Independent business owner praised for diversifying with unique offering at Northants garden village

Heart & Soul Candle Co. was established by Tanya Russo from her home in Weston Favell, before opening at Whilton Locks Garden Village in March last year.

The business sells candles, skincare and perfume ranges and Tanya hopes her natural products offer a hug to her customers’ homes.

After some disappointing candle purchases, Tanya began experimenting and making her own in the autumn of 2018. She continued throughout the pandemic as a form of escapism.

It was not until March 2021 when Tanya took the plunge to launch her website and attend markets, and she says the business was “created from the need for a moment of calm amongst the chaos”.

Tanya’s aim for Heart & Soul was to help customers turn their homes into “comfortable, cosy and safe sanctuaries” with her products.

The business owner shared that she recently introduced skincare parties for children’s birthdays, and this has proved popular at weekends as parents want something different.

These skincare parties are available for children from the age of eight, and they make body butters, lip balms and hand butters to take home at the end of the party.

This includes weighing all the ingredients and melting them, and Tanya believes it is insightful for young people to see how things are made.

The hands-on and educational parties have been praised by parents, and Tanya loves to see that the children leave feeling accomplished in what they have created.

“It’s another service I can offer and it’s a different target market,” said Tanya. “Candle parties are also becoming more popular as I offer them as drop ins while the shop is open. This gives people the opportunity to do it when it suits them.”

Tanya says the barrier with events is that they have to be cancelled if not enough people have booked on, which is why she has opted to add drop ins to suit everyone.

“It’s more accessible this way,” she continued. “We have people making candles and those who are browsing can see what they are doing. There’s a buzz.”

Both candle making and decorating are popular choices, with people purchasing gift vouchers for loved ones for birthdays and Christmas.

Tanya now also stocks a variety of local makers to create a “gift shop vibe”. This includes sustainable gifts made from recycled materials, dried flowers and soaps, which are all handmade and locally produced.

Though she believes people remain wary and careful of their spending, Tanya has built a base of loyal customers who have used her products before and trust the quality.

The candle vessels are designed to be reused and anyone who visits for a refill with the original is given a 10 percent discount.

“These people have bought a candle that actually smells and burns well, and it’s the same with diffusers and skincare,” said Tanya. “This is why I wanted a shop as it’s a base for people to come back.”

Tanya is currently working hard on establishing a perfume making workshop, which is hoped to be up and running within the next couple of months.

For more information on the Heart & Soul Candle Co., visit the business’ Facebook page here.