A brief  history of The Hemp Store

Jonathan and Lisa grew a crop of Industrial Hemp on the family farm in Suffolk back in the 1990’s.

It opened our eyes as to the fantastic potential of the hemp plant – surely one of nature’s great gifts. We watched as the tiny seed germinated within days, and then, just 100 days later, was a beautiful  tall plant (over 2 meters) swaying in the Fenland winds – all on very poor and thin Breckland soil that struggled to support the more usual East Anglian crops of barley, wheat, potatoes and sugar beet without large inputs of fertilisers, pesticides and irrigating water – expensive on the pocket and of course expensive to the environment.

We also discovered the huge variety of uses for the hemp plant – fabric to make clothes and bags, seeds to make nutritious oil, well being food, bath, body and soaps to nourish and moisturise the skin, paper, bio fuel, building material and on and on!

Unbeknown to us at the time this crop would to shape the next phase of their lives.

The journey began when we left the farm in 1999 and set up The Hemp Store. We started on Cambridge Market (finally bowing out after 23 years wonderful years)

Our intention was to offer products made from eco friendly sources but that were also good quality – well made, sustainable, fairly traded and different. Today our mission remains the same.

Over the last 20 years we have met an array of wonderful characters – many who became firm friends – Udaya and Rosie Thapa from Nepal, Vidhi and Aichin Brorson from Denmark – the founders of Hemp Valley, Gavin at THTC, and Amit and his family makers of the wonderful hemp Sativa Bags.

These days we are back in Suffolk and with the expertise of our old friends Tom and Zoe offering a growing range of natural hemp bath and body products.
Tom is the finest of professional soap-makers.
With our passion for all things hemp and Tom’s brilliant and innovative skills in formulating and making all manner of soaps, balms and creams, the seeds were sown for our own locally made hemp bath, body and soaps range.

We remain a small family business still following our initial vision to offer sustainable, eco friendly and quality goods to be savoured and enjoyed by all those with a passion and a care for our planet.

Wholesale Enquiries

We supply our own range of hemp products to independent retail outlets (eco shops, zero waste stores, local stores, environmental web shops etc.).
If you are interested in stocking our super hemp stuff then please email us with your details, location etc. and we can forward you our current trade price list.