Candle Shack: ‘We gave up our jobs to start making candles in our kitchen now we turn over £15m’

A husband and wife who turned their backs on successful careers to start a candle making business from their kitchen are set to make £15 million in turnover. 

Duncan and Cheryl Maclean founded Candle Shack in 2010, and it has since grown from a side hustle to one of the UK’s candle making giants.

It acts as a one-stop shop for aspiring candle entrepreneurs, supporting them with education, technology, and materials.    

The Falkirk-based firm works with nearly 10,000 customers, including major international brands including Paul Smith, Floral St, and Overose. 

The 86-employee outfit also opened a European HQ in the Netherlands last year, which supplies booming emerging markets on the continent.

The Scots couple were based near London during Duncan’s 20-year army career, where Cheryl, who ran her own beauty salon by day, started a candle making business in her spare time.

With Cheryl’s burgeoning candle business showing major potential, the Macleans had a decision to make.   

‘I’d reached an age and stage where I was looking to leave the forces, and came up with the concept for what would become Candle Shack while studying for an MBA,’ said Duncan, originally from Dundee.

‘While her salon was doing well, Cheryl’s candle business was really catching fire, so we had to decide whether or not to press the button. 

‘It certainly wasn’t the most glamorous of locations for launching a lifestyle brand, but that service station is where we decided to go ‘all in’ and Candle Shack was born.’

The 49-year-old businessman grew up in a low-income area in Dundee before joining the army at 16, believes his background and progress from soldier to commissioned officer has helped him see things differently. 

‘I grew up in a scheme in Dundee and I was starting to get into trouble,’ he said. 

‘My dad — who had served in the army himself — took me down to the careers office and encouraged me to join to get some direction and get away from a bad crowd.’

In almost 14 years since Candle Shack was founded, the candle making market has exploded in the UK and Duncan and Cheryl, a former president of the British Candlemakers Federation, have been at the sharp end of it. 

Turnover is on target to break the £15m barrier this year, and the couple’s ambition for the firm is still burning brightly – with sights set on £50m within six years.

‘By 2030, we believe Candle Shack will achieve more than £50m in revenue, predominantly from European operations,’ said Cheryl.

‘We are focused on growing our core customers, serious crafters who are running a business, and there is a massive appetite for that on the continent. 

‘It’s been a runaway success, growing by 400% in the last year.’