Introducing the Team Behind Our Soy Wax Candles
Our story
Earth Candles Co. is a family business in Warkworth, just north of Auckland. Craig and Katja run the day to day. Our two daughters and our son hold the title of Chief Candle Sniffers (CCS), which they take very seriously!
It started with a bottle and a question: can we turn these into candle vessels? We spent the best part of 2015 working out how to cut and finish the glass bottles consistently. After many breakages we nailed it, and Earth Candles Co. was born, launching in September 2016. Nearly ten years on, every candle is still poured by hand, in small batches.
Most of our scents are named after places in New Zealand we have been to and connected with over the years, Cape Reinga, Raglan, Lake WÄnaka, Glenorchy, and the blend is built to take you back there.
The best part happens at markets. Someone picks a candle up and it is just a candle, until we mention where the glass came from. You can watch the penny drop: they turn it over and they are holding a wine bottle. After that it is usually not about us at all, it is about who they are thinking of. "Our friends have a place in WÄnaka, that would be perfect for them."
That is why I still do it. Not the sale, the second look. Someone thinking differently about something they thought they already knew. New Zealand runs on small family businesses, and we are one of them.
How we make them
We collect empty wine and beer bottles from wineries, breweries, local businesses and friends around Warkworth and Matakana.
Each bottle soaks in a water bath, then the label comes off by hand. From there it is cut, cleaned, ground and polished until the rim is smooth enough to run your thumb along. That preparation is most of the work in an Earth Candle.
People ask what happens to the tops. They get sorted by glass colour and taken to our local transfer station for recycling. Even the part we cannot use gets its best chance.
Then we pour, by hand, in small batches.
What goes in them
100% pure soy wax and cotton wicks. Non-toxic, and free from additives, dyes, paraffin, petroleum and phthalates.
Six core fragrances: Cape Reinga Cliffs, Cooks Candle, Fresh New Zealand Pine, Glenorchy Gold, Lake WÄnaka Retreat and Raglan Vibes. Two more come and go with the season, Buzz-Off for summer and Eucalyptus for winter.
Three sizes
- Beer Bottle Tealights, 100g each, in packs of three or six
- Beer Bottle Candles, 200g, with a salvaged timber lid
- Wine Bottle Candles, 360g, with a salvaged timber lid
Where to buy
Order directly from our online shop, or find us at markets and events around Auckland. If you are a retailer (with a physical store) and would like to stock Earth Candles, get in touch through our Wholesale Opportunities page.
