About Us
Lyla Belle Candle Co. started life as a completely different brand, in November, 2019. Myself and my partner, Jamie, both loved candles, but finances were tight with Jamie off work suffering from a perforated disk. He needed something to occupy him at home, so, when he felt up to it he made a candle and found he really enjoyed it! We burned them at home and offered them as homemade gifts to family and friends too. The truth be told, there was certainly room for improvement...
So, we set to work perfecting our candles. We tested as much as we could on a very small budget. Melting and pouring wax at different temperatures, trying different types of wax, wicks, jars & fragrances.
We soon established ourselves as a little business called Cathedral Candles. Primarily, it was all made by Jamie in our kitchen, just outside the picturesque Cathedral City of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, hence why we decided on the name Cathedral Candles. I was working for a local charity called The Edmund Trust, who support people with learning disabilities, so I concentrated more on building up our little customer base with our Facebook page in my free time.
We attended our first Fayre at the local village church in December, 2019. We were so nervous setting up our little stall. We sold our first candle before we even set up which settled the nerves a little. More events followed and we often completely sold out.. that spurred us on even more!
The buzz of someone buying a product we had created was absolutely amazing. We were completely and utterly hooked. We still get that very same buzz when we get a sale or brilliant review. The happy dance you hear about from small businesses when they hear the kerrchiing is true! It means so much to us that people want to spend their hard earned money on our products. It’s great to hear how one of our candles or products have really cheered someone up, evoked a special memory, or simply made them feel more relaxed after a hard day at work, or with the kids.
A full rebrand was on the cards after we realised that customers absolutely loved the modern wood wick candles as much as we loved making them. Lockdown was in full swing by this point and sadly both of us were out of work due to the pandemic. It was now or never. So, we decided to go for it!
With its modern flat flame and relaxing ambience created by the subtle crackle of the wood, wood wick candles are completely different to a mass produced factory candle using a traditional cotton wick that you see everywhere. we think they have much more character, they’re eco friendly and can omit up to 35% more scent into a room than the traditional cotton wick. We now had our USP (unique selling point), but the branding needed a much wider appeal if we were to grow the brand nationally, so, in 2021, Lyla Belle Candle Co. was born.
It’s a much more modern & fun brand than Cathedral Candles, thus in keeping with the modern feel that a wood wick brings. We still wanted to celebrate the fact we are a small family artisan business, and we do this with the name Lyla Belle Candle Co. as it's actually a blend of our children’s names. All of them at some point or another chip in to help make the products and help dispatch them to our customers too. You'll know who packed your order as we let you know in your package!
The products are made from start to finish entirely by hand, we print everything ourselves in house and hand label it all too.
The love & care literally poured into creating each perfectly balanced scented soy wax candle, wax melts and all our products really does show in the quality. We are often told how our candles and melts far outshine and out smell the big name brands! We make small batches and quality check every item before it leaves us for your home.
One of the most fun parts for me is the label design. Each scent enjoys its own unique watercolour design, giving each a little personality of its own, as well as looking fantastic in any style home setting, or maybe even when on your travels. The beautiful rose gold vessel & lid made from recyclable tin means you really can enjoy them everywhere you go!
It’s so important to us that our products are responsibly made & charitable.. We use sustainable soya wax and vegetable waxes in our candles & melts and our wooden wick supplier uses wood sourced from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified mills and for every £75 spent with them, they plant a tree with the “Trees for the Future” - an organization working to end hunger and poverty for small farmers through revitalising degraded lands. This means that with every Lyla Belle candle purchase, you are not only helping to plant trees, but also help support the lives of farming families. Our wax melt pots and postal packaging are primarily made from biodegradable or fully recyclable materials and we reuse some packaging sent from our suppliers where ever we can.
Fun fact: The packing peanuts we use to protect your products in transit can be dissolved in water! They are 100% safe for animals, the environment & children.
Thank you so much for supporting us! We hope you continue to follow us and help spread some Lyla Belle love 🤍 through our social media pages and refer us to your family & friends!