Tucked into the eastern edge of Bulgaria's Rose Valley sits a small town called Gurkovo. It's not a place most people have heard of, but it's home to the distillery behind some of the oils we carry: Balkan Essential Oils.

A Business Built Over Three Decades

Balkan Essential Oils has been in operation since 1989, when the company first started as a small trading business, exporting essential oils to Western Europe and North America. In 1998, that changed. The company built its own distillery in Gurkovo, and on June 26 of that year, produced its first batch of lavender oil. A year later, rose oil production began.

More than 30 years on, Balkan Essential Oils has grown into one of Bulgaria's leading exporters of natural aromatic products, working with both large international companies and smaller businesses around the world. The distillery itself remains modest in size, a compact production site that houses steam distillation and extraction equipment alongside its own warehouses, but the experience behind it runs deep. The team includes experts with years of hands-on knowledge in production and quality control, and the company has made a point of training the next generation of specialists as well.

Quality as a Standing Commitment

Since 2004, Balkan Essential Oils has operated under a quality control system built on ISO 9001 standards, certified by an independent auditor. That system isn't a one-time achievement. It's maintained and updated continuously, which is part of why the company has been able to hold long-term relationships with clients across the world.

Investing in the People Behind the Production

In addition to its quality certifications, Balkan Essential Oils holds Fair for Life certification, a standard centered on fair wages, safe working conditions, and long-term economic security for the people involved in production.

That commitment shows up in concrete ways. The company supports local schools and kindergartens, aiming to improve conditions for the children of its workers and the broader community. It funds healthcare initiatives and helps improve local medical services. It also puts resources toward housing improvements and community spaces where people can gather and stay connected to the culture of the region.

None of this is separate from the oils themselves. It's part of how they're made.

Rooted in Place

Bulgaria's Rose Valley is best known, understandably, for roses. But it's also home to the kind of small-scale, long-standing agricultural and distillation work that rarely gets much attention outside the industry. Balkan Essential Oils has spent over three decades building a business there, one that treats sustainable production and social responsibility as part of the same commitment, not two separate goals.

That's Balkan Essential Oils: a distillery, a place, and the people who've kept it running for over 30 years.

Support sustainable and ethical sourcing with Balkan Essential Oils.