Yorkshire candles with a story: a lad from Leicester, a world of smells, and a Secret Yorkshire collaboration that starts today.
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We did not plan this one.
We were wandering around Pot House Hamlet in Silkstone, a cluster of independent businesses two miles from Junction 37 of the M1, with a café, a plant nursery, and a free petting farm. We talked to a man in the candle shop, and the conversation quickly turned to Mark’s story. Half an hour later, we knew him better, and we knew we wanted to share his story.
His name is Mark Jordan, and he makes AromaHoliday candles. Today, we work together, and below you can see how that partnership began.
Want the gift set first? Pre-order the Secret Yorkshire Christmas Gift Set now, or read on.
Who is Mark Jordan?
Mark grew up in Leicester and spent years travelling before he settled in Yorkshire. In 2006, he took his son, Max, on a trip around the world, and the smells of that journey stayed with him. In 2014, he launched AromaHoliday after a Christmas shopping trip took an unexpected turn.
Today, he makes the candles by hand in Yorkshire, from a shop and production base at Pot House Hamlet. The range includes 35 World fragrances, a World Spa skincare collection, and a set of Yorkshire Sayings candles, and this year the brand has started reaching bigger retailers too.
Instead of retelling his story, we asked him twelve questions. His answers are below, in his own words.
Why we said yes
Secret Yorkshire exists to point people to the best of this county, including the people who make things here. We like supporting local Yorkshire businesses, and we are always looking for the ones that deserve a wider audience. If you like reading about Yorkshire makers, our piece on the Yorkshire Mouseman workshop in Kilburn is another one to try.
After meeting Mark and hearing his story, we took a closer look at what he makes. The products fit our brand: they come from a real person, a real reason, and a Yorkshire workshop. The Yorkshire Sayings collection sealed the deal: candles that carry traditional Yorkshire phrases and say something about where we live. We wanted our followers to see them. That is why we chose to work together.
The timing helped too. Christmas is just around the corner, and Mark has a range made for gift-giving: candles, reed diffusers, wax melts, hand and body lotions, and spa sets. There is something for most people on your list.
So we spent the past few weeks working out how to introduce him to you properly. We also negotiated a Secret Yorkshire price on a special gift set, which you will find below, along with a competition to launch it all. That offer is part of the partnership, and we earn a commission on sales made through our links.
In his own words: 12 questions about AromaHoliday Yorkshire candles
Mark opened his reply like this: “AromaHoliday’s story starts with a lad from Leicester, a love of adventure and rather more travel stories than will fit into one interview!”
In 2006, you travelled around the world with your son, Max. Where did you go, and what smell do you still remember?
In 2006, I travelled around the world with my son, Max, visiting Australia, China, Singapore, and New Zealand. The smell that has stayed with me most is the fresh, rich green scent of New Zealand’s rainforests and lush vegetation. Even now, that fragrance takes me straight back.
My travelling adventures started long before that, though. As a young, single man, I spent two years playing football in America, a year playing in New Zealand, worked as a bartender in Crete, and backpacked around Australia.
In Australia, I once woke up on a deserted beach after sleeping under the stars to find a pack of wild dingoes licking between my toes. An appetiser, perhaps? There are gentler ways to start your morning! Those experiences leave you with more than photographs. You remember the atmosphere, the people, and the smells. That connection between fragrance and memory is what AromaHoliday, World of Scents, is all about.
When did you decide to turn those travels into candles? Was there a moment, or did it build slowly?
There was a definite moment: Christmas 2013, in a department store at the Trafford Centre. I was armed with my wife’s Christmas list. As a man, you need clear instructions!
The list included an expensive candle to take pride of place at home. As I looked around, they all seemed the same and smelled alike. The labels told me the ingredients, but I wanted something that meant more. I thought, “What if a fragrance could reflect our journey through life: the places we’ve been, the people we’ve shared them with, and the memories we’ve made?”
Standing there, Christmas shopping suddenly turned into a business idea. AromaHoliday launched in 2014. My wife had sent me out for a candle; I came back with plans for a candle business! Today, that idea runs through our home fragrance, skincare, and luxury gifts. It’s about choosing something beautiful with a personal connection.
What was the very first candle you made, and how did it turn out?
The first was New York, our signature scent, inspired by my memories of travelling around America playing football: coffee houses, apple pie, cinnamon buns, and roasted chestnuts. I wanted to capture that feeling of stepping into an American diner: warm, welcoming, and full of tempting winter smells.
Getting the fragrance was only part of it. One of the biggest lessons was learning how to achieve a good, even burn. Tunnelling, when a candle burns down the middle and leaves wax around the sides, is a real bugbear of mine, and I know it frustrates customers too.
It taught me how much care goes into the whole candle, from the ingredients and wick to testing how they work together. The fragrance brings the memory to life, but the quality has to make you want to light it again.
AromaHoliday launched in 2014. What were the hardest first few years?
Having the vision without always having the money to bring it to life. That doesn’t magically disappear as you grow, either. There’s always another idea you’d love to develop and a budget asking you to calm down! Learning to adapt is a constant, too. Retail is hard, and working seven days a week takes time away from family. Protecting that time matters enormously. The business matters, but so do the people you’re doing it all for.
Travelling taught me a few things about the unexpected. In my first week working in Crete, about 100 angry young men trapped me in a bar, mistaking me for another tourist who had wronged them. I honestly thought I was going to die. Once they realised their mistake, I became everyone’s beloved brother for the rest of my stay!
“Be nice” is my motto. In business, I keep putting my faith in quality, personality and treating people well. I hope that shines through, with considerably fewer terrifying misunderstandings!
What is your best-selling scent, and which is your own favourite?
Our best-seller is Rome: a fresh, fruity citrus fragrance with blackberry, orange, lemon and thyme. It’s inspired by my love of wine, Italian summers and that wonderful Mediterranean way of life. It’s uplifting, a little invitation to slow down and imagine yourself somewhere warm and lovely.
My own favourite is Istanbul, an Eastern spiced adventure with frankincense and jasmine. It brings to mind wandering through Turkish markets, but it feels wonderfully calming. It feels very authentic to me. We even supplied an event for Turkish Airlines, a lovely connection for a travel-focused business.
With 35 World fragrances, everyone can find their own favourite. That’s the pleasure of giving them as gifts: choosing a place or a memory that means something to the person receiving it.
How did a small Silkstone business end up talking to Debenhams, John Lewis and Holland & Barrett?
An agency approached us earlier this year because they loved what I was doing and saw an opportunity to expand AromaHoliday online. That opened the door to conversations with those bigger retailers. Debenhams went live in September, while John Lewis and Holland & Barrett progressed through their onboarding.
For a small independent business in Silkstone, it’s exciting to reach people across the country. Behind it all, it’s still me, caring about the products, packing the brand with personality, and probably chatting with someone about their last holiday!
The Yorkshire Sayings candles are a big part of the range. Where did the idea come from, and which saying is your favourite?
I grew up in Leicester and moved to Yorkshire after returning from work in the Channel Islands, then travelling in 2006. I love it here: the humour, the friendliness and that wonderfully colourful language. The Yorkshire Sayings collection is a fun celebration of all that, with beautiful fragrances and colourful presentation. You read a saying and immediately hear it in someone’s voice. Usually, you also know exactly who you’d buy it for!
I developed a complete display stand for local shops and garden centres, too, so they could bring a little AromaHoliday humour to their customers. My favourite saying is “It’ll Be Reyt” because it’s both reassuring and optimistic.
They’re gifts with a bit of cheek and plenty of affection, made with the same care as the rest of our range.
How are the candles made, and how many people work with you?
We hand-make our products here in Yorkshire. Our candles use soy wax and cotton/paper wicks, with no added dyes or palm oil. They’re vegan and cruelty-free. I run the business day to day from our shop and production base at Pot House Hamlet in Silkstone. A T Level student from Barnsley College joins me on Fridays to help with social media, and he’s a valued member of the team.
We’re small, but we put a great deal of care into what we make. Handmade should feel special: beautiful fragrance, attention to detail and a luxury finish. I want people to be proud to give our products, and rather tempted to keep them.
Why Silkstone? What do you like about running a business here?
I wanted somewhere that could bring the shop and production together, and Pot House Hamlet offered exactly that, with real charm.
After years of travelling, I love having a base where people come in and share their own stories. I’ve ridden a motorbike the length of America’s East Coast (only to discover later that I didn’t have the right paperwork), and my Australian adventures ended with a surprisingly polite deportation and a three-year ban!
It’s been a blast. These days, adventures usually begin with a conversation in the showroom, with considerably less paperwork. Silkstone lets people meet the person behind the products, explore the fragrances, and choose something in their own time.
What would you tell someone in Yorkshire who wants to start their own product business?
Start with something you care about and give people a reason to remember it. Make the product as good as you can, listen to your customers and know your costs.
Be ready to adapt. Your ideas will probably outrun your budget (I speak from experience), and you’ll have to decide what matters most. Let your personality show, be nice to people, and protect some family time. Working hard matters, but you need a life outside the business to keep inspiring it.
What should people do when they visit the showroom?
Come in with your nose and a story! Tell me about a favourite holiday, a place you dream of visiting, or the person you’re buying for. I love people and their stories, and we can explore the fragrances together.
Explore our 35 World fragrances, try the World Spa skincare, and smile at the Yorkshire Sayings collection. Whether you’re looking for a luxury gift, a thoughtful thank-you or a treat for yourself, I’d love to help you find something personal. If you can’t get to our store, explore the collections at AromaHoliday.com, and keep an eye out for the Secret Yorkshire competition and the follower offer afterwards. A little adventure could be closer than you think!
Which of your scents smells most like Yorkshire?
“Sit Thissen Down.” It brings together bluebells, pine needles, green leaves, freesias and gardenias. It reminds me of running around the Peak District in spring, my favourite season. That fresh greenery and the flowers coming through capture a feeling I love.
After travelling all that way, I’ve found that some of the loveliest escapes are close to home. And this one comes with a very Yorkshire instruction to put your feet up!
Win a Secret Yorkshire Christmas Gift Set from AromaHoliday
To launch the cooperation, one Secret Yorkshire follower will win a Secret Yorkshire Christmas Gift Set, worth £100.
How to enter: Complete the free entry form on our COMPETITION PAGE LINK.
Closing date: Sunday 29th November 2026 at 23:59.
Open to UK residents aged 18 or over. We’ll pick the winner at random on Monday 9 November and announce them on the Secret Yorkshire Facebook page. AromaHoliday will post the prize when it begins dispatch in December. This competition is not sponsored, endorsed or run by Facebook.
The Secret Yorkshire Christmas Gift Set
The Secret Yorkshire Christmas Gift Set is a limited-edition luxury Yorkshire Sayings candle gift, made by AromaHoliday in collaboration with Secret Yorkshire. The candles carry the names Na’ Then, Appy Christmas, From Me T’ Thee and Treat Ya Sen, in scents AromaHoliday describes as spicy, earthy and citrus. It comes in a festive red gift box with a gift sleeve.
It is listed at £36 on the AromaHoliday site. Our 12.5% Secret Yorkshire discount applies automatically at checkout, bringing it to £31.50. The offer runs from 1 to 30 November 2026, while stocks last.
- Pre-order: you can pre-order the set now, but we are only running that comp until 28th of November.
- Dispatch: orders will dispatch between 1 and 13 December 2026.
- Delivery: free UK delivery. UK addresses only.
- Free wax melt: the first 100 qualifying paid orders get a free World of Scents wax melt pack, a surprise fragrance picked by AromaHoliday.
- Gift message: add a personal note at checkout by selecting “Add a note to your order”.
Visit the showroom
The AromaHoliday shop is at Pot House Hamlet, Barnsley Road, Silkstone, Barnsley, S75 4JU. It is open 10 am to 4 pm, seven days a week. Pot House Hamlet has free parking, welcomes dogs and is fully accessible. Check opening times for each business before you set off.
Planning your Christmas outings? Our guide to Yorkshire Christmas markets 2026 might help. You can also follow AromaHoliday on Facebook and Instagram, or use the contact page to get in touch.
Mark’s one-sentence message for our followers sums it up: “Find a fragrance that takes you somewhere, a Yorkshire saying that makes you smile or a luxury World destination gift that says, ‘I know you, I care’, and all handmade here in Yorkshire.”
