Hi everyone 👋

I hope you had a good weekend. Tom and I (Jack) were at The British Beekeeping Show on Saturday, and it's fair to say there was a real buzz about the place. It was our first time at such an event, and our primary aim was to tell as many people as possible about the amazing medicinal properties of propolis - we were busy bees!

I had an opportunity to present a talk about propolis. It was a delight to speak to a packed room. And surprising to find out how few beekeepers understand the value of propolis - something we're keen to change.

You can listen to my talk here:

Hi everyone 👋

I hope your week has got off to a good start. Last week I found myself heading down to London to deliver some training on the use of propolis in healthcare to a team of pharmacists at the Royal London Hospital for Intgrated Medicine (previously the Homeopathic Hospital).

Situated next door to the world-famous Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, the pharmacists at the RLHIM dispense a variety of natural and herbal medicines. I'm delighted to announce that the BeeVital range of propolis products will shortly be available from this prestigious location 😀

Hi everyone 👋

Apparently it's Blue Monday, said to be the most depressing day of the year. But as far as I can see, the only 'blue' thing about today is the wonderful blue sky visible through my office window (which also happens to have a blue frame!)

That being said, I'm totally aware that this time of year can be a real challenge for some, with conditions like SAD becoming more prevalent. St John's Wort is apparently widely used as a treatment, along with things like aromatherapy. Exposure to sunlight is an absolute must (and perhaps some added vitamin D), along with exercise and spending time with friends and family.

And as always, if there are any herbs or products we can supply which would help you better support your patients then please hit reply and let us know.

Hi everyone,

Hi everyone 👋

We're back! I hope you were able to relax and unwind a little during the Christmas break. Herbal Apothecary re-opened this morning, and it's fair to say that the New Year has got off to a brisk start.

Herbanuary's Not a Thing, Right?

January is a busy month in the world of health and wellbeing. From Veganuary to Dry January, people often set new year's resolutions related to their physical and mental health.

Hi everyone,

It's becoming a bit of a tradition that in the last week before our Christmas shutdown we spend some time sprucing up the factory. A coat of paint here, a deep clean there. My desk is in desperate need of a tidy - but that will wait for Friday.

This process helps us bring an end to the busy activity of the year, and it sets the tone for the following 12 months.

Hi everyone, 👋

I hope you're managing to stay warm. It's absolutely freezing here in Yorkshire - with snow forecast for tonight and tomorrow. On the plus side, the thick frost is making everything look beautiful and wintry, which I suppose is totally appropriate! ⛄⛄⛄

Essential Oils Back in Stock

We're excited to announce that we've re-stocked our entire essential oils range and now have 25 wonderful oils available. These are primarily available in 50ml dropper bottles, with a few of the more popular lines being available in larger sizes too.

Hi everyone 👋

Christmas is fast approaching, so please consider our Christmas holiday when planning your ordering. Herbal Apothecary will be closed between Christmas and New Year. We'll be at work until lunch time on Friday 23rd December, and then we'll be back open again at 8:30am on Tuesday 3rd January 2023.

Recommended Last Posting Dates

Due to the postal strikes, Royal Mail have published the following recommended last posting days for different services:

Hi everyone,

You know that saying, "there's a first time for everything"? Well, last week was the first time I attended a fancy business dinner which required the wearing of a bow tie. The event (York Press Business Awards) also necessitated talking to people I'd never met before, in an environment which was also unfamiliar. For an introvert it was all pretty daunting.

But nettles are there to be grasped, right?

Hi 👋

This morning was the first properly cold morning of the autumn, bright and frosty. But, as I set off on my bike across town I realised I'd forgotten my gloves - a vital part of cold weather cycling gear. What would have been a beautiful ride to work and a great start to my week was marred by painfully cold fingers.

This got me thinking...

Herbal Apothecary is like a nice pair of warm gloves!

Hi everyone 👋

I hope your week has started well. As usual, Herbal Apothecary is a hive of activity - processing orders, pressing & bottling tinctures, and making plans to improve what we do 😀

Tom and I just had a lovely call with some of our regular customers, who run a clinic in the north west of England. We always value the conversations we have with practitioners - they're so insightful and give us plenty of food for thought!

Here are 3 things we want to highlight as a result of our conversation:

Hi 👋,

Just a brief update this week. Last week our team were making fluid extracts - alongside a few 1:2 and 1:3 tinctures.

New Stock/Back In Stock This Week

Here are the tinctures, fluid extracts, and other products which came out of production last week and are available to buy via our website or by calling our office on 01947 602346:

Hi 👋,

Now the clocks have gone back things are definitely starting to feel a little more wintry. And with that our attention turns to herbal remedies for seasonal ailments and illness.

There are plenty of fantastic recipes for Fire Cider floating around at this time of year, which is something everyone can have a go at. For your patients, we're well stocked with herbs used to ward off winter illnesses - elderberry, echinacea, ginger, thyme, sage, rose hip and many more. As always, if there's something you can't find or think we should be stocking please let us know 🙂

Hi 👋,

As usual we're back with another brief update, including the list of tinctures, fluid extracts and other items which were produced last week or have been re-stocked. This week that includes Whole Cinnamon Sticks.

We also promised you an important update about our BeeVital range. The big news is that we've just announced our brand new quality mark, BeeVital Guaranteed Flavonoid Level (GFL). This standard is designed to provide four main benefits:

• It gives people clarity about what they’re buying

• It enables comparison between products and brands

• It holds companies accountable for the quality of their products

• It enables people to manage their dose effectively

Hi,

How did you spend your weekend? I hope you enjoyed the Herbal Medicine Conference, if you attended it. If not, you can still grab a ticket and enjoy all the amazing talks via the NIMH website.

Don't forget, Herbal Apothecary are a Friend of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists - we're committed to supporting practitioners and promoting the use of natural medicines.

Hi,

The nights are drawing in. As I write this I can see the light fading outside, aware that I still have to cycle back across town and within a few weeks I'll be cycling home from work in the dark.

Winter can be a difficult time for many, and this winter's looking likely to be quite a bit harder than most, even considering the last couple of years. Make sure you prioritise getting outside during daylight hours, seeing friends, enjoy your favourite hobbies, eat well. Look after yourself, and those around you.

Hi,

I hope you had a good weekend. We're back with another weekly round up of new and replenished lines and some behind the scenes info.

You asked, we sourced! Organic Base Cream is back in stock this week, and we've scheduled Organic Calendula Cream and some other variants for production this week, which will be available soon.

As the colder weather arrives, make sure you stock up with your winter remedy herbs - Schizandra, Ginger, Echinacea, Siberian Ginseng and others like liquorice and elderberry are all available.

Hi,

Back in 2021 we began planning to produce a small range of biodynamic tinctures, in conjunction with Ruskin Mill Trust and specifically their site at Clervaux, near Darlington. Fast forward 12 months and we're pleased to announce that our first two biodynamic tinctures are now available.

We've produced an Artichoke Leaf tincture, and a Yarrow Flower tincture. These are made with fresh herbs, harvested only an hour's drive from our factory. They're available in 250ml, 500ml and 1000ml bottles - just like the rest of our range.

20% of the retail price for these products will be given directly to Ruskin Mill, to help support their work at Clervaux. You can find out more about what they do by clicking here.

Hi,

At Herbal Apothecary we're committed to supporting the work of medical herbalists. As well as producing a wide range of herbal medicines we also offer additional services, such as 'own brand' product lines and product formulation.

Another way we support practitioners is by offering recent graduates 10% off for a whole year. This offer is available to anyone who has recently qualified, just send us evidence of your qualification and we'll send you a discount code you can use every time you shop online.

Hi,

Just like a herb, which begins life as a tiny seed, an organisation takes time to grow and mature. New shoots push through the soil, defiantly, but can be easily trampled or wilt if not watered. In the same way an organisation needs care and takes time to become established. And growth isn't always guaranteed, nor is fruitfulness.

Herbal Apothecary has been going through a period of growth - like a teenage growth spurt. Our limbs have extended, but our brain is taking a little longer to catch up! The reality of what we are becoming is appearing, it's just over the horizon.

Exciting times lie ahead, we know natural medicine is here to stay, and will become mainstream once again. Our team continue to work hard behind the scenes, developing new products, spearheading research projects and building better systems and processes so that we can deliver the best quality herbal medicines.

We've been so encouraged by all the practitioners who choose our products, and by the positive feedback we've received about our range and our customer service. When we hear that our products are improving people's lives it makes our day 🙂

New Stock

Hi,

I hope you're keeping well. We had a lot going on last week including myself (Jack) and James heading to London to visit a dentist who is passionate about using natural products in dentistry. I'll tell you about the skeleton we met in York on the way home another time!

The weekend just gone was Regatta Weekend in Whitby, a very popular event with locals and visitors alike. Unfortunately, following all the hot and sunny weather a thick sea fret blanketed the town in fog, leading to lots of event cancellations, including the Red Arrows, which was a shame. Just a few miles inland in the village of Goathland, myself, James and Lucy were supporting Goathland Village Show. It was great to chat with lots of people about the benefits of herbal medicines, propolis and natural skincare products. And, we enjoyed blue skies and sunshine too.

Hi,

I hope you're keeping well and able to enjoy the good weather this week.

From this week onwards we will be providing a regular update at the start of each week. We will be sharing the new tincture, fluid extract and capsules stock we have produced including links to the product on our website. We will also share information about products which will be available soon. We hope it is helpful.

New Stock

Hi,

What were you up to at the weekend?

Fin, myself and Shankar (pictured below) were attending the amazing Power of Plants Festival, organised by NIMH.

After a long drive down from Yorkshire on Thursday we pitched our tent at the venue - a beautiful location with amazing views of the surrounding countryside. We awoke to the sound of red kites circling above us, calling to each other as they hunted in the surrounding farmland. What a way to start the event!

Together with BeeVital, Herbal Apothecary are delighted to be sponsoring the National Institute of Medical Herbalists ‘Power of Plants Festival‘ which is taking place in Fawley, Buckinghamshire, from 1st – 3rd July 2022.

The event is bringing together practitioners, producers and the general public for 3 days packed full of all things herbal medicine. This is an ‘outdoor’ event – with camping provided on-site for those who wish to sleep under canvas, as well as campfires, evening entertainment and great food and drink.

Headlines

• 3 days of amazing talks and workshops

• Great food and drink available on-site, along with evening entertainment

• Jack, Fin and Shankar from Herbal Apothecary will be around all weekend

• Tickets still available - get yours here.

Hi,

At Herbal Apothecary we're committed to ensuring that high quality, natural and effective medicines can be accessed by as many people as possible. Along with our range of practitioner products, our BeeVital range of propolis products has gone from strength to strength over the years.

We know that many of our practitioners have recommended our BeeVital products to clients. We want to say a big 'thank you' to you! But we also know that our pricing structure has made it difficult for practitioners, clinics and retailers to make a margin on our products.

New Trade Pricing for BeeVital

Hi

I hope the sun is shining where you are. This weekend we have two quick announcments to make - both about propolis!

Propolis Conference

Next week the IPRG is holding their second annual online conference, hosted by Nature's Laboratory. This year there will be more than 40 talks, over 3 days, given by scientists and researchers from around the globe. Please watch the short video here:

Hi,

Over the last 18 months we have done our best to accommodate the increase in costs we have faced, in areas such as:

• Transport

• Energy

• Packaging

• Raw materials

We've worked hard to absorb as many of these increases as possible. Unfortunately, we can no longer contain all of these extra costs within our existing pricing.

Hi,

We hope you've had a good start to 2022. I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that our range of ayurvedic herbs and tinctures are now back in stock, this includes:

• Ashwagandha

• Brahmi

• Gotu Kola

• Turmeric

• Ginger

• and more!

Climate Positive Workforce

Hi,

Although we’re officially open until mid-day on Friday, we wanted to let you know that our final day for posting orders is tomorrow, 21st December. Any orders placed after Tuesday lunch time may not be dispatched until 4th January 2022, when we re-open.

As the year draws to a close we want to wish you a happy Christmas.

We look forward to working with you again in 2022.

Hi

At Herbal Apothecary we are committed to the future of herbal medicine. We've recently announced four new projects which are all designed to improve access to herbal medicine. Here's a brief overview with links to our website so you can find out more.

1. Herbal Access

We're covering the cost of herbal prescriptions for those who need financial assistance.

Hi

What a busy few week's we've had! It was a delight to be able to support the Herbal Medicine Conference this year, organised by NIMH. The conference was attended by nearly 500 people, learning from a wide range of excellent speakers.

Two big themes which came across loud and clear were the need for products and question of - as in, how can we help people access herbal medicine? As a result we've been thinking hard about how we can help tackle these issues.

Hi,

This weekend is the Herbal Medicine Conference, organised by the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. We're delighted to be supporting the event which is bringing together many of the world's leading experts.

The theme for the conference is 'Stepping Forward'. We've created a special video which details some of steps we're taking here at Herbal Apothecary. Keep an eye on our and where we'll be publishing the film tomorrow evening.

Hi,

It's been a few weeks since we last wrote to you - and we've got some exciting news to share!

Herbal Medicine Conference

You might already be aware that the Herbal Medicine Conference organised by is being held between October the 8th and 10th this year - just over 2 weeks away!

Hi,

After a rainy few days it feels like summer is in full swing again here in Yorkshire.

In this email we wanted to share a video we’ve made, let you know that we’re now more active than ever on social media and inform you about a few things happening here at Herbal HQ. Read on!

Got 5 Minutes?

Hi,

A lot has been happening behind the scenes at Herbal Apothecary recently. Here are the headlines:

Dispatch Times