We had a fantastic time working with candle makers Wick & Tallow on our new Dark Noir scented candle. Recently we sat down with Alice from Wick & Tallow to chat about their fabulous bespoke service, what it’s like working with family and what it means to them to be a British brand.
How did the Dark Noir, Wild Wood London candle fragrance come about?
Dark Noir is based on pomegranate, pepper, spices and woods. Which is perfect for Wild Wood London! Charlotte wanted something pretty – but not necessarily floral.
What inspired the fragrance?
We love layering different scents and we wanted to give the pomegranate more depth by mixing it with woody notes.
In addition to your collection you have the bespoke service – how did this come about?
We have learnt a lot about making candles since we launched our first collection. Before that we were making and selling candles at Portobello Market. We really enjoy the entire process, so we wanted to share our knowledge with other luxury brands. We have been so pleased with the projects we have been able to work on and have worked with some lovely brands and people.
How long does the process take?
Some projects take 4-6 weeks and others can take up to 3 months if scent development takes longer, packaging can take a while too. We do all the design work ourselves with our clients input, and we put together a mood board for a scent before experimenting with different notes. We work with different manufacturers across Britain at different stages of the process. Our glass containers are hand printed in the North of England, the candles are hand poured in the South of England using either soy or refined mineral wax and our scents are created in the West of England. We use cotton wicks from Ireland which are cleaned in distilled water to ensure the cleanest burn.
How did Wick & Tallow start?
Wick & Tallow is a family business and run by myself, my husband James and his twin brother Tom. We have grown it from the ground up and each bring our own strengths to the business. The business started when we all lived together in Fulham.
What was the idea behind the name Wick & Tallow and the logo?
The name Wick & Tallow was decided by the three of us after a weekend of brain storming! Tallow is what candles used to be made from. Our logo is designed around a wax seal and the unicorn is a nod towards the Royal crest – as we are very proud to be British. We fully support British manufacturing.
How important is it to you that the company is a British brand and how does the heritage influence the brand?
We are proud ambassadors for Small Business Saturday, which is an initiative that shines a spot light on small British business’. We fully support British manufacturing. We believe in high quality and feel that we can achieve that by using British manufacturers.
As an independent company how did you build your brand?
We have built our brand through attention to detail and dedicated press & marketing. The press have been a huge support and we have received some amazing coverage. We also spend a lot of time on lifestyle shoots and social media.
What inspires you?
Growing the business and achieving results. Running a business is hard, but the three of us love celebrating when our hard work pays off.
What is your favourite fragrance and why?
White Rose & Eucalyptus – this is the scent I designed for our wedding!
The common feeling is that working with your family can be tricky, how do you as a company handle working together?
Running a business is tough – but you have to take time out to take a step back and celebrate our achievements and look at how our business has grown. We have learnt to compromise and also respect what each other brings to the business.
Where would you like Wick & Tallow to be in five years?
Our goals are to keep designing bespoke candles for fantastic brands, be stocked in some fabulous shops (which is on the cards for 2017!), to design some beautiful scents and extend our product range.
If you weren’t in the candle making industry what would you be doing instead?
I love interior design. I trained as an interior designer, so I love working with interior designers to create their candles!
What are your favourite flowers?
Any arrangement by Wild Wood London! At the moment I love peonies and I have always loved roses. Recently I like adding eucalyptus to my arrangements for some greenery and I love the smell.
What better way to celebrate your wedding day than to create your own bespoke fragranced candle, they make fantastic table favours and you could even get the pots personalized! Don’t forget our Dark Noir candle is available to buy here.
