20th October 2015

Happy Monkey Smoothies – keeping the young BFLFers Happy Monkeys since 2013

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Anyone who has been to a BFLF will have enjoyed the Happy Monkey sponsored craft tables and the smoothies given away at the end. The smoothies always bring smiles from the dance exhausted children as they leave.

Happy Monkey have supported us from day one. I remember my first email to Greg, the MD, explaining what we were planning to do and asking for samples of their lovely smoothies to give to the children at our pre-launch party in Brixton, 2013. His response was really lovely and it meant a lot to us as a new and untested business to be taken seriously by such a great potential sponsor.

Our first phone call – where they agreed to sponsor the wonderful Captain Cookie craft area – I made from my family holiday walking up and down a Devon beach. They seemed to get what we do and it’s been a brilliant relationship ever since. Aside from the obvious benefits in helping our day-to-day work and providing a giveaway that the kids love, I think it proved to us very early on that we could make commercial partnerships while still preserving our most important values.

Big Fish Little Fish is about having fun together as a family – “responsible irresponsibility” as one of our regulars has it – so it makes total sense to have drinks which have no added sugar and count as one of the all-important five a day, but which kids see as a treat. Happy Monkey also have the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, which means that they source their bananas only from producers who farm them in an environmentally sustainable way and pay their workers a living wage.

All of this would be for nothing though if children didn’t enjoy them – and it remains my most significant challenge in this relationship to stop my children drinking the smoothies when we get a delivery. One of my son’s first words was “smoothie” – as well as “flyer”.

All three smoothie flavours (Orange and Mango, Banana and Strawberry and Apple and Blackcurrant) are big favourites when we give them out as a ‘going home’ gift at the parties. The Happy Monkey range also includes yummy milkshakes and a brand new ‘Fruit Splashie’ – a blend of juice, water and vitamins.

So I just wanted to say a big “Thank You” to Happy Monkey from the BFLF team and the ever expanding BFLF audience. The parties wouldn’t be the same without you – long may it continue. See you on the dance floor. Hannah xxx”