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Shop Hartlepool Blog

Welcome to the Shop Hartlepool blog, a great place to find out more about the amazing businesses signed up to Shop Hartlepool.

We want to shout about Hartlepool’s success stories and introduce you to the new kids on the block. You’ll find behind the scenes articles about local businesses alongside regular updates and news from the Shop Hartlepool team. 

We are always looking for great stories, so if you want to to be featured, or know a business who would, get in touch using the button below.   

A new look for Lily & Faith

The team behind Lily & Faith recently contacted us to let us know that they were working on a new brand for their sustainable home fragrance products. We thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to introduce you to this family run business. Lily & Faith create a variety of eco-friendly scented candles, wax melts and reed diffusers that are long lasting, deliciously scented and kind to your environment. 

The husband and wife team, James and Christine hand pour all their wax melts, candles and diffusers here in Hartlepool. Named after their daughter, Lily Faith, the businesses is a handmade labour of love. All of their products are presented in beautiful gift boxes using plastic free packaging as standard.

We asked Christine some questions about the journey to a new, more sustainable brand for Lily & Faith

We noticed that being eco-friendly is a key focus of your new brand, why was this particularly important to you?

We care about the environment and the impact we have on it and wanted to be able to create products that performed well, but without having a negative impact on the world around us.

From the outset we have kept that in mind when making decisions. We’ve recently moved away from soy wax to a more sustainable natural blend of rapeseed and coconut wax which is sourced from Europe and the UK so the cardon footprint is reduced, compared to our previous soy wax.

It is also much more sustainable and eco-friendly and performs better too. Burning at a lower temperature you get a longer lasting scent and an even, clean burn, so better quality and value too.

What was behind the decision to re-brand Lily and Faith and could you tell us a little bit about that new brand?

We started thinking about updating our brand late last year because we were having trouble sourcing our usual candle jars. We knew we needed to change jar which would mean changing labels and recipes due to the shape of our previous jar. We took that as an opportunity to really think about the whole image of the brand and bring out more of our values such as the sustainability through our look and feel.

We have worked with a graphic designer, Carrie Clark based in Newcastle, who was able to really uplift what we had and take it to another level. Through the update we also moved from clear glass vessels to matt black which was a big change, but we love the new look and have had some amazing feedback already from our customers.

What do you love most about being a small business, specifically in Hartlepool?

We love the support we get from the people in the town, we have lots of loyal customers in Hartlepool which is so nice to know they love our products and they want us to succeed. Initiatives like Love Hartlepool also mean a lot, getting the message out there about businesses in the town is so important. Flying the flag for us small guys and getting people to think about what is available on their doorstep really makes a difference. 

Have you noticed any trends recently in the orders you’ve had? Do you have a current best-seller?

During the summer we always see a move from candles towards reed diffusers, which is a great way to keep your home smelling good when it’s too hot to light a candle. Our best-selling fragrance is Black Pomegranate which is not surprising as it smells so good.

Do you each have a personal favourite scent or product?

James’ current favourite is Damson Plum, Rose and Patchouli, which is the perfect blend of fruity and floral without being overpowering, we have this candle burning in our living room right now. And my [Christina] favourite is Eucalyptus and Peppermint, it’s a great spa like soothing fragrance, I love it in a reed diffuser in the bathroom.

What would you say to someone considering making a purchase from a small business, to convince them to shop local?

By shopping small and local you are likely to get a better quality product that’s made with love and care. Every purchase, big or small, makes a difference and supports a dream.

It is fantastic to see local businesses like Lily & Faith grow their business and invest in their products. It is even better to see Lily & Faith doing all of this with their impact on the environment in mind. Without the loyal support of their customers, local businesses wouldn’t be able to make these dreams a reality. Seeing the new Lily & Faith brand come to life, is a testament to their passion, hard work and their customer base. 

Show your support for Lily & Faith by taking a look at their new brand and product range, by giving their website a browse! You can follow them on social media and find them on Shop Hartlepool below for more details. 

A special thank you to Christina for taking the time to introduce us to their wonderful business!

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