About Us
The People Behind the Product
The Herbs in a Bottle manufacturing facility in Essendine is a large site, the majority of which is dedicated to contract manufacturing. Herbal medicine making for practitioners remains very much a cottage industry within the GMP facility.
Staff involved with the production of our herbal products have worked here for many years, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the process. The teams work hard to deliver quality herbal products for you, as a skilled practitioner, to dispense for your patients. Concluding the long journey of plants from field to patient.
Industry Research
As well as investing in people and equipment we continue to invest in the industry. Herbs in a Bottle participate in initiatives by industry bodies such as the British Herbal Medicine Association and the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association.
We are also currently collaborating with University of East London MSc Phyto-pharmaceutical Science students, exploring optimal methods of extraction of the active constituents in Schisandra chinensis.
If you have a research idea please contact us, we welcome participation in projects and may be able to offer resources to assist.
Procurement of Herbs
It is thought that around 70,000 species of plants are used medicinally worldwide and around 3,000 of these traded. With growing interest in phyto pharmaceuticals and the wider applications, for example in cosmetics and pet products, plants are very much an international commodity.
We understand that many herbalists prefer to wild harvest or grow their own herbs to make medicines. However there remains continued demand from practitioners for high volumes of a broad range of herbs that just have to be imported.
In fact, the UK imports over 90% of its requirement for medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). The international supply chain is highly complex and it can be different for different botanicals. For example, the majority of our herbs come from highly reputable distributors in Germany, the European hub for imports and exports; however, we also import directly from organic growers.
Quality Herbs Make Quality Medicine
Herbs in a Bottle believe you need quality herbs to make quality medicines. For that reason we have spent many years building trusting relationships with our suppliers to deliver a consistency of quality and supply. We work to best practice in the botanical industry to deliver products made from ethically and sustainably sourced herbs.
We always aim to keep stock of herbs listed in the catalogue, however sometimes it may not be possible for a variety of reasons. Unexpected events happen, crops fail, and increased rainfall in an area might mean difficulty in finding batches of herb that will pass our Quality Control (QC) tests. Whilst sudden popularisation of herbs can reduce international stocks and escalate prices.
Procuring quality herbs is a challenging, time consuming and complex process. However, be assured that Herbs in a Bottle have stringent procurement and QC processes to ensure delivering the highest consistency of finished goods possible for you, the practitioner, and your patients.