Viridian imageViridian, a Company with Heart

In a world increasingly dancing to the tune of big, international Companies and Conglomerates, I value Only Natural and all businesses like it for what we are, namely independent! We can, but don’t have to, slavishly follow market trends. We can put the building of real and personal relationships with our customers before this. We’ve always done this, it’s always stood to us and I hope it’ll continue to do so. We love to feel that we’re dealing with like minded people in the companies that we choose to buy from and in no case is this more true than in the case of Viridian.

This small, family owned UK Company really does tick all the boxes for me, from their strong stance on the purity and efficacy of ALL ingredients used in their products, to their commitment to fighting for the consumer’s freedom of choice, to their strong stance against animal testing of any kind and their ongoing support of children’s and environmental charities. I like to know that Viridian supplements can bring real benefits to their users while having positive benefits in other directions too and I think that more and more consumers are waking up to the ethical consequences of their purchasing choices and want to know this too.

Did you know that up to 50% of a tablet can be made up of glues, known as binders, to hold it together. Just an irritating fact for many but more of a problem if you’re hyper allergic, as some are. Would you really want your health supplement to contain magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide, steric acid, shellac, talc or colourings? That’s exactly what you might find in many mass market supplements but not so in Viridian’s. They guarantee all products to be free from sugars, colourings and artificial flavourings, all products are non GMO and non irradiated. They contain 100% active ingredients with no nasty additives whatsoever. I have a Viridian Capsule bottle in my hand and as well as the vegetarian capsule itself and the active herbal ingredients the only other ingredients are alfalfa, Spirulina and bilberry. How pure is that?

Viridian is also totally committed to green business practices “valuing the importance of a minimum footprint on the earth”. More than 40% of the range is certified organic by the soil association which is the consumer’s guarantee of the provenance and Eco-friendliness of the ingredients. Fresh, organic tinctures and balms, capsules and nutritional oils are all made by traditional methods in Herefordshire, reducing the environmental impact of transporting ingredients around the world and creating local jobs.

Viridian is also a truly ‘big hearted company’ which was founded on two fundamental principles, to develop a range of supplements with the highest possible ethical standards and to generate significant funds for children’s and environmental charities. So far their donation program has seen more than £200,000 go to charities such as Friends of the Earth, the Jack and Jill Foundation, the Terence Higgins Trust, the RSPB and others. And how do they choose which charities to give to? That’s actually part of my job! Every year all Viridian retailers get to nominate their choice of charity or charities. I feel exceptionally privileged to be a part of this. Of course all charities must be properly registered and Viridian checks that they have no involvement in animal research.

I’m personally proud of the quality and potency as well as the truly ethical values represented by all of Only Natural’s carefully chosen key brands and this is especially true in the case of Viridian, that truly are a ‘Company with heart’. Next time you’re in store why not check out their range? You’ll certainly be doing yourself and your family some good but I hope I’ve shown that our choices can go a way beyond that too!

Viridian image2Cheryl Thallon, founder of Viridian Nutrition