Box of Whiffs Farsley: Meet the proud owner behind the Leeds candle shop that has just expanded

Box of Whiffs, in Springfield Mills, Farsley, has reopened after been shut temporarily for about a month as work was being done to expand the space.

Now twice as big, Ali has big plans for the business, which she launched from her kitchen table in January 2021.

Currently, the shop offers a range of items including soy wax melts, candles, soap-filled sponges and soaps, diffusers, carpet fresheners and car whiffs and more. Big on reusing, Ali offers jars that can be refilled in shop too.

The new space will allow Ali to manufacture more lines and develop her offering further.

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Speaking on the expansion, Ali, 50, told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “It's terrifying. Don't sleep much, you worry all night.

“But no, I'm so proud. Sometimes I wish I would have done it in my twenties, when I had more energy, but I love it.” The mum-of-three, who had worked as a pharmacy dispenser and a medical secretary for many years, said she has always been fascinated learning about the science behind things and it’s what led her down this path. 

“I bought my daughter candle-making stuff from Amazon and I thought it was s***t,” said Ali.

“So I decided to look into different oils, I studied all the processes and I spent a long, long time practising before we released anything.” 

Neighbours and friends were the first to try any releases. She fondly recalls how she used to host pop-ups in her husband’s former office and hand deliver products to people at the beginning of her candle shop journey. And the business has gone from strength to strength; Ali said the support she has received from her customers has been “absolutely fantastic”.

She added: “We have found that we have created like a really big family. All these amazing customers that I call ‘custofriends’ are all behind me 100%.

“I feel like I’m doing it for menopausal women. It’s never too late to follow your dreams and build a business you always wanted to build. We're all in it together. Without them, I’d be nothing. They're just all behind it all the time. It just makes me emotional, it's amazing.

“I think it's brought a lot of people together. It’s not just Farsley, people come from far and wide - as far as Barnsley and Devon. People come in for a chat sometimes and it just puts people in a happy place.” 

Ali hopes this expansion will be the first of many for Box of Whiffs, with aspirations to open one on every high street in every town.