Set on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds,
Wolds Way Lavender is home to 120 varieties of lavender, as well as a 7.25” narrow gauge railway, ‘living’ maze and tearoom selling delicious scones – lavender flavoured, of course. We recently called in to catch up with Steve and find out more about life on the farm…
Q: So firstly, why lavender?
The soil here is very poor, probably the worst 12 acres of farmland in the area. It would only be good for growing carrots, and we didn’t think people would want to visit a carrot farm! We visited Norfolk Lavender and gleaned some ideas that we then improved on using my tourism background [Steve used to run Eden Camp – a local WWII museum] and Anne’s garden design courses.
Q: How has the business developed over the years?
In the beginning, there wasn’t a tree or hedge on site. 16 years on and the landscape has changed completely! Our original plan was to grow the lavender, harvest it, distil it and then use it in our range of products. That core aim is still at the centre of the business but the way we achieve it has evolved over the years. The activities we run alongside the lavender have grown and are necessary to ensure the viability of the business.
Q: Is there anything special about your distillation process?
The essential oil is released by the age-old process of steam distillation. The steam is passed through the lavender which evaporates the lavender oil. Our still is unique in that it is wood-fired – we have a huge kettle producing the steam just like in days gone by, whereas all other lavender farms use a gas or oil-steam generator to force the steam through the still. We take three hours per batch compared to their 30-40 minutes. Ours is of course the best!