A note from the founder

Our official journey began in 2019, when we opened a community-focused herbal apothecary in Chiswick, London. While we loved serving our local community in person, we later made the decision to close our physical store so we could support a wider community online, across the UK and beyond. Although we no longer have a shopfront, we remain local at heart—and in practice—with all of our products still made at our London workshop.

Like many meaningful journeys, Zen Maitri truly began long before 2019. My roots are Indian and Kenyan—both of my parents were born and raised in Kenya—but I was raised in the UK. When I was young, my father, a scientist, travelled widely for work. Each time he returned home, he brought with him indigenous herbal products from the places he had visited. As children, we were endlessly curious about them. Looking back, it was through those early encounters that my connection to herbs—and to the natural world—first took root.

For the past 20 years, my family has been running an Ayurvedic retreat and boutique hotel in Bali, Indonesia, called Zen Resort . Its guiding focus is to support people in cultivating habits of sustainable living. After London, Bali has become our second home.

Bali has a rich, living culture of herbalism, and some of our products are inspired by Balinese traditions and ways of working with plants. My journey and heritage are a reminder that there are no true borders within humanity—just as there are no real borders to herbs, whose wisdom has always travelled across cultures, lands, and generations.

In a world increasingly driven by quick fixes and passing trends, Zen Maitri offers something different: a chance to slow down and reflect on what you truly need to support your wellbeing, given your unique circumstances and goals.

The word Zen means peace or harmony, and Maitri means friend or loving kindness. Together, Zen Maitri can be understood as harmony or peace rooted in loving kindness. Our mission is to help people cultivate a sense of peace with themselves and their environment by nurturing this quality of loving kindness.

You might wonder why we place such emphasis on this. Isn’t it a little vague? What does it really have to do with health and wellbeing?

For us, the answer is simple. At Zen Maitri, we believe that our emotional state is deeply connected to our physical health. Loving kindness—towards ourselves and the world around us—builds confidence, resilience, and the capacity to face life’s challenges, including those related to health. When people develop compassion for themselves, they are better equipped to take ownership of their lives, and with that, their wellbeing.

We believe this sense of loving kindness can be cultivated through herbalism : an evidence-informed practice that uses whole plants to support health and wellbeing. Our philosophy mirrors the principles of herbalism itself—that nature holds profound wisdom, and that care should always be tailored to the individual.

Working with our experienced team of qualified herbalists , we have developed a range of clean, responsibly sourced, and effective herbal products to support a wide range of health needs. For more complex concerns, our herbalists also offer consultations , providing more personalised guidance and bespoke care. If you’re unsure where to begin, you can always book a free discovery call and we’ll help you find the right starting point.

Natural health is a journey. You remain at the centre of it — we’re here to support you along the way.

Dr. Jaideep Shah
Founder