Two couples who met through a passion for Walt Disney World in Florida have launched a candlemaking company in Oakham.

Mitch and Liam Bardwell and Joe and Donna Cartwright have created BardWright's Melting Co, whose products can be bought online and should soon appear in some shops.

Mitch has spent most of his life in the Rutland and Stamford area, Liam is from Nottingham, Joe is from Essex and Donna is from Nottingham.

Initially, the two couples were strangers but in 2016, the four created a video blog channel on You Tube about their Walt Disney trips.

But it wasn't until May 2017 when they physically met at a 'vloggers outing' to the Harry Potter's studio in London and they instantly clicked.

Fast forward to a little over a year and they were all living together in Oakham.

Joe and Donna decided they wanted a change of scenery from Essex and they moved in with Mitch and Liam.

Over the years, their friendship has grown stronger.

Donna told Nub News: "We all have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with scented candles and wax melts, usually bringing a fair amount back from America whenever we can visit.

"Having been less and less impressed with our purchases from the big named brands we decided we were going to make our own!"

The decision to create Bardwright's Melting Company was made early on in lockdown this year.

"We ordered a few bits, played mad scientists with scents before settling on our opening range."

But the two couples had long discussed forming a business together, first devising the name in 2018 in a restaurant in Orlando called The Boathouse, with its name being a combination of both couple's surnames.

Donna continued: "Each of our wax melts are handmade by the four of us and we pride ourselves on making high quality fragrances.

"There's nothing worse than smelling a candle or wax melt in a store to get home, burn it and find you cannot really smell it. That does not happen with our melts!

"We've had several customers tell us that usually they can only smell the wax they are burning in the room it is in but ours just spread through the house; and that's what we aim

for."

The company officially launched on May 30 on Facebook. It initially planned to sell through a Facebook store but it took off faster than anticipated and shortly after its website was launched.

The couples make the candles at home in their house-share, but for now, they continue with their jobs- Liam as a nursery manager, Mitch a sales manager, Donna an NHS manager and Joe working in prison administration.

However, the four would like to work full-time on their passion one day.

Now, the growing business sends orders all over the United Kingdom and has received enquiries from the USA. But it is not quite ready to go international just yet!

The wax melts are £3.50 each, with shipping within the UK £3.95.

Donna said: "We support local business ourselves where we can and value the sense of community a common interest brings therefore, we offer free delivery to anyone living in Oakham in the hope we can get to know our closest customers better."

Donna added: "Having been 'born' during the pandemic we have been lucky enough to set up and grow through this.

"Our customers, friends and family have been incredibly supportive of us from the start. Helping us to spread the word and keeping us busy during the lockdown!

"Our aim is simple, to make great fragrances at decent prices!"