Our Story
She had already been researching different scents, mainly focused on essential oils. Some of the people close to her suffered from depression and anxiety and she found out that certain scents can help to lift moods, have a calming effect, energise people, relax people and so much more.
She then concluded that she could potentially offer something to people that would not only be enjoyable, but may also help them feel better, if even only a little. She may even be able to spread a little bliss. And thus the idea for Callan was first born. Kirsty, alongside her then boyfriend James, now husband, and his Mum, Gillian, came up with the idea for Callan Candles, named after their dog.
Right from the start they decided to do things differently. They wanted Callan Candles to be an experience, something that you enjoy from the moment you place your order. The packaging had to be just right; the scents strong enough and well tested; the melts looking good enough to eat (but please do not eat them!) and our candles tested so that they burned perfectly.
Then came the testing... boy was that a lot of work! She tried so many different scents, trying to get not only the look, but also the throw (the smell) absolutely perfect. Her friends and family were given countless testers until they had it just right. That took them months!
Thought didn't just go into the melts and candles, though. As she mentioned - they wanted Callan Candles to be the complete experience.
We don't use plastic and have a focus on using recycled or recyclable materials. We use soy wax because it doesn't contain paraffin and our supplier provides responsibly sourced wax. All of our practices are also sustainable.
Since that day when I lost my job, Callan Candles has grown much faster that I could have ever hoped. From our small initial range of scents, we have expanded. And do you know what makes it so amazing? You, our lovely customers.
For the first two years Kirsty didn't do all the work herself. Her boyfriend James helped with all of the design, social media and marketing; her mum was drafted in weekly to help catch up with packaging and was a regular sight at fairs; James' Mum Gillian was their chief sniff tester.
Kirsty remained the owner of Callan until July 2021, when due to the unprecedented growth of the company and the pressure that put on her own mental health, Kirsty and James decided to pass on Callan Candles to a new owner all in the way in the West Country! With our new CEO Branston the Setter Cross and Iain at the helm, along with their team we set out to continue the Callan Candles message that Kirsty so lovingly set out for us. Wendy hand pours all the wax with love, following the Kirsty's exact recipes to the letter. We still use many of Kirsty's original suppliers to create the soy wax melts you know and love.
Every day we hear from someone who tells us that they love the melts or that it has helped them get through a difficult time. We hear from people who tell us they are in love with the thing that we have made and sent to them. We even had one lady message us a video of her adorable little boy excited because the 'smelly rocks' had arrived!
Rest assured that everything we produce is made with love. We are still as determined as ever that you have an experience with Callan Candles, rather than just buying a tub of wax. We consider you part of the Callan family, and your support and kind words mean the world to us.
Some of the things that we hold in high regard:
- Everything is hand poured
- We use recycled or recyclable packaging wherever possible
- We use sustainable practices
- We use soy wax with no nasty additives
- We don't use plastic
- Callan Candles is a small business
