For those who like to enjoy their tasty treats without having an unsavoury impact on those involved in the production of their sweeties, Burnt Sugar is set to become a firm favourite. Lauded by all and sundry (the Telegraph had said that they 'may be set to do for the sweet market what Green & Blacks have done for chocolate') the FairTrade certified brand, set up by Justine Cather in 2001, seems to be going from strength to strength. This should be no surprise really as, for starters, their ethical stance is exemplary. Sourcing their unrefined sugar (no nasty chemicals used this way!) from West Kenyan sugar farming co-operative WEKO, the company supports small local businesses and provides premiums so that communities can enrich their villages with water pipelines and electricity. Burnt Sugar has also become 'Carbon Zero' by offsetting their carbon dioxide emissions through energy efficiency projects, such as providing Solar Stoves and energy efficient light bulbs to communities in Africa. Even their West Kenyan sugar mill is energy self sufficient, since the sugar cane (once crushed and squeezed of it's sugary juice) can be burnt to provide heat for the evaporation process.

Now, this is all well and good and fine and dandy, but a sweet company will never get far if it's goodies aren't so good. This is why I insisted on a few taste tests before bigging up Burnt Sugar (it's a perk of the job, what can I say?). I'm not usually one for fudge but The Observer Food Monthly deemed Burnt Sugar's 'Original Crumbly Fudge' to be the world's best fudge, so I put aside my preconceptions and popped a piece in my mouth. The verdict? I'm a fudge convert! This grown up fudge has a surprisingly malty smell, like snuffling at a slice of Soreen or a particularly dense Christmas cake. It's juicy as well, something I wasn't expecting, with treacly, syrupy juice lending each chunk a really dark copper tone. It's crumbly and melt in the mouth; like eating home-made biccies but with all of the sugar and none of the substance.

We were also given a packet of 'Original Chocolate Honeycomb' which Amelia sampled and deemed 'lovely'. A little research on the Burnt Sugar site reveals that their confectionary collection is almost as big as Willy Wonker's; There's chocolate crumbly fudge, dark chocolate covered caramel crunch, strawberry and white chocolate crumbly fudge, coconut ice... I could go on, but I'd start dribbling on my keyboard. Burnt Sugar have packaged their products in larger pouches and tubs for sharing (yeah, right!), smaller trinket sized boxes for giving (what!?) and little bars to indulge in all alone (that's more like it!).

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Burnt Sugar when I'm next grocery shopping. I may even take Burnt Sugar's advice and indulge in their not-so-guilty pleasures whilst I'm curled up with a good book, a past-time the company love so much that they even created their own online book club! But, wouldn't you know it, this is yet another initiative to make the world a better place; they simultaneously use the book group to draw attention to Book Aid International (who support literacy, education and training in the developing world). Burnt Sugar founder, Justine Cather, says; "I love the idea that our book club is a fun thing for our consumers to join and at the same time it helps promote the great work that Book Aid International are doing in the Sub-Saharan African communities, especially as this is where our Fairtrade sugar is grown".

Burnt Sugar look to be a confectionary company with delicious products and a wholesome work ethic. Could it get any sweeter?