Smoking hot – getting high on herbarettes

Writer: Raphael da Silva.

While South African smokers have had to scheme and hustle to find ways to satisfy their nicotine cravings during the lockdown, an entrepreneurial family in Worcester has spotted an opportunity and launched their own range of herbal cigarettes, aka herbarettes.

“My mom made and sold herbal mixes for her range, SupHerb, about 20 years ago. And now with the lockdown, she was motivated to create a product that would help people to quit or cut down on smoking cigarettes,” says Christel Allen, who along with her mom, Karen Allen and sister, Tamarin Shaw, have launched PlantED. Apart from their range of herbarettes, this all-women business also sells organically grown seeds, herbs and plants, and home-grown health products made with medicinal herbs.

The all-women team of PlantED: Sisters Christel Allen and Tamarin Shaw with their mom, Karen Allen.

“My sister, Tam, researched different smoking mixes and she and my mom came up with the six flavours we sell, with information about the medicinal properties of the herbs. I designed the logo, came up with the brand name, launched the Facebook page and we all started the business together,” says Christel.

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