Community Apothecary is a Waltham Forest social enterprise sharing herbal healthcare through communal growing and learning around healing gardens in Walthamstow, Leyton & Chingford and regular medicine making workshops, courses and events. Our remedies are made with care and love by our collective of medical herbalists Rasheeqa Ahmad & Odhran Lawlor, herb grower Jayne Kress and our volunteer crew & workshop participants at the Hornbeam Centre in Walthamstow - they are also available from here on Apothecary days. They are safe for general use and intended as seasonal, health and wellbeing-supporting tonics.
SPRING-into-SUMMER 2026 REMEDIES
Dried Garden & Wild Herbs and Tea Blends for systemic healing: £3 per 10g loose single dried herbs; £4 - 20g, £5 - 25g for pre-mixed blends (these are available from our Hornbeam Apothecary, 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month 10am-5pm)
Garden Healing Balm: Wild healers & garden flowers - Plantain leaf, Calendula flower & St John’s Wort summer blossom combined & infused in safflower oil to give nourishing anti-inflammatory and tissue healing action / £10 - 60g
Decongestant Chest & Muscle Rub: Bay leaf, Oregano & Elecampane infused in safflower oil, set with beeswax and enriched with essential oils for warming, clearing and anti-infective activity in lungs & sinuses / £10 - 60g
Ancient Roman Joint Balm: Nettle Seed & Rosemary infused in olive oil from an old recipe, with Lavender & Wintergreen essential oils - warming ointment helpful for joint inflammation/pain/swelling/soreness/sprains / £10 - 60g
Spring Mineral Tonic Vinegar: freshness of wild greens from the garden (Cleavers, Sweet Violets) infused in apple cider vinegar with the mother culture for microbiome and nutrient richness / £5 - 100ml
Hayfever Relief Tincture: Blend of Nettles, Chamomile & Elderflowers infused in vodka to make a potent allergy symptom-easing remedy with antihistamine, decongestant and soothing anti-inflammatory activity for the sinuses and airways / £10 - 100ml
Summertime insect protection spray: Potent aromatic mix of insect-repelling Lemongrass, Lavender, Bay leaf, Oregano decocted in water and blended with fresh green Plantain leaves and Witch Hazel water plus essential oil of Peppermint, for soothing activity and protection from stings and bites while out and about / £5 - 100ml
Root & Seed Lung Syrup: Soothing, anti-infective and expectorant combination of Marshmallow root, Elecampane root & Fennel seed from the gardens, extracted in honey, alcohol & water for maximum potency / £12 - 100ml
Fire Cider! Brilliant warming winter tonic, protective and fortifying with a mix of kitchen ingredients, herbs and spices infused in apple cider vinegar for immune system & digestive health / £6 - 100ml
Community Apothecary herbal remedies safety information
Community Apothecary CIC is led by a team of directors that includes qualified medical herbalists Rasheeqa Ahmad and Odhran Lawlor, who devise the recipes for the remedies that we make with safety as the priority. As such, these are all intended as general, tonic remedies that are safe for the general public to take or apply, with no or minimal risk of interactions or contraindications e.g. with other medications or health conditions. The remedies are not intended as specific treatment for particular health issues; they are minor ailment or first aid ‘food-medicines’ including salves for skin/joints/muscles/chest/sinuses, immune tonics like fire cider, cough syrups, dried herb tea blends, infused vinegars and alcohol tinctures that are all accepted as safe for general consumption or application including by children over the age of 6 and elders.
The remedies are made with plant ingredients that have been grown or wild-harvested organically in our gardens and local lands, by our project facilitators and volunteers. These practices are followed with attention to sustainability and respect for ecosystems and quality, hygiene and safety standards as determined by our facilitators who are land workers, growers and herbalists. Other ingredients are natural materials like plant-based oils, waxes, butters, vinegar, grain alcohol, sugar, honey and water that we take care to source from organic, sustainable, ethical and local or regional origins and producers as much as possible.