Neal's Yard Remedies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neal's Yard Remedies is a British chain of cosmetics stores, now also found in Japan and USA.
[edit] History
The first Neal's Yard Remedies shop opened in 1981 in a corner of Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden. Romy Fraser, the founder, was interested in alternative medicine and wanted to bring together all the varying natural remedies available in one shop.[1] The shop offered a wide selection of dried herbs, a large range of homoeopathic remedies, essential oils and flower remedies. A range of toiletries based on herbs and essential oils was developed and packed in blue glass to preserve their quality.[2]
In 1985 a small factory was opened in South London to meet increasing demand. In 1986 they opened two new shops and they have continued to grow and now have 29 shops in the UK and 9 in Japan. Neal's Yard also supply to well-known department stores like John Lewis.
In 2005 Neal's Yard Head office moved from South London to a new purpose-built ecofactory at Peacemarsh, near Gillingham, Dorset. During the same year, Romy Fraser became partners with the Kindersley family, owners of Sheepdrove organic farm. This has created a platform for enough land to grow a large percentage of the herbs that are used in their products.[3]
The company was awarded an Alternative Award in 2005 by the RSPCA for its ethical treatment of animals[4] and a Golden Rabbit by the BUAV.
In April 2008, the company was investigated by the BBC for claiming that the homeopathic remedies they sell can help prevent and treat serious fatal diseases such as malaria. The news report alleged that this practice was "highly dangerous and it puts people's lives at risk." [5] Subsequently the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the product was "clearly intended to be viewed as a treatment or preventive" and the company's actions "potentially harmful to public health and misleading"; Neal's Yard accepted there was no proof that it worked and have discontinued the product.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Marks and Spencer's Rose honoured, BBC News, December 29, 2007.
- ^ Nachman, Sherrie: The Unbeaten Path: In London, a New (Age) England, The Washington Post, 3 May 1998.
- ^ Wiggins, Jenny: Kindersley buys Neal's health unit for £10m, Financial Times, 23 December 2005.
- ^ McDonald's praised for happy cows, BBC News, 13 October 2005.
- ^ Homeopathic remedy claims are disputed, BBC South West, 11 April 2008.
- ^ "Firm 'misled' over malaria drug", BBC News, 6 May 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
