Lakeland Lights

What is your name and what is the name of your business?

 We are Jo Iles and James Long, the founders of Lakeland Lights Company

Where are you based and what do you do?

We are based in Cleator Moor, just a few miles from Ennerdale and the coast. We have two candle workshops where we do everything ourselves with our small team, from pouring candles to packing and testing new scents.

We make scented soy candles inspired by real places, mainly Cumbrian and North Wales though we have started to branch out into other areas too. The scents are designed to capture something about the places themselves, whether that is a fellside after rain, a cosy cafe or sea air. 

We have been supplying Bassenthwaite Lake Station since 2022 and it is a place we really enjoy visiting! Robin, our daughter is a big fan and loves feeding the ducks or exploring the train and always talks about stroking Poppy the labrador each time we visit. It is one of our stockists that really means something to us both as a business and as a family. 

Why this career?

Jo and I spent the best part of a decade living in Hong Kong, then a couple of years in Iceland. When we moved back to the UK, it was a bit sudden and we weren’t quite sure what came next. 

Our journey began during a holiday to the Lake District in 2018. While exploring the beautiful landscapes, we couldn’t find a candle gift for James’ mum that would capture the memories of the places we had visited and that sparked an idea – to create candles inspired by specific locations with evocative scents reminiscent of the places people had visited. This became the foundation of our approach – Storytelling and Memories.

What is your favourite part of the job?

Creating scent stories is definitely one of our favourite aspects – it is all about capturing the essence of a place like Whinlatter after a storm or the refreshing coastal breeze at St Bees.

We also treasure the connections we make with the local community. There is something special about hearing how a particular scent reminds someone about a place they have visited or an experience. 

Working together as a family, including our daughter Robin (who has a candle named after her) has strengthened our bond as a family, although Robin just wants to play with the lids!

Are you launching anything new in 2025?

Yes …… although we’re keeping it under wraps for now. We have plans for a regional collection and some additions to the Welsh and Cumbrian ranges, plus something inspired by our time working overseas. 

The sell-out wax melts advent calendar and other seasonal favourites will feature again this year too.