Most multivitamins are built to look complete. Forty ingredients on the label, a long list of minerals, everything present in trace amounts — and almost none of it in a quantity your body would notice.
The reason is simple: a capsule only holds so much. A meaningful dose of magnesium is 250mg. Put that in a multivitamin and there's no room for anything else. So the industry does the opposite — a token 25mg of everything, which reads impressively and does very little.
We took the other view. Leave out what can't be done properly.
There's no magnesium in here, and no calcium. Not because they don't matter, but because they matter too much to include as a gesture. If you need magnesium, take a magnesium — we make one.
What's left is what a capsule can carry properly: the vitamins and minerals a modern diet most often falls short on, every one of them at the full daily amount rather than a fraction of it. No token doses. Nothing in here that isn't in here for a reason.
The forms we'd choose ourselves. Vitamin D3 from lichen rather than lanolin. B12 as methylcobalamin, B6 as P5P, B2 as riboflavin-5-phosphate — the active forms, ready to use without conversion. Folate as calcium L-methylfolate rather than folic acid. Zinc, manganese and copper as bisglycinates. Selenium as L-selenomethionine. These cost several times what the cheap forms cost. That's rather the point.
And a bed of botanicals underneath it. Not a dusting — real amounts of six plants that have earned their place in the apothecary cupboard over a very long time.
Kelp(Ascophyllum nodosum), 208mg — a cold-water seaweed, and our source of iodine. Iodine contributes to normal thyroid function, normal cognitive function, normal energy-yielding metabolism, the normal function of the nervous system, and the maintenance of normal skin.
Nettle leaf, 200mg — the common stinging nettle, gathered and dried. Naturally rich in minerals including silica and calcium, and one of the oldest plants in the British herbal tradition.
Dandelion root, 200mg — the whole plant is edible, but it's the root that's long been valued, roasted and infused, in kitchens and dispensaries alike.
Rosemary leaf, 150mg — and this one comes full circle. There's a giant rosemary by our front door in Haslemere; run your hand through it on the way in and the scent stays with you for ten minutes. Now it's in the bottle too.
Rose hip, 100mg — the fruit left behind when the roses go over. Naturally containing vitamin C, and a traditional British winter staple long before anyone knew why.
Saffron extract(Affron®), 14mg — standardised to 3.5% lepticrosalides. The most expensive spice in the world, and a researched extract rather than a pinch of the culinary sort.
Between them, the vitamins and minerals contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism, the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, normal immune function, the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, normal thyroid function, normal psychological function, and the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Two capsules daily, in a plant-based capsule with nothing unnecessary added. Made the way everything here is made: meaningful doses, high absorption, always rooted in nature.
Take two capsules daily, with food. Do not exceed the recommended dose unless directed by your healthcare practitioner. Not suitable during pregnancy.
Per 2 capsules:
Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum) — 208mg, providing Iodine 180µg — 120% NRV
Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale) — 200mg
Nettle Leaf (Urtica dioica) — 200mg
Rosemary Leaf (Rosmarinus officinalis) — 150mg
Rose Hip (Rosa canina) — 100mg
Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) — 75µg — 100% NRV
Zinc (bisglycinate) — 10mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin-5'-phosphate) — 1.4mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) — 16mg — 100% NRV
Saffron Extract (Affron®, 3.5% lepticrosalides) — 14mg
Manganese (bisglycinate) — 2mg — 100% NRV
Selenium (L-selenomethionine) — 55µg — 100% NRV
Copper (bisglycinate) — 1mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, from lichen) — 25µg — 500% NRV
Vitamin B5 (calcium pantothenate) — 6mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) — 800µg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5'-phosphate) — 1.4mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride) — 1.1mg — 100% NRV
Chromium (picolinate) — 40µg — 100% NRV
Folate (calcium L-methylfolate) — 200µg — 100% NRV
Biotin — 50µg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) — 25µg — 1000% NRV
Ingredients: Capsule shell (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), Kelp, Dandelion Root, Nettle Leaf, Rosemary Leaf, Rose Hip, Vitamin K2, Zinc Bisglycinate, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Saffron Extract, Manganese Bisglycinate, Selenium, Copper Bisglycinate, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1, Chromium, Folate, Biotin, Vitamin B12.
60 capsules. Suitable for vegans. No artificial binders, fillers or additives.
QUESTIONS WE GET ASKED
Why is there no magnesium or calcium in it?
Because there's no honest way to fit them. A meaningful magnesium dose is 250mg — it would fill the capsule on its own. Most multivitamins include 25mg so the label reads well. We'd rather leave a nutrient out than pretend.
Why are most of the doses only 100%?
Because that's what the number is for. The NRV is the amount that covers most people's daily needs — a multivitamin exists to fill gaps, not to flood you. Where we've gone higher it's for a reason: vitamin D because British winters make the case, and B12 because only a fraction of an oral dose is absorbed however much you take.
Do I still need a separate vitamin D?
Depends on you. There's 25µg — 1000IU — in here, which is a solid daily amount. Our standalone Vitamin D is 2500IU per capsule for anyone who wants more through the darker months, or who knows they run low. Ask us and we'll talk it through.
Why isn't it suitable in pregnancy?
It contains vitamin A as retinyl palmitate. That's the right form for most adults, but pregnancy guidance advises against supplemental retinol. If you're pregnant or trying to conceive, speak to your midwife or GP about a prenatal formula instead.
What are all the plants doing in there?
They're the reason we call it Foundation rather than simply a multivitamin. Kelp, nettle, dandelion, rosemary, rosehip and saffron are among the most traditionally valued plants in the apothecary cupboard, and they're here in real amounts rather than as decoration. The rosemary is the same plant that grows by our door.
Can I take it alongside your other supplements?
Yes, and most people do. It's designed as a base — the everyday foundation — with the more specific formulas sitting on top of it as needed. Worth checking with us if you're taking several, so nothing doubles up unnecessarily.
Is it suitable for vegans?
Yes. Plant-based capsule, lichen-derived D3, no animal ingredients anywhere.
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Store in a cool, dry place, out of the reach and sight of children.
Most multivitamins are built to look complete. Forty ingredients on the label, a long list of minerals, everything present in trace amounts — and almost none of it in a quantity your body would notice.
The reason is simple: a capsule only holds so much. A meaningful dose of magnesium is 250mg. Put that in a multivitamin and there's no room for anything else. So the industry does the opposite — a token 25mg of everything, which reads impressively and does very little.
We took the other view. Leave out what can't be done properly.
There's no magnesium in here, and no calcium. Not because they don't matter, but because they matter too much to include as a gesture. If you need magnesium, take a magnesium — we make one.
What's left is what a capsule can carry properly: the vitamins and minerals a modern diet most often falls short on, every one of them at the full daily amount rather than a fraction of it. No token doses. Nothing in here that isn't in here for a reason.
The forms we'd choose ourselves. Vitamin D3 from lichen rather than lanolin. B12 as methylcobalamin, B6 as P5P, B2 as riboflavin-5-phosphate — the active forms, ready to use without conversion. Folate as calcium L-methylfolate rather than folic acid. Zinc, manganese and copper as bisglycinates. Selenium as L-selenomethionine. These cost several times what the cheap forms cost. That's rather the point.
And a bed of botanicals underneath it. Not a dusting — real amounts of six plants that have earned their place in the apothecary cupboard over a very long time.
Kelp(Ascophyllum nodosum), 208mg — a cold-water seaweed, and our source of iodine. Iodine contributes to normal thyroid function, normal cognitive function, normal energy-yielding metabolism, the normal function of the nervous system, and the maintenance of normal skin.
Nettle leaf, 200mg — the common stinging nettle, gathered and dried. Naturally rich in minerals including silica and calcium, and one of the oldest plants in the British herbal tradition.
Dandelion root, 200mg — the whole plant is edible, but it's the root that's long been valued, roasted and infused, in kitchens and dispensaries alike.
Rosemary leaf, 150mg — and this one comes full circle. There's a giant rosemary by our front door in Haslemere; run your hand through it on the way in and the scent stays with you for ten minutes. Now it's in the bottle too.
Rose hip, 100mg — the fruit left behind when the roses go over. Naturally containing vitamin C, and a traditional British winter staple long before anyone knew why.
Saffron extract(Affron®), 14mg — standardised to 3.5% lepticrosalides. The most expensive spice in the world, and a researched extract rather than a pinch of the culinary sort.
Between them, the vitamins and minerals contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism, the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, normal immune function, the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, normal thyroid function, normal psychological function, and the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Two capsules daily, in a plant-based capsule with nothing unnecessary added. Made the way everything here is made: meaningful doses, high absorption, always rooted in nature.
Take two capsules daily, with food. Do not exceed the recommended dose unless directed by your healthcare practitioner. Not suitable during pregnancy.
Per 2 capsules:
Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum) — 208mg, providing Iodine 180µg — 120% NRV
Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale) — 200mg
Nettle Leaf (Urtica dioica) — 200mg
Rosemary Leaf (Rosmarinus officinalis) — 150mg
Rose Hip (Rosa canina) — 100mg
Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) — 75µg — 100% NRV
Zinc (bisglycinate) — 10mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin-5'-phosphate) — 1.4mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) — 16mg — 100% NRV
Saffron Extract (Affron®, 3.5% lepticrosalides) — 14mg
Manganese (bisglycinate) — 2mg — 100% NRV
Selenium (L-selenomethionine) — 55µg — 100% NRV
Copper (bisglycinate) — 1mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, from lichen) — 25µg — 500% NRV
Vitamin B5 (calcium pantothenate) — 6mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) — 800µg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5'-phosphate) — 1.4mg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride) — 1.1mg — 100% NRV
Chromium (picolinate) — 40µg — 100% NRV
Folate (calcium L-methylfolate) — 200µg — 100% NRV
Biotin — 50µg — 100% NRV
Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) — 25µg — 1000% NRV
Ingredients: Capsule shell (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), Kelp, Dandelion Root, Nettle Leaf, Rosemary Leaf, Rose Hip, Vitamin K2, Zinc Bisglycinate, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Saffron Extract, Manganese Bisglycinate, Selenium, Copper Bisglycinate, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1, Chromium, Folate, Biotin, Vitamin B12.
60 capsules. Suitable for vegans. No artificial binders, fillers or additives.
QUESTIONS WE GET ASKED
Why is there no magnesium or calcium in it?
Because there's no honest way to fit them. A meaningful magnesium dose is 250mg — it would fill the capsule on its own. Most multivitamins include 25mg so the label reads well. We'd rather leave a nutrient out than pretend.
Why are most of the doses only 100%?
Because that's what the number is for. The NRV is the amount that covers most people's daily needs — a multivitamin exists to fill gaps, not to flood you. Where we've gone higher it's for a reason: vitamin D because British winters make the case, and B12 because only a fraction of an oral dose is absorbed however much you take.
Do I still need a separate vitamin D?
Depends on you. There's 25µg — 1000IU — in here, which is a solid daily amount. Our standalone Vitamin D is 2500IU per capsule for anyone who wants more through the darker months, or who knows they run low. Ask us and we'll talk it through.
Why isn't it suitable in pregnancy?
It contains vitamin A as retinyl palmitate. That's the right form for most adults, but pregnancy guidance advises against supplemental retinol. If you're pregnant or trying to conceive, speak to your midwife or GP about a prenatal formula instead.
What are all the plants doing in there?
They're the reason we call it Foundation rather than simply a multivitamin. Kelp, nettle, dandelion, rosemary, rosehip and saffron are among the most traditionally valued plants in the apothecary cupboard, and they're here in real amounts rather than as decoration. The rosemary is the same plant that grows by our door.
Can I take it alongside your other supplements?
Yes, and most people do. It's designed as a base — the everyday foundation — with the more specific formulas sitting on top of it as needed. Worth checking with us if you're taking several, so nothing doubles up unnecessarily.
Is it suitable for vegans?
Yes. Plant-based capsule, lichen-derived D3, no animal ingredients anywhere.
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Store in a cool, dry place, out of the reach and sight of children.
Apothecary 27 · Ask the Apothecary
A few questions about what you're focused on and how you like to live. In a couple of minutes we'll share where we'd start — the same considered advice you'd get across our counter.
A general guide to our range, not medical or individual health advice. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under care for a condition, speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting a supplement.
Your Recommendation
These suggestions come from your own answers and are a starting point, not a prescription or a promise of results. Food supplements support a balanced diet and lifestyle rather than replacing one. For anything you're unsure about, book a consultation, ask us in store, or check with your GP or pharmacist.
