Christopher Dawson was born 19 September 1953, at New Plymouth Hospital, New Zealand and grew up in Opunake, a rural town in New Zealand. He is the third son of William Geoffrey and Joan Dawson.

Education
He did his primary, secondary and tertiary education in New Zealand. He first started independently studying vegetarianism and organic agriculture at the age of 18. In 1974 he came to London to further his studies of organic agriculture, both at the Henry Doubleday Horticulture and Nutrition Research Centre in Braintree and the Bio Dynamic Agriculture section at the Rudolf Steiner Emerson College, Sussex.

Beginning Organic Food Distribution
In 1977, he opened and managed the East West Natural Foods Store at the Community Health Foundation, Old Street, London. He developed this shop into a distribution centre for traditional natural / macrobiotic foods, sourced from both local organic farms and from abroad, especially from Japan.

From August 1978 through to January 1980 he travelled extensively throughout Europe, America, Australia and Asia, investigating the traditional dietary practices and food-processing techniques. He studied at the East West Foundation in Boston, Mass, U.S.A. about Far Eastern philosophical principles and traditions and studied the distribution network of the natural foods movement in both America & Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Eighteen Years in Japan
Christopher made his first trip to Japan in July 1979, visiting natural food enterprises throughout Japan with Mr. A. Kazama, president of Mitoku Co. Ltd. He returned to Japan in January 1980 and began extensive studies into the daily life and cultural and dietary practices of the Japanese people.

At the end of 1980 he commenced full-time employment at Mitoku Co. Ltd., the major exporter of traditional, natural Japanese foods. During the eighteen years he spent with the company Christopher studied Japanese Foods & production, worked with the producers to develop products to suit the needs of customers abroad and help the producers become compliant with EU organic certification. He also travelled extensively to introduce the foods to markets worldwide, with the intention to see if Japanese foods could really become international foods.

Building Clearspring in the UK, Europe and the Middle East
In September 1993, Christopher bought the Clearspring Ltd. company, which was then a London based wholesaler with one shop, the very shop that Christopher started in 1977! By 1998, he felt he had sufficient knowledge of traditional, top quality Japanese food and decided it was the right time to come back to UK and to focus on marketing organic and authentic Japanese foods under the Clearspring brand.

Recognition from the Japanese Government
On 25 May 2007, Christopher received the Award for Overseas Promotion of Japanese Food 2007 from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, for his distinguished contribution to the promotion of Japanese organic food worldwide.

How he decides on a Clearspring food:

• Would I eat it?
• Could I eat it every day without harm?
• Would I feel good about feeding it to my four children?
• Am I excited about it?
  

After feeling good about it, the following criteria must be met:

• Wholesome ingredients from sustainable organic agriculture
• Traditional recipes and processing techniques, including traditional brewing of Japanese foods at ambient temperatures, aging in wood barrels and using unrefined sea salt
• The best quality food in its category
• Ethical sourcing with fair wages for farmers and processors
• Everyone can potentially profit from it health-wise and commercially
• Good taste!

What does he like to do everyday?
1. Enjoy freshly made miso soup
2. Sit down to regular meals with family and friends
3. Take a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes every day
4. Enjoy some sun and greenery
5. Wear organic cotton clothing as much as possible
6. Take 100% responsibility for his actions
7. Say thank you to his parents

His 8-point compass
1. Take 100% responsibility for his actions, his health and his family’s welfare. No blame, no claim, no defending, no judging.
2. Be optimistic: seeing a half empty cup as a cup half full.Everything is constantly changing, giving hope and prosperity.
3. Eat whole foods: "Food is Spirit" in its own right and should not be tampered with.
4. Be loving: love shortens the distance to all goals.
5. Express gratitude for all things and situations, as an integral part of his development.
6. Recognize money as necessary for life, but not to gain it at the expense of the health and welfare of others.
7. See sickness in body and agriculture as an opportunity to reflect on our greed.
8. Promote organic agriculture and sustainable food production by the masses as our future, rather than mass production.

His Vision
"Our goal is to get organic food back on the dining table, so that you can enjoy the same quality of foods as your grandparents did. By developing a demand for organic foods and encouraging the cultivation of organic food by farmers today, we can ensure that your grandchildren too can enjoy such good food."

To realise this vision, we work to make Clearspring a popular and premier organic food brand with an emphasis on food integrity.