Skip to main contentEnter
Ipswich.co.uk Logomark in a circle

Ipswich's only independent news website

We publish the stories that matter and champion everything that's good about our town – without the ads, popups or tracking

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

We can't do this without you!

If you value strong, free, independent local media that fights tirelessly for our town, please consider contributing just £24 per year

Small Business Spotlight: Molecule Home Fragrance

Feature
Ipswich.co.uk Logomark in a circle

Ipswich's only independent news website

We publish the stories that matter and champion everything that's good about our town – without the ads, popups or tracking

Today, we're spotlighting Molecule Home Fragrance, an earth-friendly producer of luxury fragranced products that recently launched the Ipswicks range of ITFC candles at Planet Blue.

The big picture: Founded by Realle Goates, Molecule Home Fragrance has carved out a niche in the competitive home fragrance market by prioritising sustainability and ethical sourcing without compromising quality.

  • All products are hand-poured in small batches using vegan ingredients sourced from UK suppliers.

  • The company uses a special blend of coconut and rapeseed wax, with a small amount of soy added for hardness and a smooth finish.

  • Packaging is almost entirely plastic-free, with the only plastic item being the spray nozzle on room sprays.

Yes, but: Maintaining eco-friendly values while growing a business isn't always easy, explains Raelle:

"The hardest thing about maintaining the earth-friendly values of the business is in the supply chain. I don't source from outside the UK, as I want to do all I can to keep the carbon footprint of the business as low as possible, but this can cause challenges, as the UK is no longer a big manufacturer of materials."

Raelle Goates
Raelle Goates, Owner of Molecule Home Fragrance

Behind the scenes: Raelle, who started the business after a 30-year corporate career, brings a unique blend of creativity and project management skills to the venture.

"I wanted to take a change of direction and find a venture that allowed me to make the most of my creative side, as well as run and grow a business of my own," she told Ipswich.co.uk.

Around 20% of Molecule's retail customers are from Suffolk, a figure that's been steadily growing, and the company won the LUXlife Global Excellence Award for Best Botanical Home Scent Company—East of England 2023.

Partnering with Ipswich Town FC: This year, Raelle has focused on expanding Molecule's white-label business. Those efforts culminated in an exciting partnership with Ipswich Town FC to create the 'Ipswicks' range of candles.

Goates's approach to securing the Ipswich Town partnership was refreshingly direct:

"I made up some mock-ups of my products using their branding and literally turned up one day to the Planet Blue shop, where I spoke with a member of the team and asked her to pass on the mock-ups, as well as some examples of my fragrances to the Head of Retail Operations.

"I followed up with an email and was amazed to get a response within the hour."

A sample of the Molecule Home Fragrance range

Raelle's favourite fragrance is Catching Sunset on a Paradise Isle because it reminds her of "warm summer evenings, sitting at the edge of a beach with a cocktail."

And her favourite product? She loves the Chris Moyles candle: "It has a wooden wick, which has a subtle crackle, but is also an absolutely gorgeous powdery, soft fragrance."

Advice to new or aspiring independent retailers:

Asked what advice she would give her younger self if starting again, Raelle said: "Every day is a school day when you run your own business, and you learn something new literally every day. I would probably advise myself to take a course in social media marketing before embarking on a new retail venture, as that has been one of the biggest learning curves.

"It's crucially important to any small retail business but is often neglected as small business owners are so busy making and developing products, ordering materials, negotiating contracts and everything in between!"

The bottom line: As consumers become more environmentally conscious, businesses like Molecule demonstrate that luxury and sustainability can go hand in hand.

Support them: Head over to https://moleculehomefragrance.co.uk/.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

We can't do this without you!

If you value strong, free, independent local media that fights tirelessly for our town, please consider contributing just £24 per year

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

Ipswich's only free and independent news publication

Support our journalism

We can't do this without you! Unlike the Ipswich Star and East Anglian Daily Times, Ipswich.co.uk has no banner advertising and no wealthy US corporate owners.

So, if you value strong, free, independent local media that fights tirelessly for a better Ipswich, please consider contributing just £24 per year.

Every penny matters and allows us to keep producing good quality local journalism that respects your time, attention and privacy.

Become a supporter

Farage more trusted than Starmer in East of England, latest poll finds

News
Ipswich.co.uk Logomark in a circle

Ipswich's only independent news website

We publish the stories that matter and champion everything that's good about our town – without the ads, popups or tracking

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is more trusted to represent the UK internationally than PM Keir Starmer among East of England voters, new polling reveals.

Why it matters: The findings highlight a significant decline in trust for the main party leaders in the region less than a year after the general election.

The poll, conducted by communications agency PLMR and Electoral Calculus, shows Farage ranked highest among named leaders at 19% in the East of England, ahead of Sir Keir Starmer (13%), Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch (6%) and Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey (5%).

Nigel Farage
Nigel FarageAlamy

The bigger picture: One in three voters (33%) in the region responded "none of the above" when asked which political figure they would trust most, suggesting a broader decline in overall trust in UK political leaders.

By the numbers: The same poll indicates Reform UK would become the largest party in the region if an election were held tomorrow:

  • Reform: 21 seats

  • Conservatives: 10 seats

  • Labour: 4 seats

  • Liberal Democrats: 2 seats

  • Greens: 1 seat

In contrast: Nationally, Farage and Starmer are tied at 16% among those who named a preference, highlighting a more polarised national picture, with the Reform UK leader building more trust with voters in the East of England specifically.

What they're saying: "This polling highlights a significant decline in trust for the two main party leaders among East of England voters when it comes to representing the UK on the international stage," said Tim Miller , Managing Director of PLMR Genesis , the East of England branch of PLMR.

Reform and Nigel Farage have seemingly been able to capitalise on this and it's now translating into voting intentions, with the Party set to overtake Labour and the Conservatives in the region with the largest number of seats – a seismic political shift.

Between the lines: The poll suggests Reform would make strong gains across the region, potentially taking seats from both major parties:

  • Suffolk: Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket from Labour

  • Essex: Braintree from the Conservatives and Thurrock from Labour

  • Cambridgeshire: North East from the Conservatives and North West from Labour

  • Norfolk: North West from the Conservatives and South West from Labour

Tim Miller on a backdrop of Ipswich from above and political party colour overlays
Tim Miller of PLMR GenesisOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The national outlook: The survey of 5,180 adults showed Reform securing 25% of the vote share nationally, compared to 23% each for Labour and the Conservatives. This would translate to 227 seats for Reform, 180 for Labour and 130 for the Conservatives.

The bottom line: "If Labour wants to keep Reform at bay, hold onto the gains they made in the East of England and remain in government in four year's time, the Party needs to focus on getting their message across more clearly to voters and instil confidence in their domestic agenda," Miller concluded.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

We can't do this without you!

If you value strong, free, independent local media that fights tirelessly for our town, please consider contributing just £24 per year

Load next article