay for packaging.  My market research had also flagged that baskets were not popular with people who received hampers, they complained, that amongst other things they caused clutter in their homes.  So my next step was to look at gift boxes, packaging that could be recycled.  Again I looked at all the major suppliers in Ireland, I visited packaging companies, met salespeople and eventually, with the help of our company's designer Francis Taaffe came up with a solution that fulfilled the brief.  A box which mimicked the brown paper and string style of packaging, a design which evoked nostalgia, packaging which could be recycled.  Each box is tied with string and a tag and hand stamped with the company logo.


The box has worked really well for us, it has enhanced our brand by making it memorable, it's also memorable to the gifts recipients which means our clients are happy.


Because the boxes are mostly made in Ireland, because they can be reused and recycled, because they contain recycled material this is packaging you can feelgood about.


Customised Gift Boxes


We offer corporate clients the opportunity to customise their gift boxes by replacing the Feelgood Organic Hampers logo with their company logo.


If you are interested in customising a Feelgood Organic Hamper for your company contact us through our website or phone us on 059 863 899.

Our Night at the Carlow Chamber of Commerce Awards

Friday night was awards night in Carlow. So I donned a pretty frock and headed out to the Talbot Hotel where the big event was taking place.

We had been shortlisted for the Corporate Social Responsibility award but since I had found out that Carlow based charity store Chic & Cheerful had also been shortlisted I knew we had no chance of winning. More on Chic & Cheerful later.

As soon as we arrived I knew that this was the poshest event that I had ever attended. There were pipers to greet us on our arrival, then we were ushered into the drinks reception upstairs where the buzz of conversation was accompanied by the honey tones of a classical singer. Looking around there were very few familiar faces, and I thought I knew everyone in Carlow!! Waiters circulated with trays of wine and punch... I thought that only happened in movies.

After a breath of fresh air we followed the crowds into the ball room and to our table. Table 22. We were very lucky with our seating arrangements. Joined by Paul Savage and his wife Jenny, from Classic Drinks who not only sponsored the 'best licenced premisis' award also sponsored the very tasty wine that we had been sipping at the reception. Also at our table was Tara Connaghan who is the co-ordinator of the Eigse Carlow Arts Festival.

After the speeches and Grace? we were served a really good meal. I have to hand it to the Talbot hotel for accommodating my vegetarian diet, not only an alternate main course but an alternate starter and a joyfully chicken stock free soup. Well done to the Talbot!

After dinner the awards ceremony started. Although I was convinced that Chic & Cheerful had my category sewn up I couldn't help but get a little bit excited when our company logo appeared on the big screen. And the winners are... Chic & Cheerful.

So who are Chic & Cheerful and why did I think they deserved to win?

I first came across Sam & Emma, the two women behind Chic & Cheerful at an International Womens Day event run by the Kildare Network. Their energy was infectious and although the shop was still in the planning stages at the time I knew they were on to something. The shop opened a couple of months later and it's not just another stuffy charity shop. It supports two charities The Love Shack in Kenya and the Vincentian Lay Missionaries in Ethiopia which both Sam and Emma have been personally involved with. It stocks nearly new boutique fashion and is completely volunteer led. Because no one takes a wage, not even the founders, all the money raised can be ploughed into the charities it supports.

I would urge anyone who happens to be in Carlow to visit, they have some really good stuff at really good prices so not only will you be going home with some money left in your pocket, you will know that what you have spent has gone to a good cause. Buying second hand or nearly new clothes in this way is a guilt free way of shopping.

By the end of the night, after some dancing and drumming we rolled into a taxi feeling proud of our company but feeling even better that such a deserving business had taken the award. Next year we have to hope that the competition isn't quite as strong!!

Can flying ever be eco-friendly? - Part One - Biofuel

On Sunday Richard Branson's company,Virgin airlines, launched it's first biofueled flight. The tank was filled with a combination of traditional airline fuel, coconut oil and babassu oil which comes from the babassu palm tree. Branson is apparently committed to a green agenda for his businesses, you can read his recent interview with Freinds Of The Earth here. But even if all Virgin flights ran on biofuel is it enough to really make a difference?

There are concerns, The British Independent quotes The World Development Movement

"...even if all flights in the country used biofuels, the reduction in British aviation's contribution to climate change would be cancelled out by one year's growth in flights."

Maybe this is true but it should be considered that if air traffic is going to continue to increase surely it would be better if they were all flying on biofuel.

Another concern is that the growing popularity of biofuel is displacing food crops in the developing world. The cost of this is spiralling food costs which could eventually lead to famine.

But Branson has thought about this too. The test flight may have been fueled by nut oil but the long term plan is to develop biofuel for the future created using algae from sewers.

Only time will tell if these developments can make a significant difference but for the time being I will continue to try and limit the number of flights I take. Remember it might be quicker and cheaper in the short term to fly from one end of the country to the other but the cost to our future could be devastating.

In part two I will look into carbon offsetting.