Close to Covent Garden, London, and yet hidden away, Neal’s Yard is one of those places that if you didn’t know it was there, you might well pass by it loads of times and simply never come across it.

There are only two alleyways leading into the Yard, both of which are fairly unassuming, and give little hint of what lies beyond. Neal’s Yard is almost like a secret garden in the center of London, well off the main drag, and visited only by those who know exactly where they are going.

It was in 1976 that Michael Saunders moved into an old warehouse in Neal’s Yard, which at the time really was just a scruffy backyard behind warehouses and other buildings. With his emphasis upon alternative and healthy living, Saunders set about opening up a wholefood shop, and the enterprise proceeded to be a huge success. Going from strength to strength Saunders then set up a dairy, a cafe, and an apothecary specializing in alternative remedies and healing.