HOLY LAMA

Gluten-Free Vegan Spice Drops

Spice Drops® are concentrated natural extracts of spices and herbs that retain all the natural goodness and authentic taste. More convenient & longer shelf life! Water and fat soluble. Vegan and gluten free.

What’s different from powdered or whole spices?

* 3 years shelf life
* Easy to blend
* Consistent in every drop
* Doesn’t require cooking or brewing
* No bits in your mouth
* Easy to store

Because our spice drops are oil based there is no need to cook or brew them like you do with the powder or whole spices. So the next time you need those delicious flavours at your fingertips or when the cooking is done and you realise it misses that extra zing, that little more spice. All you need is a few drops of the Holy Lama Naturals Spice drops. They have no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. No more crushing, grinding or grating .. just add a few drops!

Example: garlic extract to pasta dishes, garam masala to soups, tea masala to tea or mulled wine extract to a glass of red wine. Especially fantastic when flavouring chocolates or ice-creams and you desire a smooth texture. You can use spice drops in most recipes, instead of whole or powdered spices.

Spice Drops are concentrated extracts of spices and herbs that retain all the natural goodness and authentic taste. More convenient & longer shelf life!

Our Story

Our story begins in the 1940’s, led by a key pioneer in the essential oils industry, and spans 3 generations of the family.

DV DEO

The Holy Lama Naturals story begins in 1938, when Mr. D V Deo migrated from near Goa to Kerala, South India, in order to set up agriculture in the essential oils field. He was the first person in India to establish vetivert cultivation, on a commercial basis – and therefore became one of the pioneers in the Indian essential oils industry. From there, the business expanded into other essential oils and spice concentrate extraction.

VIJAY DEO

For as long as he can remember, D.V. Deo’s youngest son Vijay was fascinated by the world of essential oils and perfumery, and became involved in the family business at a very young age. His fascination took him to Bhutan, on a government-backed project, helping locals to cultivate and extract lemongrass oil. During the 1980’s, he lived in the Himalayas for eight years and, whilst in Bhutan, made a 12-day walking pilgrimage to Aja Ney, (the holy place of Lama Guru Padmasambhava). There, the presiding Lama presented him with a ‘Thangkha of Lama Guru’ which symbolises good luck in life – which inspired the Holy Lama Naturals brand name.

VIJAYA DEO

Vijay’s wife is a home-maker and wonderful cook, and has always been a strong supporter of the family business. Vijaya has a great nose for perfumery, so blending creams and spice extracts came naturally to her. She led the Holy Lama Naturals venture, whose manufacturing unit was set up in Kerala as a Government-recognised women’s enterprise, supporting and empowering marginalised women in the local community. Vijaya is in charge of product development and perfecting the formula for the entire product range. She is also the go-to person for the women in the factory when they are facing professional or personal challenges.

VAISHALI DEO

Mrs. and Mr. Vijay Deo’s youngest daughter has a master’s degree in business administration and dreamed of joining the family business even whilst still studying. Soon after graduating, she joined the Holy Lama team and fulfilled that dream. She now maintains great control over the business’s administration and customer service.

GOURI KUBAIR

Over in Europe, the Deo’s oldest daughter Gouri has picked up the baton to champion the Holy Lama Naturals ethos. Prior to her current role, Gouri trained as a chartered accountant in India and the UK, and worked as an auditor for over a decade. In 2013, she left Deloitte to further her family’s ethical business, bringing the natural skincare range and Spice Drops® to the European market.

HOLY LAMA NATURALS

Vijay always wanted to create a range of products that were pure, natural, ethical and sustainable. In 2000, having gained 40 years of experience in the essential oils industry, he realized his vision through the creation of a range of natural body care products. He also expanded the existing range of spice extracts – then called ‘Masala Drops’ in India. With a network of suppliers providing natural ingredients of the finest quality, uncompromising product ranges were but a step away.

FAIR TRADE

The raw materials used for manufacture are sourced primarily from local farmers in Kerala and rest of India, building upon over seven decades of strongly-established relationships with farmers. The business runs on a no-credit principle, meaning all farmers and raw material suppliers are paid immediately. The factory pays fair wages to staff, and fair prices to the farmers.

In developing communities, there is sometimes an inequality in wages for men and women; but, as a female-centric enterprise, Holy Lama Naturals ensures equal pay irrespective of gender. We also provide annual wage increases in line with inflation, so wages are assured, no matter how low the market falls. Our wages are better than those offered by surrounding factories, and locals are always keen to find employment with us.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

We produce Ayurvedic medicine to treat Parkinson’s Disease in the local community, supplying this free of charge as a charitable donation. This gesture is in loving memory of Diwakar Deo (Vijay Deo’s older brother), who lived with the disease for over 3 decades.

Fair Trade and Sustainability

Holy Lama Naturals is recognized in Kerala as a Government-approved women’s enterprise, where over 80% of the factory workers are women. Most come from disadvantaged backgrounds (i.e. widowed or deserted by a partner).

In a traditionally male-dominated society, factory employment offers these women much-needed self-confidence and independence. Holy Lama Naturals acts as a family to its workers, and women of all ages, castes and religions are welcome. Our practice is guided by the concept of Kudumbashree: ‘The enhancement of a less-privileged family through empowering the women.’

OUR FACTORY

Our factory is semi-automated, which means many of our products are almost fully hand-made. A lot of care, attention and love goes into the making and packing of each and every item. Whilst the outer packaging may not appear precise and clinical, what’s inside each bottle or jar is guaranteed to be consistently amazing.

Based purely on word-of-mouth and strong, constant support from local suppliers and the local community, Holy Lama Naturals has grown in a sustainable, organic manner.

FAIR TRADE

The raw materials used for manufacture are sourced primarily from local farmers in Kerala and rest of India, building upon over seven decades of strongly-established relationships with farmers. The business runs on a no-credit principle, meaning all farmers and raw material suppliers are paid immediately. The factory pays fair wages to staff, and fair prices to the farmers.

In developing communities, there is sometimes an inequality in wages for men and women; but, as a female-centric enterprise, Holy Lama Naturals ensures equal pay irrespective of gender. We also provide annual wage increases in line with inflation, so wages are assured, no matter how low the market falls. Our wages are better than those offered by surrounding factories, and locals are always keen to find employment with us.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

We produce Ayurvedic medicine to treat Parkinson’s Disease in the local community, supplying this free of charge as a charitable donation. This gesture is in loving memory of Diwakar Deo (Vijay Deo’s older brother), who lived with the disease for over 3 decades.

All of our products are predominantly made from natural ingredients, avoiding the use of harsh chemicals or synthetics. Wherever possible, we use sustainable materials for packaging.

During manufacture, the factory produces less than 1% wastage, and all waste is used as fuel or cattle feed – thus our carbon footprint is exceptionally low!

We are proud to be a member of British Association for Fair Trade Shops & Suppliers (BAFTS). We support cruelty-free production, oppose animal testing, and have our products registered with the Vegan Society.

Our company was founded on fair trade principles and sustainable manufacturing. Accordingly, we are as passionate about creating our products without causing any negative effects to people or environment as we are about the products themselves.