My Lush Kitchen Experience Part 1

Choosing a favourite part of my Lush experience would be like trying to decide which of your children you prefer. However, while every moment of my excursion in Poole was incredible, it was my time spent in the Lush Kitchen that stole the award for the most memorable segment - not only for what I was able to experience while visiting, but because of the surplus knowledge and insight that I gained through being there.

It's hard to believe that the Lush Kitchen has only been in our lives a little over two years; many of us would find it difficult to remember a time before our banks were dictated by the weekly menus we cling to. Yet, during the time the kitchen has been fully-functional, it has come on in leaps and bounds - producing batches that are double and triple the size they were in the initial months, and bringing back more products than the retro section was ever able to achieve.

In fact, the Lush Kitchen has slowly but surely become the prevalent part of the Lush community, and the team behind the scenes have worked incredibly hard to cement itself as the strong forerunner for the company. You only have to compare the number of active followers on the UK kitchen's page to know that there is a far greater interest in this department than the official UK Lush page itself! It has become the familiar window by which most Lush fans have the privilege of peering through, and has only served to both introduce more people to the brand, and rekindle that friendship between themselves and the customers who were perhaps branching away from the company after many years of loyalty.

It is that very familiarity that made the whole scene seem rather surreal when I first stepped foot into the Lush Kitchen that blustery morning. As I stated in my recount of the factory tour, the kitchen is an extension of the bubbles factory, yet it seems like a completely different environment when you make your way into the thick of it.

For those visiting the Kitchen, there are two entrances - a door that takes you directly into the kitchen from the outside, and then a second entrance you use if you've been though the factory. Either way, the second you step into the room, it feels very much like you've been transported into a completely different world - a world existing inside the warm embrace of a much-loved scarf. You really get the feeling that nothing else exists outside of the kitchen, and I can honestly say that I would happily live out my days confined within these four walls.

Now I know that you're probably thinking that I'm being a little overly dramatic because of my excitement that day. However, while it may be difficult for outsiders to understand, the Kitchen has such a warming, zen-like atmosphere - it's so calming and peaceful, and each and every employee I met that day seemed genuinely happy to work there. While the factory workers appeared contented with their job, there was something extra special about the kitchen - something that I think had to do with the wonderful relationships between the members of staff, who all seemed to get along like a house on fire.

Upon walking in, I was greeted by Colette, who is the kitchen's digital manager, and Aaron, kitchen manager. It was these two wonderful people who told me all about the processes and production that go on 'behind the scenes', and just how the Lush Kitchen works on a day to day basis. I came away with my head reeling with knowledge, and with a new-found respect for both how the Kitchen works and just how much effort the team go to, to bring out the products consumers most want.

While I was privy to information that I've been asked not to repeat, and so much information that I could easily write a whole novel about, I will divulge in a few tidbits of information that I think you might find fairly interesting....

1. In both the Kitchen itself, and outside the main entrance, there are screens that are linked to Instagram, that keep the whole team updated with conversations and topics related to the kitchen releases. Colette explained that these are constantly updating to allow the team to get instant feedback on the products themselves when they're being released, and any issues that customers may be having in regards to buying from the Kitchen. Having these screens up ensure that staff members are able to respond to customer queries as quickly as possible. On the flip side, sometimes this tool is simply used as a way of the Kitchen team reading about the positive experiences people are having with their goodies, and storing suggestions for future releases. 

2. They really do listen to customer suggestions. Back when the Kitchen first started, the team would design product rotas that often stretched forward ahead of time for months, so the menus would be planned out with no room for change. However, Mark wanted the menus to be focussed heavily on customer demand, so they are no longer planned out that far ahead, and the majority of the releases that we see on a weekly basis are constructed from customer requests. I know this is one of the biggest complaints that people have in regards to the kitchen menus - unhappy that the team don't appear to listen to the requests that are being made regularly. However, seeing and discussing the effort that these wonderful staff go to to ensure that the menus do reflect customer request lists, has given me a new found appreciation of the Kitchen team. Believe me when I say that they are listening, and they're listening very very well...

3. The Kitchen are unable to make brand new products from existing fragrances. Right from the start, the Kitchen has always been about bringing back items from the deepest, darkest vaults of the company. The idea behind this branch of Lush was to celebrate their past endeavours and re-release them back so that new fans had an opportunity to experience them for themselves. The Kitchen are not in any position to design or create brand new products that have never been released before, unless it's a rare occasion when a member of the Constantine family design a new product and then bring it to the Kitchen themselves. Therefore, that Mumkin Shower Gel you've been craving, is just not feasible. 

4. Another complaint that the Kitchen gets quite frequently, and I have to say that I'm just as much of a culprit as the next person, is that they seem to be re-releasing the same products week in, week out - seldomly offering consumers something completely different it seems. Aside from knowing that these repeats are mostly down to consumer demand, the reason why we are not seeing so many new items from the vault, is that each and every product has to be vigorously tried and tested - going through many stages before it's deemed good enough to release. Old recipes will often seek ingredients that are no longer available; old formulas quite often just don't work anymore, and often this process can take a long time to get 'right'. While I wont go into detail about the inner workings of the Kitchen, just know that they are constantly working on bringing back new items, and when a product does make an appearance, know that a great deal of work has gone into making it possible.

I had an opportunity at this point to marvel over the sights for a few minutes - watching the team at work packing up the latest batch of Twilight Shower Gel to be shipped out. Head compounder Peter was working alongside Matt to shape and complete a fresh tray of Mrs Whippy Bath Bombs, and Mariusz was positioned in the corner cutting and moulding my favourite - fresh slices of Mumkin Bubble Bar.

After chilling in the Kitchen for a short while, Aaron asked if I was able to guess the mystery product that I was going to be making that day. Before my trip, I had been asked to compile a short list of products beforehand for the team to choose from, and I opted for a few beauties that I had not seen in a long while. Presented with the fresh ingredients: cut, measured and ready to go, I was equally shocked and perplexed to find that I wasn't able to name the product like I was expecting to. My mind had failed me at the most inopportune moment, and Colette had to prompt me into guessing More Than Mortal. Such an amateur!

   

Once everything had been set up, it was time to get myself stuck into the task of making my debut Lush Kitchen product, and then progress onto doing my first ever live Periscope interview. Whatever excitement I had been feeling up until that moment was about to be elevated to new heights - I was about to indulge in an afternoon that most Lush fans could only dream about, and I wasn't about to let anything prevent me from absorbing as much from the experience as possible. So how did I did fare in both of these tasks? And is there any chance that I might be invited back? You'll have to find out in my up and coming final instalment...

Day One Of My Lush Weekend - My Trip To Lush HQ

While I have chosen to document my time spent in the Lush factory first, this doesn't mean that it was in any way more interesting or less appreciated than any other part of the trip. The reason I chose to write about that aspect before any other, was simply because I was given so much information to process while I was there, and I was determined to get as much as I could written down before my memory failed me once again.

As it happens, my entire Lush weekend didn't even start that day - it began the day before, when a pre-paid taxi picked me up outside of my house and whizzed across London to Waterloo Station. A rather tired me greeted Hannah for a coffee, and we both mulled over our hot drinks while we waited for the train. For those new to Lush, Hannah is a pinnacle member of Lush's PR team - the wonderful lady who sent me my first press box, and showered me with gifts when I had met her for the first time, only a couple of weeks beforehand, in and amongst the hustle and bustle of the Oxford Street store. If I was going to have a companion on this trip, I couldn't think of a better person to accompany me.

Thirty minutes later we were on the train to Poole - a two hour journey to the wonderful town where Lush was first formed. Although the ride would have been far from boring with such great company, it was made even better when we bumped into another Lush employee, who was travelling down to attend a training meeting at the time, and had so much knowledge and passion for the company, that it was riveting to listen. Despite the nature of the journey I was making, I couldn't help but develop a pang of jealousy when she described in great detail the company parties she had attended and the products she had been exposed to as a long-time consumer. The two hours passed by in a flash, and before I knew it, we had reached the blustery town of Poole and were waving down a taxi to take us to the hotel. 

The first stop on my whirlwind trip was Lush HQ - the magical place where brand new products are designed and tested; where ideas are formulated, explored and made a reality. This is the haven in which Jack Constantine was inspired to make all of those products you know, love and use daily - the ones that make you as passionate and as loyal to Lush as I am. 

For those who are not familiar with Poole, you should know that it's a quaint,  picturesque, seaside town - rich with a trading history that includes pottery making and of course Lush. In fact, it's hard to believe that a company of such grandeur began on the cobbled streets of a place that currently lays home to less than 150,000 residents.

Walking along the revetment with the sun shining and then sea bristling gently in the wind, I didn't even notice the building we were supposed to be heading to. That was until Hannah pointed to a beautiful looking building - one with all of the modern trimmings, yet one that still looked at ease alongside the rustic sentimentalities of the rest of the town.

At the top of the stairs, I was immediately awed by how crisp and clean the building looked. With the entire front section made out of glass, this was a theme I would quickly realised was echoed throughout the whole place. The fact that the sun was beginning to shine only added to its allure, and I stepped through the threshold with a refreshed sense of excitement. 

Inside I was floored by just how different the place was compared to what I had imagined it would be like. Instead of the typical formalities you would expect from company HQs - the drab-coloured walls and minimalism, I found that the reception room reminded me of some of the coffee shops I had visited in Paris - unique, family-run places that seem to ooze a natural spark that makes them so alluring in the first room.

In this particular reception, you had wooden panelling for walls, and these were painted a sort of moss green colour. Down the right hand-side were a couple of couches and various tables and chairs, where a handful of employees were quietly working on their laptops. Sandwiched in the middle was a snack bar and drinks counter, where an impressive range of vegan snacks adorned the shelves in sweet jars, and an overfilled box of fresh fruit was ripe and ready to be eaten.     

It was also here that I noticed a theme that would end up recurring throughout the whole tour - a sink filled with an abundance of bath bombs. These were for the staff to take away and enjoy - as if working for the company wasn't already enough of a privilege by itself.

To the left of the room was the reception desk, a floor to ceiling wall of bath bombs and soaps, and a shelf ladened with hundreds of books. According to the staff, Mark Constantine keeps the library stocked up with favourites of the staff and recommendations that he has been given. The staff are encouraged to borrow any books that take their fancy, being able to keep it if they want. How amazing is that?

Heading down a corridor on the left hand side, I observed three giant and very spacious rooms - each decked out with the same wooden panelling, as well as windows galore to allow the light to filter in. The first room was called 'Jack's Room' and was apparently kept vacant for when he was conducting meetings or working on projects in the building. However, the other two were open for exploring, and it was here that I found out that they were used for meetings, projects and training - both within HQ and with staff across the country and/or world.

Down this side of the building were also various Spa rooms. At the time of my visit, they were not open to be used, but this was where new treatments were tested out and perfected. Apparently, as if Lush employees don't have enough to endure while working for the company, members of staff were often called upon to experience these treatments during their shifts. This was so that they could give feedback to the masseuse afterwards. Pfft!

Along this side of the building, tucked at the back, was the customer care room - where all of the phone calls from customers are answered and dealt with. Upon stepping into the room, I was shocked to find that it's about the size of a small classroom, and there are apparently under twenty people who work in that department. I imagined a company as big as Lush having a workforce of a good hundred or so at the very least answering calls, but clearly I had over estimated by about 400%.

It was here that I met Steve, who explained the process of how they worked in the office and how they dealt with queries and complaints. I was both proud and honoured when he explained that he often used my blog to research products to help him with his job. It was a very humbling compliment. 

Back into the main reception room, we continued down the corridor and into the other side of the building. Firstly, I was privy to a tour of the toilets, and I got to witness the the impressive array of Lush products that adorned every shelf and every cubicle. While I found a half-used bottle of Breeze On A Sea Air in one of the cubicles, my willpower (and the fact that I'm not a thief) allowed me to walk away without trying to squeeze it into one of my pockets.

Down this side of the building was where most of the employees reside - a team of roughly a hundred members, most of whom work on the digit and marketing side of the company. What impressed me upon walking into the room, was that it was all open plan. Rather than segregating all of the different projects, the room was filled with workbenches, couches and booths, so that staff could choose to sit wherever they wanted. According to Hannah, employees were encouraged to change where they sat and who they sat with regularly, to gage their inspiration in different ways.

At the time of my visit, there were a lot of employees working on the new Lush Times, and the walls were adorned with possible covers and ideas. There were also many people working on the website and future poster designs, and it was wonderful to see how relaxed the whole scenario felt. Worked was clearly done well there, but at a much quieter, productive pace.

While exploring the room, I discovered that there was a record player and a stack of vinyls that employees were welcome to use. There was also a Skype booth, a wonderful kitchen full of every contraption you could possibly imagine, and various quotes that carried meaning within the company - the one above being an example.

In the far left corner, I came across perhaps the most important area in the company, full stop - Jack Constantine's lab! Lined with oils, butters, herbs, spices, and pretty much every colour under the sun, I soaked in the importance of this space, and thought about just how many products would have been born here. As if to prove a point, I noticed the mould that was used to construct the gigantic Experimenter with last year, and yearned to be able to make one right there and then.

Once I had completed my tour, I headed back to the reception, where I was presented with some baths bombs, an enormous piece of Zen Soap and a gorgeous knot wrap to carry it all in. Ironically, I left the building feeling complete Euphoria. Not only had I visited one of the most important parts of the company, but the atmosphere there was so incredibly calming. I really got the impression that working there was not anywhere near as stressful as the same job would have been somewhere else.

By the time we left Lush HQ, it was not far off being midday. Yet despite only dipping my toes into my Lush experience so far, I already felt like I was floating on cloud nine. As Hannah and I headed to a beautiful little seaside cafe for lunch, I couldn't help but wonder just how my trip could possibly get any better. However, as it turned out, this was only the first rig in the ladder.. 

My Lush Factory Tour - Part 4

During my time visiting each and every one of the factories, I was in so much awe of everything that I was seeing and hearing about, that I completely lost track of time. It wasn't until we stopped off for coffee and checked our watches, that I realised I had been traipsing around goggle-eyed for about four hours by this point. When I realised that my time in the factories was drawing to a close, I did become a little disheartened at the thought. People have told me that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, I just hope for my sake that they're wrong - I would hate to think that this was the only opportunity I would ever get to explore my favourite company from the inside out.

As we'd managed to get through most of the sightseeing a lot quicker than planned, Matt my tour guide suggested that we visit the factory that no other blogger had yet to step foot in - the Emotional Brilliance warehouse a few minutes walk from where we currently were. It was not like I was going to say no to that, was I?

Next door to this factory was where the perfumes were trialled and made, and although I would have loved to have explored that revenue as well, I was told that I wasn't allowed in there for two reasons: Firstly, there would have been formulas for each and every one of Lush's fragrances present in that place - recipes I'm sure they are very keen to keep secret. Secondly, due to the very nature of perfume making, there would have been fumes present during the mixing process, and exposing me to them or any of the people with me at the time, would have been a rather naive thing to do.

However, adjacent to this was the warehouse we were heading towards - one that was similar in size to the soap factory, and definitely the most reserved once you got inside. Upon walking through the doors, I was greeted with two rooms divided and closed off by glass panes. Both rooms were adorned with row after row of plastic tubs - each with a specific colour that Lush use for their make-up range, and some of them were even filled with mounds of cocoa butter, shea butter and beeswax. As this range is made in small batches, and much lower qualities that most of the other products that Lush make, there was only a single person in there at the time. Again, everything was clearly made by hand, and the effort to detail that these employees go to was evident in the finished batches.

Next to the make-up room was the 'potting room' - a really small area where a machine (see above) was set up to fill the lip balms and temple balms. Impressively, this is perhaps one of the only times that I've seen a machine do most of the work, but it does allow Lush to ensure that the small 5g and 12g quantities needed to fill the tins, are consistent across each and every batch.

Visiting the final room of the factory, I was told that I was only able to glance into this one from a distance, because of how messy I would have probably ended up, if I had stepped inside. This particular area was set up to mix and bottle the dusting powders and dry shampoos - a job that looked incredibly fun, especially when I noticed that both of the employees inside were covered from head to toe in white powder. While most of the process was carried out by hand, they did use a machine to bottle the finished dust - a way to ensure that the bottle was properly filled once the powders had settled. 

Adjacent to all of these rooms was an area where most of the employees were working -  many of which were labelling the lips balms and Oxford Street exclusive eye powders. One particular employee, with an eye for detail, was painstakingly filling a set of lipstick tubes with a scolding-hot liquid. Once cool, the tops were sliced away to give the clean-cut look that you'd expect from Lush's lipsticks. They would then be given a quick burst of steam to give the colours that wonderful gleam you'd see in store. The employee proudly exclaimed that he had near enough filled every single lipstick tube that Oxford Street had ever sold, and I thanked him for the five wonderful ones that I had at home and would use regularly. 

Once we left this factory, there was only one more place left to visit - the bubbles factory. What people might not know is that the Lush Kitchen itself is allocated within this very factory, although they do seem like two completely different buildings because of the contrasting decor, and the way the company have purposely segregated the two areas. 

As myself and my tour guides rounded the corner to go into the factory, I was greeted by Colette - one of the digital team members for the Lush Kitchen. Matt explained that we had yet to visit the bubbles part of the tour and we bid farewell to Colette for a short while. It was then that reality really set in - I was this close to being in the actual kitchen!

To enter the bubbles warehouse, you have to approach it from the upper layer - a great entrance when you walk into the room for the first time and see all of the magic in action. Surprisingly, the smell radiating from this room was nowhere near on the same scale as the ballistics factory, although it was still as busy and as loud as you would expect.

As we made our way down to back of the factory, I observed multiple vats being filled and mixed with the ingredients of certain popular bubble bars. While watching the process that employees go to in order to make the base of most of Lush's bars, I suddenly got an overwhelming smell of Mumkin Bubble Bar. And it was then that I turned around and was greeted by Mariusz, who was happily combining a fresh batch together for the Lush Kitchen.

At the time of my visit, I was able to observe the factory working on two different bubble bars - the Rose Jam Bubbleroon and The Comforter Bubble Bar. Unlike the ballistics factory, this warehouse tends to make very large batches of specific bubble bars on a daily basis. So rather than seeing six different products being made at once, most of the employees in that room were all making the same one.

When it comes to the bubbleroons and most of Lush's regular-shaped bubble bars, I was able to observe a machine that measures and cuts pieces of the mixture to size - ensuring that every product is the same size and weight when it goes out into the shops. With the exception of the Lush Kitchen products, and the odd bar such as the Tweets, all of the bars are put through this machine, and then just moulded by employees on the other side.

In regards to the bubbleroons, I was told that the old designs would literally be moulded by hand, and then the buttercream centre would then be spread throughout the middle, just like you would when crafting a Victoria sponge cake or a macaroon. To make the newer designs fairer and neater, Lush have concocted a conveyer belt system that adds the correct amount of filling to the base of the bubbleroon. Employees then just have to push the top down gently, and ta-dah - the perfect bubbleroon!

  

Throughout the most part of the factory, the other workers were all happily creating mounds of the popular Comforter Bubble Bar. I was lucky enough to not only observe the process of it being made, but then had the opportunity to make a handful myself. 

Once the batch of both the pink and white dough have been made, an employee will transfer piles of each colour onto sheets of baking paper. Taking one of each colour, the idea is that you roll both colours to form a two-layered rectangular slab. Then, just like you would a Swiss roll, you have to carefully roll the still-squishy mixture to form the log that you can see in the picture below. The final step is to slice the roll into pieces that weigh between 215g-220g, mould them into shape and leave them to settle for a few hours. During this time, the bars will rise, expand and then set, and then they're ready to be shipped off that very evening to the stores that require them.  

One thing that did surprise me about the bubbles factory was that there were a few extra products that were being made alongside the bars. In the right-hand corner, a handful of employees were mixing, pressing and then hammering the henna blocks into their moulds - a process that apparently helps them to develop their shine.

Alongside this were a few work benches that were wrapping various fun bars. While the bubble bar cutting machine is used to cut and shape the FUN to ensure it is the same size each and every time, the employees still have to roll the bars to join the different colours, and then wrap each and every bar by hand. Impressive.

Finally, two employees were also working on creating the solid shampoo bars that have become a very popular seller over the last couple of years. On this particular day, the guys were making New Solid Shampoo, and the smell that was being omitted from this part of the factory was easily the most potent. Using a large crate of mixture that had already been prepared, I watched as they filled a small machine with two piles, garnished the top with a stick of cinnamon and pressed down to form the circular discs we know and love. It was such an easy process, but I was still impressed with how quickly the sticky handful of noodles became a solid block in under a second.  

And then it was over. Just like that. The entirety of Lush's backstage revealed, and the ingenious ways they maintain their empire laid out bare for me to see. No longer would I be able to look at a bath bomb and simply appreciate its smell or how it reacts in the water - I would now be able to understand the process that had brought that product to me, and cement my love for the item even more. No longer would I scrub and moisturise my skin without appreciating the lengths that Lush had gone into to get that product to me.

As I left the hustle and bustle of the bubbles factory behind me, I realised that while they may not greet me at the door of my local Lush shop or respond to an online enquiry when I need them to, every single one of the Lush employees I met or observed that day were the very reasons I was able to love and enjoy Lush in all of its glory. If it wasn't for their hard work and dedication, I wouldn't be able to find solace in Lush after all of my hard work and toll that I go through in my life.

A modest wave, a whispered goodbye and I was off - heading towards the exit with my head held high and a batch of memories firmly cemented in my mind...

And that's when I noticed the familiar sign above the door I was walking towards - a sign that promised more magic than I could even fathom at that particular moment in time. 

My dreams were about to come true, reality was about to get unreal. 

But that's another story...

My Lush Factory Tour - Part 3

After a quick walk around the corner, we arrived at the third part of our journey - the soap factory. Upon walking into the warehouse, I instantly fell in love with the smells radiating from the room, and despite being the least impressive factory of the whole tour, it happened to be my favourite smelling one by far.

On arrival, I was immediately engulfed with a warm wave of Miranda Soap intertwined with a sprinkling of Maypole and a smidgen of Karma - it was like Lush had bottled happiness in a fragrance and was showering me with it as I walked through the doors. Home to only thirty employees, this factory is very much on the modest side, with only a handful of vats on the side to mix and make the soap, and then a handful of workers to pour, set and cut the soaps.

I was lucky enough to experience one of my favourite soaps, Porridge, being stirred at the time of my visit, and I cannot explain to you just how delightful a hot batch is to smell whilst cooking. As each vat can make over a tonne of soap at any particular time, it was not surprising that the factory was very quiet compared to the previous two. Not to mention the fact that as most soaps are also sent to shops whole rather than being sliced first, employees only have to pour and leave the products to set, before they begin the next batch. 

      

During my scout around the factory, I had a chance to view the mould room, which contained thousands of containers used during the soap setting process. It was interesting to learn that some of their more simplistic designs, such as Bohemian and Sea Vegetable, are actually poured in containers that can be brought in local shops - not everything that Lush use have been specifically designed and brought in for them.

At the back of the factory, I witnessed miniature Maypole Soaps and Pumice Powers being cut and shaped from their moulds. Did you know that the latter foot scrub is actually shaped and trimmed by hand, once it has fully set? Seeing this made me appreciate the effort that goes into making these beautiful scrubs a little more.

The factory is also home to the creation of the Bubblegum Lip Scrub, and a small team of employees work solely on making enough to satisfy the huge consumer demand for this best-selling product. While all other lip scrubs are made in the same room, this Snow Fairy scented item takes precedence over the other 'flavours', just because of how many are sold on a daily basis.    

After a brief coffee stop in the employee cafe, we headed over to the next warehouse - this one called the 'gifts' factory, although it was also home to many other very important aspects of the company, as I was soon to find out.

Upon walking into the factory, I realised that I was standing in what was ultimately an actual kitchen. It was here that I discovered a handful of workers making the batches of fresh face masks, and I was lucky enough to see how hands on everything was - from the slicing of the fennel, to the peeling of the ginger. The smell that radiated from here was sublime, and while I was disappointed that the employees were making Brazened Honey, and not a product I could sample, it was wonderful to watch and realise just how fresh the masks actually are. 

This point was proven minutes later, when I made my way into the main part of the factory and discovered boxes of fruit and vegetables that were being carted into the fridge. I was told that these were used in both the masks and cleansers that were prepared on site, as well as the snack bowls that made a daily appearance in the staff room. The consensus 'if it's good enough to go into our products, it's good enough to eat' was definitely evident here.

Once the fresh face masks and cleansers have been mixed correctly, they are carted into the next room, where a small conveyer belt is set up for a handful of employees to pot up and label, ready for shipping. According to my guide, the factory receives their orders every morning from shops right across the UK, as well as some European countries. This governs what needs to be made that day and the employees make sure they fulfil and box up all of these orders within a matter of hours. These boxes are then shipped out and arrive in stores the very next day - bringing truth to the meaning of 'fresh'.

While observing this process, I learnt that Lush are in the process of opening up another factory in Germany. Originally, this was to help with distribution demands, keep products as fresh as possible when shipping between European countries, and try to lighten the load across the Poole factories. However, in light of Lush's growing success and expanding empire, it is now believed that there will still be just as much expected from UK factories: Germany has only served as a prevention from the Poole factories becoming overburdened with work. 

Walk past the face masks and you reach the open expanse set aside for gifts. During my visit, the area was fairly empty, and aside from a couple of sets being boxed, there was not a lot going on. However, I was assured that come August time, the floor was by far the busiest for the company, and an impressive number of seasonal employees were hired just to fulfil the work that needed to be done at this particular factory.

It was here that I got to see a few 'failed' gift set ideas, and I was also privy to the stunning display of gift wrapping that decorated an impressive number of shelves across the factory. I also learnt that the boxes and tins that many of Lush's collections are stored in, are usually printed and finished by outside companies. Once a design has been finalised, Lush will approach various companies to recreate their ideas, and if they're happy with the finished box or tin, they'll then commission the company to replicate a certain number for sale.

Next door to the gift set area are two aisles that most of my readers will be familiar with - the online sales department and the Lush Kitchen area. Here you'll find almost every product that can be purchased online - all organised to make it easier for the employees to find. Here also lays home to the biggest collection of samples I have ever seen (see above picture) - an impressive feat by itself.    

When an order comes in, the items are collected and ticked off, and are then passed onto another person, who will recheck to make sure that it's correct. Once an order gets to this stage, it'll be handled by yet another employee, who will package it up and get it ready to be sent off - placing next day delivery orders in red coloured carts and regular orders in white.

Alongside both of these aisles are a team of employees who monitor all of the orders that come in, and it just so happened that on the particular day that I was visiting, the Kitchen was home to the shirts, hoodies and totes that Lush were releasing for the staff that week. I felt a huge pang of jealously walking past the piles of clothing - made even worse when my guide joked that I could have one of everything and then retracted his statement a few seconds later. However, I quickly recognised just how privileged I was to be even walking in the factory at that moment, and I quickly shrugged off any negative feelings that I had harvested for that brief moment. 

The back of the factory was where the solid conditioners, bath melts and oils, and massage bars were created. As to be expected, huge fridges were bursting with an abundance of melts in their various stages of completion. Products such as the You've Been Mangoed and Razzle Dazzle Bath Oils were displayed in their masses - the latter pictured here showing how beautiful they look while they await their final coating.

Teams of workers were allocated space across this area to remove each and every one of the products from their moulds, garnish them with lustre before boxing them up to go off to the various stores. While there wasn't anyone working in the massage bar area at the time, I was given the full details of how each of the bars were made, and why Lush as a company have opted to produce more aerated bars in their range.

Despite observing and learning so much about the company, I couldn't believe that it was only a little after 11am. With one more stop before I arrived at the Lush Kitchen, you would have thought that my nerves and excitement would have kicked in at this stage. However, with so much still left to see, my mind was focused on the final destination of my tour - the bubbles factory. And as you will find out in the last part of this series, there is so much fun to be had with bubbles!