Celebrating Welsh Start Ups: Thornbush Hill Ltd

20/03/23

Business in Focus has been celebrating local Welsh entrepreneurs and their achievements through this series of posts. As we come to an end, we’re proud to present Thornbush Hill Ltd, launched in 2016 by Adam and Kirsty Lewis.

What was initially just a hobby run out of their kitchen where they made and sold custom candles, wax melts and diffusers, soon became a successful business with two retail stores, a website, and a team of Thornbush Hill Brand Advocates across the UK.

Adam and Kirsty built their brand with the idea of bringing positivity into people’s lives through their products, as they felt that living in a digital world with constant access to information can be draining and can affect people’s mental health. They didn’t want to be ‘just another candle brand’ and wanted to encourage people to take a step back from their busy lives and light a candle to relax.

Adam and Kirsty were keen to grow their business even further but were intimidated by the tough economic climate, so they approached Business Wales and sought their advice and expertise. They were soon linked with an expert advisor who helped them develop a business plan.

Of their experience with Business Wales, Adam said, “I’ve been really impressed with the level of advice, the sheer speed at which the team have offered support and the resources available to us. We have also now signed up to the Green Growth Pledge and will be running as an environmentally friendly business by using 100% plant-based wax in the candles, using recycled packaging, and removing single-use plastic from the business. The support from Business Wales has been invaluable.”

In October 2022 after being nominated, Thornbush Hill Ltd attended The Vale of Glamorgan Business Awards, the Leading Business Awards Celebrating Excellence, where they won ‘Retail Business of the Year’ award.

If you have a dream to create a business, Business in Focus can support you. At Business in Focus, we aim to recognise home-grown talent and celebrate Welsh start-ups.