Farewell to our wonderful Jaspa

15/10/2021

Essential Trading received some harrowing news in April 2021.  Our dear friend and wonderful, long-serving buyer, Jaspa Beese, had been diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumour.  In September, Jaspa lost his short battle with the debilitating condition and all of us at Essential have been left feeling a little empty, inevitable though the outcome was.

Jaspa fought a courageous fight in which his spirited, patient and welcoming character shone through and helped all those who knew him accept the awful diagnosis and treasure the time that was left.  Jaspa had the love and adoration of so many at Essential Trading and additionally, with all of those outside of the business who he built relationships with.

Jaspa was tireless in developing the Essential brand in the 32 years that he was with the business.  He was working at Nova Wholefoods when it merged to become Essential Trading in 1991 and he went on to promote our co-operative wherever he could.  Jaspa was particularly keen to forge strong connections with fellow co-operatives across the country and beyond.  Passionate about organic produce, he was instrumental in Essential’s ongoing relationships with Campo and La Terra, the Italian co-operatives who provide us with many unique products.  It was a similar story with the Galician Sea Vegetable producers Algamar, with whom Essential had a monopoly in the UK.  As a football fan, very close to Jaspa’s heart was the cause of the Zapatistas in Mexico.  A football tour of the Chiapas region with his beloved Easton Cowboys team led directly to the Kiptik/Café Rebelde connection.  This has resulted in an ongoing revenue stream directly supporting these indigenous communities.

Ever at the forefront for trade shows and open days, Jaspa was a true ambassador for the Essential family, often delivering engaging and inspiring talks or presentations.  He was generous with his time and shared his extensive knowledge and expertise, forming warm friendships with colleagues, suppliers, wholesalers and producers alike.  At events like Biofach or the Natural Products Show, it was always Jaspa that people wanted to talk to.  Such his passion and personable nature, Jaspa and his family were further invited to plantations and manufactures of wholefoods around the world.   

Jaspa passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side.  All of us here at Essential hope that they will feel the outpouring of love that we had for Jaspa as they begin the healing process.  He will be so very sorely missed and always remembered.  We would like to thank all those friends in fellow co-operatives and the wholefoods world for their kind thoughts and messages.

Anyone wishing to donate to the two charities close to Jaspa’s heart may do so via the the links provided below:

St Peter’s Hospice 

KIPTIK