Rosemary & Ridgeway: Making scents.

Another brilliantly creative outcome of lockdown times, Rosemary & Ridgway is a home fragrance creator founded by sisters Katie & Vanessa.

Although we met them at Dorking Artisan Market, it’s from their Farnham workshop in the Surrey Hills that they lovingly hand pour their plant-based candles, create other scented products and produce complementary accessories.

Rosemary & Ridgway was born in the summer of 2021 from two momentous events: their respective young children starting school, and the ironically inspiring restrictions delivered by lockdown.

As instinctively creative spirits, interior designer Katie and working actress Vanessa used their new normal as the launchpad for Rosemary & Ridgway where they now pour their endlessly evolving vision.

Crucial to everything was environmental consciousness, so instead of using palm, beeswax or petroleum derived products, Rosemary & Ridgway crafts luxury candles from a blend of hydrogenated soy and coconut oils with an ever-evolving selection of scents “to soothe and stimulate the senses”. ‘Retreat’ conjures memories of an exotic spa break with its eucalyptus, thyme, jasmine and vanilla aromas, while fresh twists on classic favourites include ‘Cotton’ and ‘Cashmere’

The product range is also in constant development with newcomers including bottled and retro-boxed match wands for lighting-up time, together with snuffers, soaps and lotions.

More than siblings, Vanessa and Katie have been best friends since their school days in Maidenhead. After first migrating to South West London, they relocated to the Surrey Hills when their respective children arrived.

They’ve found the local community to be highly supportive and nurturing of their fledgling business. “We’ve just joined forces with an interior design store in Farnham that showcases our range in their shop front. But as a mostly online enterprise, we’re making friends and contacts across Surrey and the UK.”

Manifestly in love with their work, Vanessa and Katie enthuse that, “the best parts of our business are working together and that no two days are the same: we could be pouring candles, sourcing packaging, testing new fragrances or coming up with new ideas to add to our range.”

And yes, they come up with seasonal varieties. So if you’re looking for the perfect scent of summer, try the new trio set with votive-sized versions of their standalone favourites, ‘Cabana’, ‘Posy’ and ‘Zest’. Packaged with care, naturally.