STORY
inDEPENDENT BUSINESSES
THIS MONTH, WE CELEBRATE THE NATURAL AROMAS OF KENT, SHOWCASING FRAGRANCES AND SKINCARE MADE ACROSS THE COUNTY, FROM BOTANICAL EXTRACTS AND COASTAL SCENTS TO AROMATIC ENGLISH LAVENDER.
THE CANTERBURY HOME thecanterburyhome. com thecanterburyhome. uk
The Canterbury Home, founded by Barbara Beutler aims to create beautiful, thoughtful pieces that help to make a house feel like a sanctuary. Each part of the company is embedded with the charm of Canterbury and inspired by the Kent Downs. The brand has grown from small-batch candles pouring at a kitchen table into a collection that continues to focus on craftsmanship and a deep love for the home. The fragrances are blended with care, with each candle hand-poured in small batches, and the range includes luxury candles, reed diffusers, room mists and home accessories, with scents that are inspired and drawn from the Kentish landscape.“ I don’ t just make candles, I aim to create experiences with products that feel personal and have scents that evoke memories, bringing a sense of comfort and luxury into your everyday life,” says Barbara. The Canterbury Home offers gifts for loved ones or a chance for you to treat yourself to something special, with the collection available in a number of stores across Kent.“ My plans for the upcoming year are to expand our product range within home fragrance and our stockists.” Barbara will soon be selling her products in Rock Paper Scissors and The Cathedral Shop in Canterbury, Native Three in Folkestone and Macknade near Faversham. In the coming year, The Canterbury
Home will start candle-making workshops in Canterbury, open to both locals and tourists.
WILD PLANET AROMATHERAPY wildplanetaromatherapy. co. uk wildplanetaromatherapy
Wild Planet Aromatherapy is an award-winning family-run business founded by Eileen Holford alongside her husband Dave who’ ve been creating natural home fragrances from their workshop in the Kent countryside since 2010. The business specialises in handcrafted reed diffusers, candles, room sprays and wellbeing mists made using ethically sourced essential oils and botanical ingredients- always without synthetic fragrances. Eileen’ s love of scent began while working at Culpeper’ s herbal apothecary as a teenager, surrounded by dried herbs and natural remedies. Later, extensive travels through Australasia, Asia and Central America further deepened her appreciation for the power of fragrance. Today, Wild Planet remains a hands-on family business, with every collection thoughtfully created in small batches, using natural ingredients and sustainable packaging wherever possible. The company proudly donates one percent of annual sales to environmental charities through its membership with global organisation 1 % for the Planet. Over the years, Wild Planet Aromatherapy has been honoured to receive several Beauty Shortlist Awards including Best Wellbeing Reed Diffuser, Editor’ s Choice for their Deep Slumber Pillow Mist and Best Eco Award for their diffuser collection. Wild Planet is now actively looking to expand its wholesale presence and partner with like-minded independent retailers, lifestyle stores, farm shops, spas and boutiques that share a passion for natural wellbeing, beautiful design and consciously made products. As the business continues to grow, the focus remains on creating beautiful, natural fragrances that help people slow down, reconnect and bring a sense of wellbeing into their homes.
HAWKHURST LAVENDAR hawkhurstlavender. com hawkhurstlavender
182 • www. insidekent. co. uk
Simon De Wilde is the founder of Hawkhurst Lavender, a thriving family-run business that specialises in gentle skincare. After finishing his long-established career in London, Simon decided- with the land on his property and a lifelong interest in plants which was nurtured by his late mother- that he could start a smallholding project. It is here he discovered his love for lavender, with its delicate scent and a high yield in oil from the stems, leaves and flowers. From here, the vision grew from the first plant to the final product, and with the help of Simon’ s family, they were able to create a line of natural, gentle skincare.“ All of our products are 100 % natural, synthetic additive-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan,” Simon says. Each batch is steam distilled in small copper stills ensuring consistency and superior quality, and Simon and his family are involved with every step.“ I manage every process; I grow, harvest and distil the lavender, and with the essential oil and hydrosol I make the products, bottle, label, market and sell them.” Hawkhurst Lavender has 15 products in their range, varying from a gentle toner and cleanser to face mists, muscle rubs and new hair oils, all helping to calm the skin and prevent irritation. They currently have their products in around 20 selected shops including Scotney Castle, Great Dixter and the Rye Discovery Centre. Simon also regularly attends crafts fairs across Kent including Biddenden Tractorfest( 15- 16 August) and the Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show