Big Interview with Alix Mulholland, founder FieldDay

Stepping into FieldDay’s Co Down headquarters, a wave of night jasmine, rose, violets and bergamot notes perfumes the air.

Everywhere are beautifully boxed candles, scented sachets and diffusers, soaps and more, ready to be shipped off to customers around the world who have fallen for the products, whose fragrances, like peat, buttercups and hay, conjure up the essence and magic of Ireland’s native aromas.

The business, headquartered outside Carryduff in a beautiful bucolic setting of rolling fields, was set up 20 years ago by Alix Mulholland from Drumbo and was born from a moment of sudden inspiration.

“It was definitely a lightbulb moment, and I remember it well. I was at university in Glasgow and feeling homesick. I had never lived in a city and I missed the fields and quiet rural country life of Northern Ireland. I wondered how I could bottle and capture the scents from home that I missed. So that’s what I set out to do,” said Alix.

After university she started making soaps at her mum’s kitchen table.

“Mum was not at all impressed and kept asking me when I’d get a proper job. It started very much as a kitchen table business; and didn’t take on premises until soap was literally bursting out of the house!”

Fast forward two decades and the business, formerly known as Bog Standard (not everyone picked up on the irony, apparently), has had a rebrand as FieldDay, now employs 10 staff and has more than 70 products in the range.

“Our collections capture the native scents of Ireland. Our candles are made from 100 per cent vegetable wax and hand poured at our warehouse. We also make our own diffusers and incense. We love to celebrate the ordinary and often overlooked scents that are indigenous to Ireland; for example ivy, nettle & mint, rosehip, buttercup.”

The company launched its Seeds Of Change Collection earlier this year to celebrate 20 years in business.

“It started as a little lockdown project. During lockdown we spent most evenings walking in the fields. Nature and its simple pleasures provided so much comfort during lockdown. Whether it was watching the grass blow in the wind, planting seeds in the sunshine or stopping to smell the bluebells; many of us re-discovered the joy of the great outdoors, and the collection really celebrates this. It’s plastic free and the scents and vessels are infused with seeds and wildflowers.

“We created our own incense sticks for the collection, which we make ourselves along with the containers.”

Alix, who is married to Carson and mum to Grace, 15, and Charlie, 12, (there’s also two cats and a pony to look after) loves the challenge of creating new products and scents.

“I could be cutting the grass or stealing roses from mum’s garden, inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere! Getting an idea from out of my head and onto a shop shelf can take as long as nine months. It’s a long process that involves a lot of fragrance testing, wick testing and of course print and design.

“Our Peat Candle in our Apothecary Collection took almost two years to perfect. It’s a scent that’s so iconic to Ireland - a fragrance that’s locked into all our scent memories. To say we were hesitant to try and create this distinctive scent is an understatement. Many months of trial and error. Too much vanilla here, not enough Baies Rose there. Back to the drawing board so many times. But we got there in the end, with a smooth smoky velvet scent that cloaks the air the way a peat fire does. A tiny top note of Rock Rose balances out the earthy notes of cedar, musk and patchouli. Definitely one to light and enjoy over the darker nights. It’s become an absolute favourite with customers with its very own fan club!”

Alix said the ‘Jam Jar’ collection is very special to her.

“It was inspired by making rose petal perfume in jam jars as a kid. We had so much fun with the new fragrances, and really enjoyed coming up with new scents such as Nettle & Mint and Buttercup. The quilted glass jar is really pretty and can be repurposed as a jar for wildflowers when your candle has finished.”

When life is full and frenetic, scented candles, with their warm glow and fragrance, are little pots of joy which help us wind down and lift spirits. Alix couldn’t agree more.

“There’s something so calming about lighting a candle; that lovely ‘ahh’ moment when its lit and brings light and life to the room. A lit candle in an empty house can make it feel a little less empty. The gentle flicker of fragrant candlelight is definitely one of life’s simplest and best pleasures.”

Of course with the current cost-of-living crisis, splurging on non-essentials like candles, may seem wasteful, but according to Alix, they are an indulgence worth keeping.

“In times of austerity, you may have to sacrifice the bigger luxuries, but candles are always affordable, and still feel like a treat.”

Running FieldDay is clearly a dream job for Alix.

“I’ve always adored fragrance, absolutely love candles and I like meeting new people too. I really enjoy the creative freedom and being in control of our own destiny. Being able to use the business as a platform to support sustainability and our charity partner Ulster Wildlife, really makes us feel that we can do our bit to help too.”