OUR STORY

2nd Generation Family-Owned Business

Baxter logs supplies seasoned ready to burn accredited hardwood and softwood (2024) logs/firewood to Harrogate, Leeds and surrounding areas.

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

My late father in-law started the log business back in 1990 chopping wood by hand with an axe (convincing my late Mother in-law 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 frequently 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 Loose in a pick up truck & trailer and hand thrown at time of delivery.

Jake decided to become 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 tests he was given Chris's old pick up truck and began delivering the logs alongside becoming the main wood processor operator.

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.

Jake met his long term partner Chloe and she became involved in all things logs (can you believe our first date was a day processing logs together Obviously this was Jakes idea). By this time Jake had now decided a new wood processor was needed with improved hydraulic functions and bigger cutting capacity to make the job safer and more time efficient.

The family decided to officially name the Log business:

Baxter Logs.

Sadly 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.

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

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 trucks being Re-stickered.

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 further improving the quality of the firewood we produced.

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

After two years in the business Adam decided to go explore other career options whilst still helping out occasionally with logs. Jake is now running the physical side of the log business with his now wife (me) Chloe becoming full time admin/technical support.

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.

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 !

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

As part of improving on site security an electric gate was installed and it was decided to enable better work/life balance we would stop firewood collections from our home.

We moved to a delivery only service from the 10th January 2022 offering free delivery within 10 miles over £50.

To replace the smaller quantities the collection service offered we introduced delivery of the barrow bags alongside our Loose cubic metre loads.

Over the following years the demand for our firewood had grown and 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 years enter into existing customer restrictions, to preserve stock levels for our returning customers prioritising them before new customer sales.

In a world that pushes new sales and profits, we wanted to be different and reward the loyalty of our long term customers.

The demand for our seasoned hardwood logs grew beyond any previous year despite Buying, processing and seasoning as much stock as we could possibly fit into our yard, which meant we had to make the difficult decision to again enter into existing customer restrictions which lasted 10 months due to the high demand upon our stock levels from our loyal existing customer base.

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 throughout our ownership and also to all the customers who patiently waited for us to re-stock and re-open the business to all customers.

Since 2023 much to our delight we have not had to restrict our log sales to our existing customer base !

In 2023 we officially became the second Mr & Mrs Baxter Logs.

In 2026 we introduced the sale of hardwood builders ' dumpy tonne' bags (delivered in their bags) due to them being frequently requested. They are half the quantity of the Loose cubic metre loads however they are delivered in their bags.

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

Jake & Chloe