Trader Profile-Apostle

We’re rapidly approaching our final market of 2022, so over the next couple of weeks we’ll be bringing you lots of gift ideas for all budgets via our Trader Profiles. We absolutely love to know a bit more about how and why our wonderful traders got in to doing what they do, and we hope you enjoy finding out more! For exquisitely sophisticated soap and bath salts that will blow your granny’s Yardley lavender stuff out of the bath water, look no further than Apostle:

Hello Harvey! Tell us a bit about you and your business…

Apostle started in 2018, after we had a hand-made Christmas. Rhys (my son) and I made bath bombs, while Jeremy (my husband) made pickles and jams. I had always been fascinated by soapmaking and so I thought I’d give that a go. The soaps that I produced then were great, and friends and family raved about them, but they needed a little refining. After a year of further development, I came up with a palm oil free, vegan, synthetic-free formula that lasts a long time, is super gentle on your skin and smells absolutely exquisite, and scent is at the heart of much that I do. All my soaps are made with natural ingredients, clays for their colour, essential oils for their scent and gentle oils and butters such as Shea butter, that help make the soaps firm, sudsy and incredibly luxurious.

Where do you get your inspiration – what motivates you to do what you do?

The inspiration for the soaps comes from classic natural perfume ingredients. I adore blending essential oils and finding which ones work best in the soaps and bath salts. Classic natural perfumes don’t survive the saponification process and so there is a real art and science in creating a blend that delivers a wow factor in soapmaking. It’s such a passion that it’s the reason I’ve ended up with such a wide range, I just keep being inspired! I also thrive on feedback from customers, and the positive reviews I get from them really drive me.

Why did you choose to come and trade at The Frome Independent?

I always loved the atmosphere of The Frome Independent as a customer. It’s an exceptional market with some very talented creators. So, I thought I would bite the bullet and see if I could get a stall, and I love trading there. The atmosphere is incredibly friendly, and I always look forward to coming.

What do you like about market trading – why not just sell online or through retail outlets?

As my products are scent based, I love getting the feedback from customers on their favourite scents, it gives me an opportunity to ask the customer questions and get ideas on future products they may want to buy. I love meeting my customers face to face, but most of all, it’s the pleasure of meeting return customers month on month. It gives me great pleasure when a customer talks about their experiences of using my products or brings a friend along to the Apostle stall.

Tell us about your own favourite or best-selling product. How much work goes into creating it, why do you think this is your strongest product?

I have recently launched a new range of luxury enriched bath salts that include Dead Sea salt, Himalayan pink salts, Hawaiian black lava salts and Epsom salt. As well as being enriched with organic oils, they all have the most exquisite scent blends using some of the most expensive essential oils available, including Rose Absolute, Cardamom, Vetiver, May Chang and Clary Sage. They truly bring a touch of opulence to any bath, with the intention of turning your ‘me’ time into a moment of pure indulgence. I have to say that my very favourite of all four of the bath salts available is the ‘Cardamom, Vetiver, Patchouli and Black Pepper’ blend.

What is your favourite Frome shop or stall to visit at The Frome Independent?

Definitely my favourite stall is The Snow Sheppard. They have been my neighbouring stall at Frome, must be for over a year now, and they are incredibly good company, and I always look forward to being there with them. Apart from that, their products are incredible! My husband insists I also say The Barley Sugar Bake House for amazingly good quiches and Portuguese tarts.

And finally, some quick-fire questions!

Favourite book?

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.

Describe your dream day off.

I would go to my favourite shop in Bath, called Nám, and buy something beautifully scented, like their incredible Astier de Villatte incense sticks, candles or something else as gorgeous. Then head off for Coffee and cake at Cascara with a friend. Go for Lunch at Noodle Bath, and finally go around Bath Abbey, something I haven’t yet managed to do. In reality, I am a busy Dad, so just lying on the sofa snoring would be just as rewarding, and a lot cheaper!

What are you listening to now?

Usually Radio 4, mostly the science programmes such as ‘A Life Scientific’, ‘Infinite Monkey Cage’. It’s the geek in me that loves the science of soapmaking and the creator in me that loves the scent making!

What are you cooking/eating/drinking right now?

We are mostly a vegetarian family, with my son almost religiously vegetarian, bordering on vegan. We tend to cook every evening, with the occasional take out. Being in a vegetarian household turns you into a better cook, as you need to understand how to get decent flavour into your dishes. As a result, I have perfected a vegetarian lasagne recipe that all of us love, so much so, my son’s nickname for me is now Dad-Lasagne, and he’s even been known to come back for thirds!

Thank you Harvey! Head into Market Place on Sunday 4th December to find Apostle’s stall at The Frome Independent, or if you can’t wait that long, do check them out online here: www.apostlesoap.com