Hall 4, Stand E18-F19
Candlelight founder Mike Winch shares the story behind his gift and home company, and reveals details of an exciting new collection for 2025

Tell us a bit about Candlelight.
We’re 53 years old. We started the business with £20 investment, and it now turns over millions. The business is called Candlelight because we started off by making candles, but after that experience I never wanted to see another candle again. Why? Because it’s just a messy manufacturing business. It wasn’t until 20 years ago that we started designing own-label for major retailers.
But in the last five years we’ve worked very hard on developing the Candlelight brand, and we’ve got unbelievable growth happening in our business. It’s mainly led by the success that we’re having with the candles, along with other products too such as fragrance home decor, and furniture.
What other types of products do you offer?
Whatever our customers want, or wherever we see the market or trends turning to, we can turn our hands to. We can source almost anything within the home and living category.
And things change so quickly… So, for example, whether it’s home fragrance, napkin rings, wicker hampers, or bathmats, we can bring them in. Our factories work to whatever our customers require.
You’ve got to keep reinventing yourself in this game to stay ahead, and that’s what we do every six months. There’s always plenty of newness coming in. And we do unbelievably well with independent retailers, so we must have what they want!
How was 2024 for you?
We grew 36% in the calendar year 2024, and in our financial year we expect to grow 40%. Business is tough out there – and the government hasn’t made it easy – so this growth is unprecedented from our point of view. And in the next financial year we expect to grow by at least another 25%. It’s incredible, to be honest. So we must be doing a lot of things right for our customers.
What’s your company mission?
To be the number one candle brand in the UK. That’s our total focus. And then, next stop, the world! So, we will be moving into Europe and elsewhere.

What sets Candlelight apart from other gift suppliers?
Firstly, our growth. Secondly, our design expertise: what we present to our customer base is exactly on-trend. We’ve always employed designers to stay ahead of the competition. And thirdly, our business is self-financing.
Plus, we’ve got a very good infrastructure and great design and product development departments. We have tremendous loyalty, so we’ve got a huge amount of experience within our various teams.
It’s also important to say that Candlelight is now a majority family-run business. What happens in any business that’s been going 53 years is that it evolves. So it started off as a family business and is now fully back to being a successful family business, which is good.
I’ve got the best managing director that Candlelight has ever had in my son Ben, and my daughter Kate is sales director. And that’s a great experience for me; my kids are in the business, they’re part of the growth, and they’ve made that happen. So, they’re looking after their dad!
What’s the best way for retailers to see your collection?
All our products are listed on our website at www.candlelight.co.uk when they come into stock. But the best way to see our new ranges is to book an appointment with our very experienced sales team to visit our fantastic showroom at Rotherham in South Yorkshire.
This month we are exhibiting at Spring Fair in NEC Birmingham and the Indx Home Show at Cranmore Park in Solihull, and we will be exhibiting at Autumn Fair in NEC Birmingham in September.
In addition, we will host Open Weeks at our showroom in the week before and the week after the Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival, which takes place in the North Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate in July.

Does Candlelight have any upcoming releases?
Sales director Kate Winch says: “Our new range is The Silk Road Collection (pictured above right), which is inspired by the ancient network of trade routes and trading posts that connected the Western world with Asia and the Middle East. It covers several cities which were along The Silk Road. For the first range we’ve chosen three cities in two countries and based each of the colourways and ranges within the total collection around them: Samarkand (Uzbekistan) is terracotta, Bukhara (Uzbekistan) is olive, and Jaisalmer (India) is blue. There are 11 lines in each colourway, including 1000ml reed diffusers, ceramic candles, glass candles, LED candles, mugs and home accessories.”
How did you feel when you heard that you are shortlisted in the home fragrance category of the Gift of the Year Awards 2025?
“We were not surprised because the product we put forward – the Silk Road Bukhara LED candle – is absolutely outstanding. It’s beautiful!”
Call: 01709 723000
Email: contact@candlelight.co.uk
Visit: www.candlelight.co.uk