OUR STORY

Baxter logs supplies seasoned ready to burn accredited hardwood logs/firewood to Harrogate, Leeds and surrounding areas.

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Baxter Logs is a family run business which has been established for over 30 years.

 

My late father in-law Christopher started the log business back in 1990 chopping wood by hand with an axe (convincing my late Mother in-law Arlene and Grandad Lewis to help) on evenings and weekends delivering wood in small animal feed sacks.

 

As the business grew Arlene became the receptionist/bookkeeper arranging Chris's log deliveries (and Chris).  

 

After a few years Chris and Arlene invested in a Thor log Spliter and retired the axe's to keep up with the growing demand for wood.  Arlene and Chris had two sons, Jake and Adam during this time.

Jake and  Adam accompanied Chris on his log deliveries from an early age.

 

The demand for logs started out-growing the capabilities of the Thor log spliter and Chris convinced Arlene he needed a saw bench wood processor that attaches to a tractor to keep up with the growing demand for seasoned logs.

Chris & Arlene bought their first wood processor bench a hakki pilke.

Chris and Arlene started selling logs in cubic metre loose loads that were delivered in a pick up truck and hand thrown at time of delivery.

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Jake decided to be a part of the family business so Chris introduced Jake to the log processor and began training him to Process wood on the machine. Once Jake passed his driving and trailer test he was given Chris's old pick up truck and began delivering the logs alongside becoming the main wood processor operator. 

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Similar to Chris in the early years , Jake had big idea's for improvements to the log business. Jake set his eyes on a hydraulic wood processing bench and tipping trailers to make the delivering of logs more time efficient and less manual after many years delivering the logs by hand. 

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Jake met his long term partner Chloe and she became involved in all things logs. By this time Jake had now decided a new wood processor was needed with more hydraulics to make the job safer and more time efficient. 

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In 2014 the family decided to officially name the Log business:

Baxter Logs. 

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Sadly in 2016 Chris passed away. Arlene and Jake continued to run the family business together. They made many changes to the collection service introducing log nets, barrow bags, kindling, coal and smokeless fuel to name a few.  

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After a sudden accident in 2018 Arlene passed away leaving the business to both sons. 

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In 2018 Jake, Adam and Chloe decided to re-vamp the business logo and had the current Baxter logs logo specially designed with both the delivery pick-ups being Re-stickered. 

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During the 2018 summer we decided to change the way we shelter the wood from the weather as the use of lorry side sheets were very labour intensive and always a worry if they would stay put in high winds.

Jake designed and fabricated portable steel roof structures that can be lifted on and off the log stacks with our JCB.

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We are very pleased that the standard of the logs has been far superior since changing our roof system. 

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After two years in the business in 2020 Adam decided to go explore other career options whilst still helping out occasionally with chopping logs. 

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Jake is now running the physical side of the log business with his partner Chloe becoming full time admin/technical support designing this very website herself.

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Chloe re designed the website in 2020 bringing it into the 21st century with the growing need to be mobile friendly and enable orders to be processed and paid via the website.

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In 2021 the government passed new legislation that required all firewood to be under 20% moisture content.

After a site inspection and oven test of our logs we were accredited ''Ready to burn'' by the HETAS Woodsure scheme. We are very proud to report our log samples tested at 10.6-12.6%.

To join the ''ready to burn'' scheme firewood has to be below a moisture content of 20%. 

See our certification logo in the top right corner !

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A New Year brought a change to the Baxter logs service.

We have moved to a delivery only service from the 10th January 2022. 

To replace the collection service we introduced delivery the barrow bags. 

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In 2022/2023 as the demand for our firewood has grown coupled with various UK & global events (covid-19/ Energy & cost of living crisis to name a few) We had to at various points in the previous years entered into existing customer restrictions to preserve stock levels albeit they were for a few months at the end of log season however, in October 2022 the demand grew beyond any previous year which meant we had to make the difficult decision to enter into existing customer restrictions once again which lasted 10 months due to high demand upon our stock levels until July 2023.

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We are extremely grateful to our existing customer base who have supported our small family business throughout both Jake's late parents ownership and now our ownership and also to all the customers who have been patiently waiting for us to re-stock and re-open the business to all.

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In Summer 2023 we officially became Mr & Mrs Baxter Logs !

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If you got this far thankyou for reading our business story and we hope we can help with all your firewood needs.

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Jake & Chloe 

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