About Us

Our Story

For more than 40 years we have grown, sourced and supplied the UK's largest range of high-quality botanicals for a diverse range of customers - in the herbal tea, food, skincare and medicinal markets.

Our customers, based in the UK and worldwide, range from individual practitioners to the most respected global organic brands including Neal’s Yard RemediesRiverford Organic and Yeo Valley.

Founded in 1982 by organic luminary Mike Brook, the business started as ‘Hambleden Herbs’ in the picturesque village of Hambleden, when Mike began growing herbs in a field near his home. Quickly realising that he wouldn’t be able to meet fast-growing demand for organic herbs, Mike began his search for products abroad, and steadily built up a large portfolio of suppliers around the world – some of whom we still source from today.

As the business grew, Hambleden Herbs launched its own ranges of pre-packed organic herbal teas and culinary spices, the first organic products of their kind to be available in the UK. In order to support growing demand for space and production facilities, Mike and his family relocated to a farm in Somerset in the mid-90s – still home to the business today. Its bulk trading division became ‘The Organic Herb Trading Company’ in 2000, and the Hambleden Herbs retail brand was sold four years later.

Mike and his team continued to pave the way for organic herbs, spices and botanicals in the UK market, and now source and supply over 500 products, from more than 60 countries around the world from suppliers with whom we have built longstanding, mutually beneficial relationships. As a trailblazer in the industry, Mike led the way for introducing new products to the UK, including bringing organic Cocoa powder to the market for the first time in 1999. Our commitment to fair and ethical sourcing policies and high-quality ingredients means that product integrity and authenticity remain at the core of the business, and working closely with suppliers at source to maintain these high standards is paramount.

Now with manufacturing, export, NPD and consultancy services embedded in the company thanks to our team of experts, we continue to hold our position as one of the most highly regarded businesses in the industry, and one of the few that remains under the private ownership of its founders.