ALL NATURAL: The Busy Botanist range of infusions has won a place on the Grow with Aldi supplier development programme. Pictured are best friends and founders, Jo Arbon and Clair Kelly. Photo: Michelle Crean

By Michelle Crean

A local business, which is helping to improve people’s health one cup at a time, has been chosen for the shelves of 137 Aldi Stores – including Killarney.

The Busy Botanist, based in Killorglin, founded by two best friends, Jo Arbon and Clair Kelly,

specialises in caffeine free herbal tea, has been chosen for the Grow with Aldi supplier development programme as Aldi Specialbuys for a number of weeks.

Their innovative and healthy drinks are handmade and with a range of 14 different types – they target a wide range of health issues. And if popular enough they could see their range on the shelves of the food giant’s stores permanently.

Developed in partnership with Bord Bia, Grow with Aldi has been designed to help small to medium Irish food and drink businesses secure a retail listing with a national retailer.

Applicants attended a special Aldi Immersion Day with Bord Bia to pitch their products and meet existing Aldi suppliers. Extensive product sampling followed, and after careful consideration judges selected the 68 exceptional products to take part in the Aldi Specialbuys event.

The idea for the business came about as herbalist Jo was running Holistic Hound, making herbal blends for dogs.

However, after meeting Clair in a local slimming group, they came up with the idea of making herbal infusions which could help people with their health issues.

“The whole idea of the tea was to take away the tannins so you’re just getting the benefits of the herbs,” Jo told the Killarney Advertiser.

“The idea was really to give people an easy way of accessing herbs.”

Their range of teas, which include Sweet Dreams, Stressed Out, New Mammy, Pick Me Up amongst others, tells you the exact health benefits right on the front of the product.

“When we started we asked the slimming group what were their main issues,” Clair said.

“They came up with really common every issues. We said we’d start with a range of 10 targeting bloating and bone problems. Now we have 14.”