One giant cherry has been popped on top of one candle company’s very large cake, as its products hit the shiny pages of one of the world’s top magazines.

Brothers Aidan and Ruaridh Blackett founded the Victorian Candle Co in March 2019, aiming to spread joy and calm across the county with their delicious scents.

And while the Carlisle pair have always dreamt of dominating the UK candle industry, it was still one massive surprise to get a call from the renowned and hugely popular magazine, Vanity Fair.

“Someone from Vanity Fair contacted us and basically said they thought our brand would fit perfectly with the magazine,” 22-year-old Aidan said.

“They were running a section called ‘All Wrapped Up’, and it’s a sort of Christmas gift guide to help small businesses, and it was absolutely amazing to even be contacted.”

He added: “It was insane! We’re so proud and just honestly blown away to be contacted by such a massive magazine, it was unreal.”

Using only soy wax, the team currently offers a range of scents, from winter warmer classics such as apple and cinnamon, gingerbread and pumpkin spice, to fruitier smells including strawberry and rhubarb, orange and blueberry pancakes.

And after an easy-paced start, with a few welcome orders per day, the brothers are now preparing up to 30 orders every day – “which is absolutely crazy,” Aidan said.

“I’m not sure if the article helped with sales or not, to be honest!

“It definitely increased the number of site visits and web searches, so obviously we hope that some of those people order from us.”

He continued: “We’ve seen a massive increase in orders since our competition at the start of the first lockdown, and they’ve just carried on going up.

“We’re so happy – we honestly can’t believe how lucky we are.”

Back in April, the candle company launched a competition to give away three personalised candles to three people living in Cumbria, hoping to raise spirits during the difficult time.

And it’s safe to say their heartwarming products proved popular to more than just Cumbria, with shops across the UK now stocking their candles – and an international magazine is of course a nice treat, too.

Aidan said: “We’re just so thankful to everyone who orders from us, and obviously to Vanity Fair for thinking of us.

“It all feels a bit surreal – we’re 22 and 19 and we’re technically directors of a company.

“It’s been such a weird year in so many ways, but having the support from everyone in Cumbria as well as being featured in such a famous magazine, and being stocked in so many shops, it’s just absolutely amazing.”

To find out more, including how to order your own candles, visit the Victorian Candle Co website at victoriancandle.co.

Or to follow the team’s journey and keep up-to-date on the latest scents and products, follow their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages, at @victorianco.