Although costs and prices will be very much at the forefront of everybody’s minds at the moment, blanket comparisons are often unhelpful and confusing, comparing unlike with unlike, without respect to either stock availability or the quality of raw herbs and other starting materials.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to quality, in the knowledge that one tends to get what one pays for. We know that our customers would never be prepared to risk a ‘cheap and nasty’ reputation. We have, however, seen some of our costs drop appreciably in 2008, which was a huge relief, especially after 2007 when all costs rose steeply due both to bad weather and general inflation.

We were delighted therefore to be able to pass these on by way of a big discount last autumn and are very pleased indeed to announce the 2009 catalogue with prices of the top herbs as much as 40% less than in 2008.

The new list and prices are already in operation. Although it will take us a short while to alter the webshop advertised prices, if you order from the website, we guarantee you will only be charged the new prices.

A note about our price reductions for 2009.

First a word of thanks to all those customers who supported and stuck by us during the period of rampant inflation that characterised increasing costs throughout 2007 and the first half of 2008. High farming costs, industrial inflation and greed finally led to the bubble bursting – or perhaps the lancing of the boil is a more appropriate metaphor.

Hopefully, with no inflation and low interest rates, we are now entering a time of more controlled costs. Although exchange rates and the weak pound must mean that imported materials of any quality are now very costly, thankfully because 90% of the top 20 most popular herbs used by UK herbalists are grown on our farm here (and more than half of the top 150), our 2009 tinctures show price drops as much as 40%, and an average price decreases of more than 10% compared to this time last year.

Due to a great growing year in 2008 and because of the way our business is set up, the biggest discounts of all compared to last year are in fact given to the top 20 most popular herbs (all fresh biodynamic) precisely because these are home grown, with the smallest discounts showing in the imported commercially traded material. Overall therefore, everything will cost less than last year but Nature has very kindly ‘targeted’ the economies for us, giving relief to herbal medicine, where it is needed most in these difficult times.

Home grown – not only best but, this year, cheapest too!