Introducing a Blue & Green friend: Pukka Herbs

Each day we’re introducing one, two or three of our new affiliate friends. If you click through the link in this article, the link is tracked and may generate a small payment to us. Sometimes the payment is per click, per user, per application, per accepted application or any combination of the above. That payment funds us so we can grow and encourage even more readers to live, spend and invest sustainably. Today it’s the turn of Pukka Herbs.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so when they started out they gave their name careful consideration. ‘Pukka’ was perfect.

Translated from Hindi to mean ‘authentic’, ‘genuine’ or, more colloquially, ‘top-quality’, ‘Pukka’ epitomises all that they represent – their ethos, ambition and everything they create.

As they grow, their reliance on nature increases. With this in mind, they respect their relationship with the land by using herbs from fairly traded, sustainable sources and enjoying long-term bonds with their suppliers, encouraging them to farm in a way that ensures the sustainability of their environment. They’re proud to say that all their herbs are certified organic by the Soil Association and can all be traced back to the field in which they were grown.

Throughout their journey, the huge support they’ve received from their customers has encouraged them to stay true to their roots and vision. They’re still as passionate about sharing the wonders of organic herbs as they were when the seeds of Pukka were first sown.

They’re:

– Striving to make the best quality herbal solutions with ethical and environmental awareness

– A leader in sustainable healthcare

– Bringing confidence in using herbs that make a positive difference to helping people live healthy happy lives

– Utilising key expertise in herbalism to make the most enjoyable teas and therapeutic remedies possible

Pukka started life in the year 2001 as a simple idea: connect people with the incredible wonders of herbs. But an idea is just an idea until it is realised. Fortunately, this idea manifested thanks to an advert in a Bristol cultural magazine placed by Tim, a creative entrepreneur with a passion for natural-health.

The ad ran for two weeks – with only one response, from an enthusiastic young herbalist called Sebastian Pole.

The Pukka idea

Sebastian has been fascinated with plants, conservation, and herbalism for many years, and when he saw Tim’s advert offering help to start-up ethical businesses, he’d already decided that he wanted to work for himself championing the amazing power of herbs and bringing their magic into more people’s lives.

Having tried many herbal teas, and fed up with a mouthful of dusty flavourings, Sebastian’s big idea was to give people a delicious cup of herbal tea that symbolised everything he believed in.

This wasn’t going to be just any cup of herbal tea, mind you – Sebastian wanted to create an incredible cup of herbal tea that supported people’s health, promoted conservation, and showed off the true brilliance of herbs.

And it didn’t stop with tea. Sebastian wanted the brilliance of herbs to be at the heart of effective herbal solutions too. He wanted to create amazing syrups, delicious Aloe vera juices, as well as incredible herbal supplements that would work wonders for people and the planet.

He just needed a good dose of business talent to bring this vision to life: Tim was the answer.

A meeting of minds

Not only did Tim have 10 years’ experience as a business change consultant, he also had a genuine passion for the power of herbs, nutrition and therapy – and, perhaps more crucially, a burning desire to make a positive change in the world.

From the first moment Tim and Sebastian met, they were the perfect match. Although they had a completely different set of skills, they shared a common thread of values and mutual trust.

They spent hours in Tim’s Bristol flat plotting the path ahead, working evenings and weekends trying to turn their vision of a business centred around the holistic principles of Ayurveda, into a real business. But one with a big difference; where the profits served a purpose.

Once the vision and the values of their fledgling business had been established, they just needed one more thing: a name.

 Why Pukka?

After some hilarious non-starters (such as ‘Holy Cow’), the name Tim and Sebastian settled on was ‘Pukka Herbs’.

In Hindi, pukka means ‘real, authentic or genuine’ – it embodied everything that Tim and Sebastian wanted their business to be; it also sounded positive and felt ripe, juicy, tasty and delicious to say.

They officially christened their new company, Pukka Herbs towards the end of 2001. And the rest, as they say, is history (still in the making).