Oast House Brand
Found across Kent and Sussex the Oast House iconic structure captures the sense of importance the hop plant plays for the rural communities. These building-sized hop drying machines are quintessential landmarks of the southern countryside. The beautiful architecture and functional design represent Oast House Botanical's love of innovative design, the botanical industry and the 'Garden of England'.
Historically many working class Londoners who could not a afford a holiday as we recognise it today, would travel down to Kent on a working holiday to pick hops (...and likely drink a few ales). Joan (founder's nan) would hang hops up in the house and swore by the traditional belief that hung hops bring prosperity.
Humulus lupulus are part of the cannabaceae family and have a cousin plant Cannabis sativa. The company GW Pharmaceuticals was able to lay down roots and for the first time legally grow drug variety cannabis in Kent in the 90s. Bringing an unexpected return to fame for the Cannabaceae family to Kent. In a conversation between the founder and his university supervisor, the lecturer remarked upon potential new uses of Oast Houses for cannabis drying. To the knowledge of the founder this has never occured, but it is a nice idea that captures the imagination.
Mission & Vision
Oast House Botanicals is a hub of experts with an unparalled track record that spans all the way across the botanical drug development process. Expert areas include horticulture, extraction, refinement, analysis, regulatory, legal and more.
This collective also includes manufacturing and equipment suppliers spanning the supply chain.
This collective's mission is to bring a renaissance of botanical drugs through INDs/NDAs made to GMP standards. Our flexible approach enables anyone in the botanical industry to integrate with Oast House Botanicals as long as your standards are of the highest quality.
Founder
Early life
Dan a local from Hildenborough embarked on an extended project qualification reviewing the scientific literature surrounding medical cannabis during his A-levels. He quickly found himself engrossed in the polarising world of cannabis policy trying to understand why society could be against a known medicinal plant with unparalleled potential.
Despite beating cancer Dan lost his nan after she was heavily affected by chemotherapy side affects to a point beyond recovery. Dan's research of the changing laws and compassionate act in California led him to the conclusion that cannabis may have been beneficial for her, but he was too afraid to speak up on the matter due to how he would be perceived. On reflection he attributes this to why he is so ardent to stamp out stigmatism and pursue a career in advancing the science in this field.
At the time the government sacked Professor David Nutt who was the chairman of the government's independent advisory council on drugs, after he gave scientific evidence challenging the demonisation of cannabis. Other influential figures such as Lester Grinspoon and Leslie Iverson further inspired Dan convincing him there was a legitimate movement coming from within the establishment that was set to change the world.
Career
Dan studied at both the University of Exeter and Imperial College London pursuing a BSc and MRes in drug discovery and development principles. He attended a talk by GW Pharmaceutical's first employee David Potter at Darwin House (London). David gave an impassioned talk where he unveiled a cannabis plant out of an armoured suitcase. Dan knew he wanted to work with trailblazers like David and was proud to see some progression of the medical cannabis movement on home soil. Dan wrote many times to his MP Sir John Stanley and after correspondence with Lord Henley soon became disillusioned with the state of UK politics. He got a visa to live and work in Canada in search of more progressive attitudes.
But before he had the chance to emmigrate fate intervened and he got a job working as process chemist at GW Pharmaceuticals in Kent. Dan poured his passion into becoming a world expert in cannabis drug development. Turning his hand to a plethora of botanical processing techniques and advancing the botanical pre-clinical strategy, the sky was the limit. Soon he became one of the most influential and creative innovators in the department constantly challenging the status quo's approach. Dan's personal aim was to ensure he could produce a drug substance with any desired botanical profile no matter how weird or wonderful. He was preparing to tailor rationally designed botanical drugs with best-in-class chemical profiles to fuel an ambitious pipeline. The company never seized the opportunity and a golden age in cannabis process development came to an end. He hung his lab coat up for the last time.
Dan searches the world for passionate like-minded individuals who want to make botanical products, therefore he started Oast House Botanicals as a hub for the intermixing of ambitious world experts in botanical science.