A few UK herb houses.
If you're in the EU you want to buy from within the EU.
Because if you don't, your parcel will get stuck in customs, and get slapped with import duty and similar charges. And VAT, which matters if you don't have a EU VAT number yourself, as you're then the place where the VAT buck stops.
Anyway, here are a few herbalist-only UK herb houses:
- Proline Botanicals
- The Organic Herb Trading Company
- The Herbal Apothecary
- Phyto Pharmaceuticals
- Rutland Biodynamics
- Artemis Herbs
- Avicenna
You should thank me, lots, as it's difficult to locate these URLs.
For herbalist-only herb companies, there are usually ordering limits. For instance, the minimum amount per plant is 1/2 kg (excepting things like saffron and (I think) vanilla pods), and the minimum order size can be £50, excluding carriage.
And while the catalogues look good (wow, they have this?), they don't always have everything: I recently tried to order 9 different herbs from one of these companies, and was told that they didn't carry one (their website said otherwise) and that 3 others were out of stock. The resulting carriage per kg of herb was extreme (double the price of the herbs, and then some), so I cancelled the order and have ordered the lot elsewhere.
Then there are UK herb houses for the great unwashed masses:
I haven't bought anything from these: their ordering amounts are piddling small (1 ounce? What would I do with one ounce of a herb?) and extremely expensive, if calculated by the kg.
And of course, I can buy from the herbalist-only companies, because I'm a herbalist.
Lucky me, eh?
If you know of good suppliers in the EU add'em in the comments. Thanks!
Dunno - member of one or the
Dunno - member of one or the other official body? Other qualification? I haven't had to prove that I'm a herbalist yet, so I don't know.
More UK herbal suppliers
Hi,
one more wholesale supplier is Avicenna. I have no direct experience of trading with them but have used their products in the Uni dispensary. Usually when I have found myself stop and go "wow - that smells/looks/feels amazing" I find I have an Avicenna bottle in my hand. Several people I know, who dispense for a living, rave about the quality and vitality of their products.
http://www.avicennaherbs.co.uk/cgi-...
I also rate Rutland Biodynamics though and have direct trading experience with them - excellent company, excellent products. They sometimes have some basic stuff missing from the catalogue which can be frustrating but I suppose that is a consequence of the variabilities of season and harvest.
Two further retail outlets
http://shop.napiers.net/
http://www.woodlandherbs.co.uk/
I have also used Neal's Yard and Baldwins. I often end up ordering from Baldwins because they carry a wider range - or at least have the most things on my shopping list.
Hope that helps
Claire
Thanks! I've added those to
Thanks! I've added those to the post. Would you know the quality of Avicenna's dried herbs? As I don't do liquids, especially not tinctures, by mail ...
:-)
:-)