CRAFTING TOGETHER: A COLLABORATION WITH EMILIE & JON FROM CAMP OUT WEST

We are thrilled to announce an exciting new collaboration with Camp Out West, a lifestyle brand based in South West Wales. Founded by the talented duo Emilie and Jon, along with their loyal pointer, Maggie, this small family-run business is creating beautiful, handmade, soya and paraffin-free candles with seasonal scents that are perfect for all year round.

These candles are hand-poured with love and care, designed to encapsulate the cosy warmth of the changing seasons. Whether you’re enjoying a quiet evening at home or curling up for a movie night, these candles will set the perfect ambience for those long, cosy nights in.

We spent some time with Emilie and Jon in their candle studio here in Ammanford, here is what they had to say:

1. How did the idea for Camp Out West originally come to life? Was there a specific moment or experience that inspired you to take on this venture?

We always had a dream of self building our own home and following our dream to be debt and mortgage free. We also loved the idea of having a space big enough that would allow us to welcome guests to the land, but never thought it would ever become a reality with our limited budget. After spending 2 years looking for land to buy we had almost giving up hope until one day we came across an abandoned coal miners caravan park that was for sale. The site had been left overgrown and unloved for over a decade and after we viewed it we could see so much potential that we went all in and sold our home and our belongings to buy it. We loved how Jon has family ties to the area, his grandad used to work at the colliery across the road that the caravan park belonged too and he still has family members living in the village to this day. There is so much history in our old forgotten camp site and that was the real inspiration behind 'Camp Out West'. Bringing back to life a forgotten campsite, that used to be home to hundreds of workers and help remind the world of its history and incredible heritage, this is heavily woven into our branding today. 

2. How have your past experiences shaped this new direction? 

We both worked as photographers and within marketing departments for brands for over 8 years before we moved back to Wales 7 years ago, every job and business venture we've had since our careers began 15 years ago has taught us so many new skills that we've been able to bring into Camp Out West. 

Our day job of being photographers and videographers has taught us the skill of problem solving, it's taught us the importance of creating a strong brand identity and visual style to make you stand out from your peers. We've learn't that if you create a brand and identity that you love that aligns with your interests and values and stick with it then eventually the right audience will find you and your brand and support you. 

Our ability to use our photography and video skills have allowed us to document and share our journey on YouTube which has led to us being able to build a global community of likeminded people who are invested in watching our project come to life.

A global pandemic that put our photography business on hold mean't we had to adapt and find another revenue stream whilst the world was in lockdown, this is where we began our journey of becoming candle makers, starting off in a small kitchen in our old terraced house five years ago as complete novices, to now having our own warehouse and candle studio shipping candles out to customers all over the world. This skill we have learnt has meant having a physical product we can create ourselves to sell to our growing audience and also allows us to collaborate will local likeminded companies like Coaltown.

3. We love that your candles are soya and paraffin-free. Can you share more about why sustainability matters to you both and how it influences your choices in materials?

We wanted to create products that would smell great without harming the environment or the air quality in peoples homes, which is why we choose to use glass jars that can be reused or recycled, better quality ingredients like eco wicks and soy wax that don't create excess smoke and is a wax free from petro chemicals. How we pack and deliver all our orders is also important to us and we use all plastic free packaging and filling to protect them in transit that can be recycled by the end user.

4. We know you’ll be serving Coaltown Coffee to guests—what drew you to partner with us and how important is it for you to support other local businesses?

As long time customers of coaltown, it's amazing to partner with a local company that is not only making waves in Wales with it's high quality products, but those waves are rippling across the globe, with Coaltown being seen as a coffee leader . We love that Coaltown have also been able to create a new industry and jobs in another forgotten coal miners town, which is a similar path we are following here at Camp Out West. With our brands both being rich in coal mining heritage, this collaboration was just the  perfect fit.

5. What’s next for Camp Out West? Are there any new projects or ideas on the horizon that you’re excited about? 

We are so excited for the upcoming Christmas market at Coaltown, last years market was an incredible way to meet our community in person and also celebrate all the other amazing businesses, creators and crafters Wales has to offer. So we are really excited to be coming back again this year. We are getting ready to start work on our wildness spa  & outdoor sauna area on our land, which we are really excited about and also opening up to guests next spring and our welsh language series with S4C dropping in 2025.

John and Emilie’s story is as inspiring as their candles. After beginning their journey as photographers, they have now ventured into transforming an old Welsh caravan site into a stunning glamping destination, complete with outdoor bathtubs under the stars and a veggie garden providing fresh produce. It’s been a joy to build a strong partnership with them over the past few years and we’re excited to now offer their unique candles to you.

If you plan to visit Camp Out West once its completed, be sure to try their coffee, Jon and Emilie will be proudly serving Coaltown to their glamping guests!

The Winter Spice Candle is now available to purchase: we're thrilled to bring a piece of this collaboration into your home this winter.