Notes of Northumberland starts expansion with new café and plans for visitor centre in Alnwick

Emily Pringle started the online candle business in 2017 after her ill health retirement led her to making and selling candles as a kitchen hobby in using nothing more than a beginner kit.

Since then, the business has continuously grown, from online sales, to its first location on Fenkle Street in Alnwick, its current location on Sawmill Industrial Estate and now with its expansion of its ‘Notes Café’ and visitor centre.

Since its relocation in 2022, the candle business has grown, despite the challenges brought by Storm Arwen and industrial action. A missing roof left Emily and her husband, Stuart, wondering if they’d missed a bad omen as the year continued to bring more surprises.

Emily said: “Since we got the building it's just been one thing after another. There was the pandemic, and then four days after we got this building, Storm Arwen ripped the entire roof off. We looked up and there was just sky. Electrics, flooring and everything was destroyed.

"So, it's been a bit of a challenge because we basically couldn't do anything with the building. Everybody was so busy because of Storm Arwen that it took over a year to get a roof back on the place and have it rewired. Absolutely everything was done from scratch and then we had the Royal Mail strike in the middle of it, so it's been one hurdle after the other. Getting to this point, has been really good.”

They began expanding the business with candle making workshops in the ‘studio’, which they let out for people to run craft workshops, and now have opened a café, serving classic dishes using local suppliers. But it doesn’t stop there, as outdoor seating, a kids play area and a visitor centre are set to open up by May half-term.

Visitors will be able to make their own traditional candles, using a dipping tank, and bars of soap, play games and utilise an eco-friendly refill station, to fill up on their favourite products.