About Us

Hi, I'm Megan

I'm Megan, the maker behind Red Belly Candles.

By day, I'm a maths teacher but outside the classroom you'll usually find me pouring candles, making wax melts, testing new scents or packing up Red Belly orders.

Red Belly started as a bit of a fun challenge. I originally began making candle-making kits, with absolutely no plans of starting a candle business. One thing led to another, wax and fragrance oils took over the kitchen and Red Belly somehow grew into the little Irish business it is today. I'm not entirely sure how that happened but chuffed it did!

One of my favourite parts of running Red Belly is getting out to markets. I love meeting customers, hearing robin stories and helping people choose something for their home or a gift for someone special. There's something really lovely about seeing people come back to find an old favourite or discover something new.

The Story Behind Red Belly

I think robins mean something special to a lot of people.

My mam passed away from breast cancer in 2015. Before she died, she told my dad that she would come back to visit us as a robin — and she definitely does. She has a habit of sending us little signs when we need them....It can be creepy.

When I decided I wanted a little creative project of my own, I knew I wanted it to be something that reminded me of her. There's a saying that when a robin appears, a loved one is near, and that sentiment has always meant a lot to me.

Then came the small matter of finding a name.

Spideog — the Irish word for robin — didn't quite have the ring I was looking for. Redbreast was already very much taken by the whiskey... and somewhere along the way, Red Belly just came about. It stuck.

I drew the little robin logo myself and, with plenty of help from my dad getting labels and packaging printed, Red Belly was officially off and running.

11:11

There's another little piece of my mam woven into Red Belly too.

One of my scents, 11:11, is named for her. She was diagnosed on the 11th of November — 11/11 — and 4 years later, to the day, she passed away on 11/11.

11:11 has its own special meaning for so many people. It's often associated with angel numbers, signs and those little moments that make you stop and think of someone.

Made by Hand

Everything at Red Belly is handmade by me in small batches in Rush, Co. Dublin — from pouring and testing to labelling, packing, making the boxes and all the little jobs in between.

My candles are made with 100% soy wax and premium cotton wicks, and my wax melts with a coconut and rapeseed wax blend. A lot of testing goes on behind the scenes to get each candle and wax melt just right.

Whether it's the candle you light every evening, a scent that reminds you of somewhere special, or a little gift for someone you love, I hope there's a Red Belly scent that becomes one of your favourites.

What started as a little creative project alongside teaching has somehow grown into something much bigger than I ever expected. Every order, market visit and review honestly means the world.  

Thank you for choosing handmade and supporting my little Irish business.

Megan x

 

Have a question? Get in touch at redbellycandles@gmail.com, we'd love to hear from you.