IAN THOMAS remembers he had to help his mother "dig in the grave" and grow vegetables when he was a little boy.

He wasn’t helping his mother indulging in her pastime though. World War II was ranging and every household in Britain was encouraged to convert their gardens into vegetables plots. Even schools grew vegetables, he reminisced. Folks grew vegetables because food was scare.

"Actually, we were all digging for victory," says Thomas, 66, who owns Calpeper, the oldest and largest herbal retail chain in Britain.

"If every body grew hi or her own crops, food imports could be reduced. Valuable space in ships meant for food imports would then be used for strategic goods (like ammunition)."

And so the British grew their own herbs and vegetables.

"Parsley was a popular herb grown because parsley sauce could used for everything. Together with mint, they were put on a hams. I used to hate it," he says.

So Thomas developed a passion for gardening which continued even after war. When he had his first greenhouse, he grew carnations. He is particularly fond of wearing a red carnation with his formal suit in the mornings.

During the interview over breakfast, the red carnation was missing from his suit pocket, but he was every bit an English gentlemen with his distinguished accent. He was lively despite hi hectic business stopover in Kuala Lumpur.

Thomas painted a picture of pastoral bliss as he described how his fondness for herb grew. In 1956, he rented a 17^th century rectory in Bangui, Norfolk. The rectory was part of the vicarage of the Church of England and the home of rector.

It was a "pretty building" which he used as "a weekend place". At this hideaway, he could not resist growing herbs and vegetables. He was keen on leeks but tried growing a variety of greens.

"In those days, every one had a deep freezer. It was fashionable to grow herbs and vegetables, freeze them and proudly announce that you had grown them," he muses.

In 1972, he saw an advertisement offering Culpeper for sale and he promptly made a bid for it. Culpeper Ltd was started in January 1927 by Mrs C.F Leyel (also known as Linda Heyel). That year she also founded the Society of Herbalist, which in 1976 was renamed the Herb Society UK, a registered charity.

"I bought Culpeper because it was an extension of all the shop was losing money for four years. But e was convinced that he would be able to turn the company around because Culpeper had been around since 1927 and had survived the war.

With fresh capital, a partner, and new strategies, Culpeper House was set to forge ahead. Thomas also made the bold but sensible move to raise prices. That risky decision resulted in a crucial turnaround for the company.

Between 1973 and 1975, increased sales saw Culpeper propelling forward with three new shops in Hampstead, Norwich and Cambridge – one opening each year. Culpeper’s success, he says, encouraged others to go into the herbs trade.

Does Thomas know the reason why Culpeper was floundering before?

"It lost money because the Herb Society (which owned it) dared not raised prices for fears of losing its dear customers.

"The shop also had a lot good product which were neglected," he says.

Fortunately for Thomas, the 70s was a time when dinner parties were a fad. With food their minds, people were becoming herb savvy.

He thought of reviving certain foods and introduced blends of herbs for specific dishes – a timely move which paid off.

The late Mrs Leyel had "a broth posy" which comprised a bouquet garni with marigold added for good health. Thomas built on that one pack of herbs and added a complete ranged of 70 herbs.

Potpourris were also introduced and Culpeper was also one of two companies selling genuine stuff. Its potpourris were made of picked flowers blended with essential oils for scenting the air. These days, he says, some shops sell wood curls which are dyed and scented as potpourris.

In the 80s, curry powder blends were a hot item too. A gourmet, Thomas observed the Indian cuisine was quite popular in Britain then. "It was the single biggest form of outside catering."

However, he felt the catered food was generally hot but lacked subtleties. Culpeper tried to introduce a great deal of subtleties in its spices.

"The spices were blended by Pat Chapman a famous author and the first in Britain to organise a gourment tour of India." Declares Thomas proudly.

"Eating curried food is good health. The spices help in the digestion of food and also preserve meat." He says.

Likewise, the culinary use of herbs is also associated with digestion, other that for flavoring. Traditionally, mint goes well with lamb because its fatty part are difficult to digest. Served with fish, fennel and dill help in digestion as fish is slow to digest, Thomas says.

Family Business

After graduating from Cambridge University with a Master in History at age 25, he worked as a sales representatives for the American chewing gum company Wrigley’s.

Two years later, he moved to an advertising agency which eventually became Ted Bates & Company, an American company. Nest he worked for Hodson Bates & Company.

During this time, he met Jimmy Goldsmith, who later become Sir James Goldsmith and went to work for him. "He was the 10^th richest man and the same age as me. He died last year of cancer."

Goldsmith was his Culpeper partner, Thomas reveals. But in 1978, Thomas bought Goldsmith out of the company. "He was moving on to bigger things. I thought it was an opportunity to take over Culpeper."

While his "lost" hid partner, he "gained" his entire family who involves themselves in the business for 27 years!

"My eldest daughter Emma works formed. My second son Mark runs a small delicatessen company which Culpeper has control." Says Thomas.

"Another son Jamie, a hotelier, has Culpeper products in the hotel Bathrooms. My youngest daughter Victoria lives in Hong Kong but take a healthier interest in the business. She helps her sister to do a lot presentations."

An only child, he admits that his business acumen came from his parents – his father was a retailer and his mother, a housewives.

"I never intended to go retailing bet wanted to run food companies until Culpeper came along," From two Culpeper shops in Britain, there are now 20. There are also four Culpeper outlets in Japan and two in Malaysia.

An unassuming man, Thomas never thought his business would go overseas, particularly Japan which was difficult market to penetrate. An article about him in Japanese magazine opened doors for him.

He was approached by seven companies which wanted to buy his Culpeper franchise. But he told them "I am not interest in (making money from) franchise costs. I wanted somebody who is really interested in the business."

On how Culpeper reached Malaysia, he says an exuberant lawyer Matthias Chang approached him for hi franchise in 1992. "He was the most enthusiastic person I have ever met," Thomas says. Chang got the franchise and opened two Culpeper house outlets in Legend Hotel and at Mines Shopping fair in Kuala Lumpur.

Chang was the force that led to the formation about a year ago of the herb Society of Malaysia, of which he is honorary secretary.

Healthy Living

Herbs figure I Thomas’s life. One might say, he eats and breathes herbs, especially with his business empire in herbs and herbal products, he is very health-conscious and is a weight watcher.

"I eat a lot of salads. I am big fan of oatmeal and prunes. Even my dog Jacob, a cross between a Greyhound and Doberman, likes herbs such as garlic and ginger." Says Thomas with a laugh.

"Garlic is good for generic health and is anti-viral. And ginger is good for the limbs."

He uses lavender and tea tree oil to relax and rosemary to refresh himself. Tea tree is also good for cuts and mouth-wash.

If he feels the discomfort of air travel or from poor digestion, he would reach for his candied ginger stems.

Apart from his business and gardening, he has other pursuits. On weekend in the summer, he loves to go sailing. He has a boat names Chili with a big red chili in its sail.

"Chili is an oxymoron word," he says and associates the word with chilly, the weather, and a woman’s temperament.

In the winter, skiing would be topmost on his mind.

Thomas is a founder member of the National Medicines Group in Britain and a former vice-president and council member of the Herb Society UK.

In 1998, his  fascination with herbs saw him as general editor for the book, How to Grow herbs (Bloomsbury Books). It is a practical guide on how to grow herbs from seeds or cuttings.