We have hand crafted our beeswax candles for over 14 years now and we are often asked why not use machines, why not just buy the right bit of equipment and flick the switch?

Like us, every maker has had that moment where they ask the same question ... why are we working the long hours to hand make and craft our candles and lanterns when a shiny new machine would save us SO much time!

To hand make a product puts a little of the  maker in each one. People say our candles have a "soul", and are made with the right intentions.

But there is more ... These are our thoughts on the difference between made by hand compared to made by machines:

1. Hand crafted means more care in the way it is made. Each step for us is important and checked (and adjusted) to ensure that your candles will burn well. From cleaning the beeswax, to selecting the right wick, to pouring the wax into moulds at the right temperature and conditions. Each detail ensures the best candle, one that burns cleanly, with a bright flame to fill your home with beautiful candle light.

2. It is seen in the detail. Makers marks are wonderful to see on a candle, a slight indent from handling, a small drip at the end of the wick when we coat the wick by hand. It all makes each candle unique. But also the practical things that are done to ensure the quality is at the highest, eg when we hand melt the  bottom of each pillar candle to ensure it is straight and doesn't drip.

3. Tested. For us, testing each batch of beeswax is the key to ensuring you are getting the best candles every time. Every week, when we have cleaned the beeswax, we then make a tea light and burn it to make sure it burns well, and for the right amount of time. It is the details that count.

4. Seasonal colours. One of the wonderful properties of beeswax is the variations of colour. It all depends on what flowers, and therefore nectar and pollen, the bees feed on. They bring back the different nectar and pollen that gives a wonderful range of colours. This can give each batch of candles a slight variation in colour, reminding us how nature is involved in our craft.

5. Supporting hand made helps the trade/craft survive.  Buying from all the small makers of the world means you are supporting the actual craft which, in turn, helps ensure it continues. Not everything can be made with the same quality by a machine, and therefore many products will always be best hand made. Support hand made to keep these artisans making the products we need.

So thank you for supporting our little candle business. We are very proud of everything we do and the joy our candles bring. We continue to make our candles by hand and look forward to sending them out to you to light your homes.