Jekka’s April Medicinal Herb Days

Friday 4th April & Saturday 5th April 2025

'Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food’ - Hippocrates

Jekka's Herb Days

Buy Herb Day tickets

Importance of medicinal herbs

Read Jekka's guide

Jekka's Herb Day Speakers & Demonstrators

Jekka McVicar, VMH

Jekka in the press

Bee McGovern

Bee is passionate about sharing her knowledge and encouraging reconnection with nature at all levels. Bee is a Medical Herbalist and Botanist with 18 years of clinical experience. Education and empowerment are key to her work, along with supporting individuals to reconnect with their own innate wisdom and wellbeing. Alongside her successful clinical practice Bee runs herb walks and workshops, these focus on plant identification, responsible foraging, and healthcare using the power of plants.  Nutritional density and nurtitional diversity are key areas of focus too - garden herbs and wild herbs can't be matched when it comes to this!

Nature is her teacher, friend and healer.

Jenny Chandler

Jenny Chandler is a freelance food writer and cooking teacher based in Bristol. She's passionate about getting more plants on plates across the board; from committed carnivores to vocal vegans, we can all benefit from enjoying a wider variety of whole foods in our diets. Jenny aims to inspire and educate, giving talks and workshops to both professional chefs and enthusiastic amateurs. She works with many fabulous food institutions including Borough Market , Leiths School of Food and Wine and The Soil Association. Jenny is the author of several books, most recent is A Good Appetite: Eating for Planet, Body and Soul published by The National Trust.

Claire Goulding

Claire is a Medical Herbalist, Aromatherapist  and Workshop facilitator with over 15 years of clinical experience.  Previously, Claire has a strong background in education, community engagement and environmental conservation. Claire is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. Claire holds a first class honours in Clinical Herbalism and offers 1-2-1 consultations in her private clinic in Bristol and online with Napiers Clinic, trading under Learn Botanics Herbal Medicine Clinic & Workshops. Claire specialises in hormonal health and believes passionately of the power of menstrual cycle awareness, underpinning her practice.

Hannah McVicar

Hannah McVicar grew up immersed in the life of the herb farm, surrounded by a world of plants and their stories. She is an accomplished botanical illustrator, drawing much of her inspiration from herbs. Her work includes original screen prints and murals, celebrating the beauty and intricacies of nature.

On the herb farm, Hannah is renowned for her engaging tours of the Herbetum, where she shares her deep knowledge and lifelong passion for herbs, offering visitors a unique and enriching experience.

Schedule of tours & talks

Time Event
09:30 - 10:15 Hannah McVicar - Herbetum Tour - Spring Herbs, a walking talk on the history, uses and growing tips of Jekka's Herbs

A guided Jekka's Herbetum tour to inspire you to grow and use more herbs in your garden.

10:45 - 11:30 Bee McGovern - Talk - Herbs to support digestive function and the microbiome

Bee will be highlighting how herbs can be used to support and improve digestive function and the microbiome – both as foods and medicines. Healthy digestive function and a good balanced microbiome underpin good health, and what we do everyday matters most! Top tips will be shared, along with a demonstration on how to make your own digestive bitters and incorporate them in your wellness plan.

12:00 - 12:45 Jekka McVicar - Talk - My top 6 Medicinal herbs to grow

Jekka will share her passion about growing herbs and she has chosen her 6 favourite and most useful medicinal herbs. She will explain how to grow them, whether in a garden or in a container as well as which part of the herb to use.

13:30 - 14:15 Claire Goulding - Herbetum Tour - Take a walk with Claire

Join Claire for a guided Jekka's Herbetum tour, an inspirational talk to motivate you to grow a range of medicinal herbs for you and your family.

14:45 - 15:30 Jenny Chandler - Talk - Herbs in the kitchen - bringing life and balance to the plate.

Having a repertoire of fresh, herby pestos, pastes and gremolatas can bring vitality and flavour to the simplest of dishes. Jenny will be demonstrating how recipes based on nourishing pulses and grains are transformed with the addition of a few well chosen leaves, super-charging both flavour and nutrition.

Please note, you do not need to book a place at these talks or tours

Stalls at Jekka's Herb Days

Saskia's Flower Essences

Saskia's Flower Essences have been making flower essences (similar to the Bach Flower Remedies) in the UK for 20 years. Flower Essences help people deal with the complex, sometimes bewildering changes around them, bringing support and personal transformation. They currently offer a complete range of single essences and essence blends that you take internally and mists to spray on yourself and the area around you.

Visit their website

Shorkk

Shorkk is a small, socially minded business based in Bristol with roots in Scotland and Lebanon run by Miranda and Philippe el Khazen.

Importing directly from two producers in Lebanon, they are keen to connect with "cooks who care”. Their iconic Lebanese ingredients such as olive oil, sumac and pomegranate molasses are minimally processed to maintain flavour and maximise their health benefits.

visit their website

The Village Pottery

Jen creates individually hand-thrown ceramics for home and restaurants, designed to be used for many years to come. Jen makes pieces that hope to blend into the fabric of your day making little moments that bit more enjoyable. Working with a natural material which can endlessly be recycled until fired means she can create and develop ideas freely before deciding on the final pieces helping to reduce waste further along the making process. This is especially the case when designing for restaurants who want something little different.

visit their website

Charity

National Institute of Medical Herbalists

Food

Chiki Monkey & Jekka's Cafe

How to find us

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Jekka's Herb Experiences

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