Wild and free Botanicals

COSY SEASON IS COMING…
Something delicious is happening in my little garden studio…
I’ve been busy behind the scenes creating four gorgeous seasonal soaps, and they’re currently in the making. They’re not available just yet, but I couldn’t resist giving you a little sneak peek.
☕ Hot Choc Mint
Think creamy hot chocolate with that unmistakably fresh, cooling hit of peppermint. Rich, chocolatey and wonderfully refreshing.
🍊 Hot Choc Orange
Imagine biting into a Terry’s Chocolate Orange… but turning it into soap. Chocolatey, zesty, indulgent and packed with gorgeous natural oils and butters. And yes… there really is chocolate in there... And lots of it 😋
🎄 Christmas Spice
Warm cinnamon, clove and nutmeg vibes. Basically Christmas in a soap bar, with a cosy, spicy scent that makes you want to wrap yourself in a blanket and put the kettle on.
🍬 Candy Cane
Fresh, crisp and seriously cooling. Think peppermint candy cane with a little extra luxury, and a gorgeous candy cane-inspired salt scrub texture.
And as always, these aren't just pretty bars…
They're handmade in my cosy garden studio and loaded with natural oils, nourishing butters and skin-loving ingredients.
So while the Christmas shopping may feel a little way off yet… I'm already making the bathroom smell like December. 😂
Coming very soon.
Four seasonal treats. Four very different scents.
And absolutely no calories. 😉
Which one are you waiting for? 🍊🍫🌿🎄

I HAVE EXCITING NEWS!

You can now find Wild & Free Botanicals at The Greedy Goat in Hurworth!

And if you haven’t discovered this lovely place yet… Check it out!

☕️ Coffee & cake
🥖 Fresh bread
🥬 Organic fruit & veg
🥚 Pasture-range eggs
🎁 Gorgeous gifts & local goodies

Their coffee shop & bistro has the farm shop and gift shop right next door, and now you’ll find a little piece of Wild & Free in there too. 🌿

So grab yourself a cuppa, demolish one of those delicious cakes or cookies, then have a wander next door and stock up on your favourite handmade soaps, bath treats and botanical goodies.

It’s exactly the kind of place I LOVE supporting — local, thoughtful, sustainable and passionate about good things made well.

Coffee. Cake. Local goodies. Wild & Free = 😍

The Greedy Goat, Hurworth

Go and give them a little visit — and tell them Wild & Free sent you!

I know... it's July. The sun is shining, everyone's talking about holidays... and I'm over here with Christmas on my mind.

This is the funny thing about being a small handmade business... Christmas doesn't begin in December. It quietly tiptoes in during the middle of summer.

Whilst the garden is in full bloom, I'm sketching festive gift ideas, dreaming up cosy collections and planning how to turn my little studio into the tiniest winter wonderland.

There are labels to design, batch cards to print, instruction leaflets to create, ingredients to order, jars, boxes, ribbons, pouches, stickers, tissue, shred... the list seems to grow longer every year! And somehow, I absolutely love every single bit of it.

July is for planning.

August is when the first Christmas soaps are poured, then patiently left to cure.

By September... the magic really begins. The shelves slowly fill with rows of beautiful handmade soaps, steamers, bombs and gifts, festive music starts sneaking onto the playlist (don't judge me! 😂), and my little corner of the world transforms into a cosy Christmas workshop.

There is something so special about knowing that every gift will be made by hand, wrapped with care, and eventually become part of someone else's Christmas tradition.

So whilst the rest of the world is embracing the heatwave... you'll find me happily daydreaming about frosty mornings, twinkling fairy lights, evergreen wreaths and the scent of orange, clove and cinnamon filling the studio.

Christmas has always been my favourite kind of magic... and I can't wait to start sharing it with you. 🎄

Yesterday, The Festival of Thrift was absolutely heaving, and my partner had help on the stall.

Today... he was on his own.

Honestly, I couldn't get my head round how he was going to do it all... taking orders, taking payments, cooking toasties, sorting trays, dips, crisps and coleslaw. I literally lost sleep over it! 😂

I was saying to Sadie, "I think we need to go... he's never going to manage."

Without telling him, we threw our uniforms on and headed over to Redcar . Sadie jumped on the dips, I started serving, and before he even realised we were there I was asking the next customer...

"OK, Who's next?"

His face was an absolute PICTURE 🤗

Watching Mino in full swing today made me so proud. Every toastie is made fresh to order. The fillings are all cooked from scratch - the slow-cooked pulled beef (our house smells amazing when that's on! 🤤), the caramelised onions done the Moroccan way, and butter on the outside of every toastie to give that gorgeous charred finish.

The queue just never seemed to end, but between the three of us we found our rhythm and made a pretty good team.

A huge thank you to everyone who queued up and waited so patiently today at Festival of Thrift. We know waiting isn't always fun, but we really do appreciate every single order. ❤️

If you don't already follow , we'd love it if you did. Give the page a share, tell your friends, and if you're looking for incredible made-to-order toasties, you'll find him at markets, festivals and events all over Teesside.

Thanks for a brilliant weekend! 🧀🥪

Another day work experience with Sadie 😊

This morning started with, "I'm really not feeling it today Mam..."

I smiled and said, "Well I'm sorry, but that's work sometimes. Not every day starts with loads of motivation." So we had a little pep talk, grabbed a cuppa, and got stuck in.

The morning was filled with beauty appointments, and Sadie got to meet a few of my lovely long-term clients. She was chatty, welcoming and enjoyed seeing what a typical morning in the studio looks like.

And it actually turned out to be another lovely day...

We made more soap, bevelled every bar, stamped each one with the Wild & Free logo and labelled them all ready for the shelves.

Then we headed into the garden to pick fresh herbs before turning the studio into a little photography set. 📸

I gave Sadie the props and let her create. Before long, I found myself stepping back and just watching her work. She became completely engrossed, and the photos she's produced are absolutely beautiful. I'm so proud of how much confidence she's gained in just a couple of days.

It was another productive day in the studio and I'm excited to share some of the images she created.

All of our handmade soaps are available to buy from the studio or by local collection, and they'll be making their way onto the website next week too.

Not a bad outcome for a day that started with, "I'm not feeling it today Mam" lol
One more day left and she can't wait for tomorrow, it's her turn for a pamper session..... Nice way to spend her work experience 😊🩷

Today at Wild & Free, my special helper

Sadie joined me for her first day of work experience, getting a real behind-the-scenes look at what goes into running a handmade business.

She rolled up her sleeves, helped around the studio and even made a beautiful batch of our Awaken - Spearmint & Poppy Seed Soap on a Rope, which will be ready to buy later this week.

The best part wasn't just the soap —it was watching her confidence grow as the day unfolded. She started the morning a little nervous, but before long she was asking questions, getting stuck in and tackling every job with enthusiasm.

There was plenty of laughter along the way too... and apparently every soap-making session now requires an Ariana Grande soundtrack! Safe to say the studio had a very different vibe today. 🎶

I'm so proud of how she's embraced every opportunity. It's been lovely sharing a little glimpse of the creativity, hard work and joy that goes into every Wild & Free product. Roll on day two
It's lovely having a "colleague" 😆...... And a lunch break. I never do that lol, what a lovely day. Isn't she gorgeous?!? 🫶

This week, Wild & Free Botanicals has gained a gorgeous Junior Soap Maker! 🌿 My daughter Sadie will be with me on her work experience 😊

While I'm busy in the treatment room at , Sadie will be getting a real behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into running Wild & Free.

We'll be making soap, wrapping and labelling products, styling soaps for website photography, organising stock, visiting the wholesalers, and learning just how much love (and washing up! 😂) goes into a handmade business.

She's also joining me at Root and ritual to see the day-to-day running of the studio, shadowing selected beauty treatments and helping prepare everything for clients.

A week of creativity, learning, laughter... and definitely coming home smelling of essential oils!

Who knows... maybe one day Wild & Free will have another pair of hands behind the scenes. 💚

We finally got to go to Orange Pip Market instead of trading at it... woop woop! 🍻

Music, sunshine, a few drinks, lots of laughs and the best company. Lovely to catch up with fellow traders without shouting, "Cash or card?" every five minutes. 😂

We definitely need to do this more often. ❤️