Lighting Up The World
Celebrating a quarter of a century, Melt continues to flourish, creating beautiful scented candles that are hand-crafted in the Ribble Valley and exported all around the globe
“The time has gone so fast!” exclaims Cheryl Hook, speaking about the 25 years since she founded Melt candles.
“It seems like it was yesterday – it’s been an incredible journey.”
Still based in her original premises, a former farm building in the heart of the beautiful Ribble Valley countryside, Cheryl began her career in the computer software industry, but decided to follow her passion and began to make scented candles from her home.
“Initially I took little steps, putting one foot in front the other,” she recalls. “I would sell the candles at local fairs, but when the shops discovered them the candle-making gathered speed.”
Having quit her job, what had been an enjoyable hobby became a full-time business for Cheryl and her husband Trevor: “We desperately needed premises and were struggling to find something suitable,” says Cheryl, who ideally wanted a workplace in the countryside.
“We heard that some redundant farm buildings at Backridge just outside Waddington were being renovated – there was an old stable which was perfect, so we moved in. That was back in 1999 – and we extended in 2002, then extended again and again as we needed more space.
“When we first started we didn’t really have a brand, but I knew consistency was key to our success so there was a lot of practice runs! There was no rule book on how to make our kind of candle. It was a bit like refining your favourite recipes – experimenting took up a lot of time and that’s still the case today.
“Certain waxes grab the dye, some essential oils can take colour out, while other dyes clog the wick, so there’s a lot to think about. So now, we always start with the fragrance – which is what it’s all about for us – and once that is right, we then get it into the wax and start testing to see what adjustments are necessary. That could mean changes to wax formulations, dye formulations, wick type and size to make sure it burns well and gives the best scent throw.
“The first few candle fragrances we made took months of working every day on them because we didn’t have the experience that we do now– but now the process is quicker thankfully.”
Developing the fragrances for the candles is one of Cheryl’s favourite tasks, as she explains: “We have very much built on our stable of fragrances – one of the originals and possibly our signature fragrance is Noir – it’s our first born! It’s deep oriental floral and it’s as good and as relevant today as it was back then.”
Always open to introducing new fragrances, Cheryl and the team occasionally swap new fragrances in and ‘retire’ others: “A new fragrance has to bring something different to our fragrance library, but we get so attached to all of them it’s hard to lose one. But sometimes we must!”
“That said, there are certain ones I could never let go – such as Forest which I adore. It has real depth and is very heavy on the woody notes. When we first launched it some people were a bit unsure and it took a while to grab people’s attention but now, it’s one of our best selling fragrances, especially in the winter months. It was a slow burn if you’ll excuse the pun!” says Cheryl.
Over the years Cheryl has got to know many talented perfumers and once she has perfected a candle fragrance, a specialist fragrance house produces it in large quantities to Melt’s specification for the team to produce the candles and reed diffusers.
Since launching Melt, a whole raft of product regulations have been introduced, which Cheryl thinks is a positive: “On reflection I think it would have been off-putting if all the regulations were in place when we started. Back then it was just me in my dungarees in an old farm building, housing vats of hot wax. These days, regulations ensure candlemakers are working within the same parameters, so it’s a good thing.”
Today Melt has a dedicated workshop where the scented candles are produced – at the height of production the nine-strong team of candle-makers can produce up to 5,000 units per week: “At the moment we are up to full capacity for autumn and Christmas.”
Next to the workshop is the peaceful chandlery and reading room, where visitors can see and smell all the beautiful candles alongside a wonderful selection of books and beautiful interior accessories. Next to the chandlery is a shop selling a host of hand-picked, beautiful items including clothing, exclusive cosmetics and perfume.
Introducing a collection of other exclusive products began back in 2004 when Cheryl brought Dr Hauschka skincare on board: “I thought it would be good to bring names that people knew but could only find in the major cities – back then online shopping was nowhere near as popular as it is today – and we wanted to offer specialised products that weren’t easily available outside the big stores.”
The Dr Hauschka name served Melt well: “We built on the back of it. When other exclusive producers heard that we stocked Dr Hauschka it helped open a lot of doors to other specialist brands. I think they thought that if Dr Hauschka trusted us with their brand, then they would be in safe hands too,” says Cheryl, who now also has a portfolio of fine fragrances such as Ruth Mastenbroek, Nobile and Ampersand.
Skincare brand Medik8 has also proved incredibly popular with shoppers: “We like to specialise in brands that lead in their particular field, and we soon learnt that Medik8 was rock solid in terms of its scientific credentials. The team in the shop not only create a very welcoming environment, it’s vital that they have in-depth knowledge of the products.”
So, what does the future hold for Melt after 25 years? “Personally, I have enjoyed every minute, it’s never been a slog, and I’d like more years just like the last 25 please!
“Backridge Farm is a special place and there are now around 25 businesses here. It’s such a wonderful environment to work in – out in the countryside with the wildlife, the llamas and the bee-hives, it’s a real privilege.”
