The Journey of Tallow: Respect, Patience, and Care

It all began with a simple desire to honour the animals around us and to do right by the gifts they offer.

When you live this closely with them, you start to see more than just their size or the food they provide. You see their spirit.

The bison, especially, carry an energy that stops you in your tracks. They are powerful and unyielding yet deeply nurturing. They move together like a living heartbeat, protecting their young with quiet devotion and watching over one another with a loyalty that runs deep. There is wisdom in the way they roam the land and love in the way they stand guard. Being near them changes you. It teaches you to walk with purpose and to treat every gift with reverence.

Every part has meaning. Every part has a purpose.

The hides are tanned into leather that is as strong as it is beautiful. Skulls are sent to a beetle farm where tiny tireless workers clean them to bare bone, revealing stories etched in time. Hooves become buttons. Feet, rich in natural collagen, are transformed into nourishing remedies. Bones simmer into rich broth that warms us on long winter nights.

And then there is the fat, humble and often overlooked yet full of quiet potential. It is here that the slow magic begins.

Rendering tallow is an act of patience.
It starts with grinding the fat, a careful step that ensures an even clean melt. The ground fat rests in a pot over the gentlest heat, releasing its golden oil drop by drop. After the first melt it is strained, cooled, and begun again. Over the course of a week or two we repeat this, each pass removing more impurities until the tallow is pure, creamy, and mild.

It is not a process you rush. The tallow moves at its own pace and in doing so it teaches us to slow down as well.

Most of our tallow finds its way to the soap room. There it is blended with lye and natural ingredients, stirred slowly by hand, and poured into waiting molds. The air fills with the scent of lavender, mint, or cedarwood. Each batch is just a little different from the last yet each one is rooted in the same simple tradition. After weeks of curing, the bars emerge rich, gentle, and ready to nourish the skin.

In recent months we have been joyfully experimenting, turning tallow into more than just soap. Silky serums. Nourishing lotions. Skincare that feels both indulgent and honest, where the beauty of the tallow itself can shine. Our pantry has become a little workshop, crowded with jars and bottles marked in hopeful scribbles such as almost perfect, wonderful texture, and this one is the winner.

And now we are ready to share them.

On September 27th we will be offering our new sample sets, each one holding a handcrafted bar of soap, a bottle of serum, and a jar of lotion. They are more than skincare. They are a reflection of our belief that the best things are made with care from what the land provides.

Tallow is not just an ingredient. It is part of a greater cycle of respect for the animals, the land, and the quiet work it takes to transform what has been given. From the bison’s powerful presence to the stillness of the stove at night, each step is done with intention. Each step is our way of honouring the life behind every offering and creating something truly worthy of it.