A Seasonal Star – Discover Yorkshire Rhubarb
At the height of midwinter in the British Isles, eating seasonally can feel like a lot of cabbage and kale. But later in January there’s a delicious delicacy with a distinctive bright pink hue that makes its way on to the menu’s of discerning restaurants, farmers’ markets stalls and some supermarket shelves… Yorkshire Rhubarb.
Affectionately known as the ‘Pink Princess of the North’, Yorkshire Rhubarb is grown exclusively in an eight-mile triangle between Wakefield and Leeds, known as the pink patch. Yorkshire once grew so much Rhubarb that there was a dedicated train, nicknamed the Rhubarb Express, to transport this prize pink crop to London. Sadly, cheap imported Rhubarb affected profitability, but a small number of artisan growers still remain.
A quintessentially British fruit
Rhubarb was the inspiration for our best-selling Rhubarb Rhubarb! collection. We make a unique Rhubarb extract using Yorkshire Rhubarb from E Oldroyd & Sons in West Yorkshire to form the basis for our Rhubarb Rhubarb! products. Rhubarb has a long history of medicinal use – it is high in antioxidants and known for its cleansing properties.
Yorkshire Rhubarb is grown in the dark and still harvested by candlelight. These unique conditions give Yorkshire Rhubarb its distinct deep pink colour and long elegant stems. By contrast, Rhubarb grown outdoors comes into season later in the year and is striped with green and pale pink.
Not sure how to enjoy Rhubarb? We’ve curated a Pinterest board filled with seasonal recipes including Rhubarb jam, crumble, tarts, cakes and more – take a look here.
We’re proud to have created the first Rhubarb fragrance back in 2011. Our inspiration came from a Yorkshire morning in spring and the bittersweet scent and taste of the county’s prize fruit. Our fragrance Rhubarb Rhubarb! is a tart, green scent – complex and bright, with notes of Rhubarb complemented by Tarragon and Rosemary.
You can enjoy the fragrance and the benefits of our unique Yorkshire Rhubarb extract in a range of products from Bath & Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Hand Wash, Lotion and Sanitiser to Room Fragrance, Scented Candles and Fine Fragrance Reed Diffusers. Click here to discover the collection.
