The Minster has long been associated with the concept of Fairtrade. In the late 1970s Campaign coffee from Tanzania, Encafe from Nicaragua and WDM Broken Orange Pekoe tea were sold on a small card table outside the Minster after the main morning service on a Sunday. This initiative was inspired by a meeting with Horace Dammers - founder of the 'Lifestyle Movement'. In a small way a number of people were trying to adjust their way of living to embrace gospel values.

This concept expanded with the launch of Traidcraft in 1979 and with the wide range of products on offer it had wider appeal to a larger number of people. A bigger stall on a Sunday now included a range of fairly traded foodstuffs, recycled papergoods and a few crafts. The aim was always to bring to people's attention the inequalities supported by a western lifestyle and ways which could help to correct the balance - by buying fairly traded goods which had made a real difference to the producers. It was a small step to promoting justice for all. For many years the coffee and tea served after the main service in Church House has been fairly traded. This was the beginning of a consistent commitment to Fairtrade. It also made people feel that they had made a real contribution in the struggle for justice.