Email: vivien.rolfe@pukkaherbs.com

Telephone: 0117 203 4136

Daily work pattern: Core hours 10-4pmTotal hours per week: 35 hours

FT/PT: Full time

Flexibility: Desk and laptop can be provided; office based with some home working flexibility; use of SKYPE for home-based communication

Pukka Herbs LTD was founded in 2001 and draws its inspiration traditional herbal medicine. The company produces teas and supplements, using organic tea and herbs from around the world, and has a vibrant programme of clinical research underway supporting our herbal creations.The offices at Keynsham house the majority of the Pukka staff including finance, commercial and herbal research departments. The internship will provide someone with insight of working within an ethical business that is passionate about sustainability and the health of the planet.

The internship is with the Herbal Research Team under the supervision of Dr Vivien Rolfe. The team support Pukka through desk top research, consumer testing studies, laboratory and human clinical studies.

1. The candidate could choose to gain experience in designing and developing a consumer questionnaire to look at sleep and people’s bedtime sleep rituals. This will entail researching and crafting questions, using an online survey tool, distributing and analysing data, working to GDPR and Market Research Society standards. The results will be disseminated to marketing and communications teams.
2. A second project is available to conduct a literature review on the bioavailability of herbs and herbal products. Herbs and spices contain an array of active components from essential oils, to phenols, alkaloids, terpenes and many others. Each has different effects on the body, and the format by which the herb is delivered will also affect how it is taken up into the body. Writing the review will provide the intern with the opportunity to work with Pukka’s research team and medical herbalists, and work will be disseminated with marketing and communications teams. It is possible that this work could provide the draft for a publication.

For both projects, a background in plant biology and / or medical science would be useful, and an interest in the potential of natural plant materials and sustainability also an advantage.