When we moved into our house in 2021, I had no idea it would become the home of The Stable Soap Company. It is a Georgian property, which I believe was built in the 1830s and was once the local doctor’s house. One of the reasons we fell in love with it was the cellar beneath the house. We feel very lucky to have it. This is where The Stable Soap Company began.
How The Stable Soap Company Got Its Name
Beside our 200 year old Georgian house sits a little holiday cottage called The Old Stable. In the 1800s, when the house belonged to the local doctor, he kept his horse and cart there.
To me, the word "stable" represents, reliability, trust and steady, everything I wanted my brand to stand for. My logo features the curve of the name and the cottage beneath, beautifully illustrated by a friend’s daughter who captured it perfectly. Horses have been a huge part of my life, so when it came to naming the business I wanted something that reflected both my love of horses and the history around me.
A Cellar with a Story
When you stand down there now, you can still feel that sense of history. It has flagstone floors and the original Inglenook fireplace takes pride of place complete with an old cauldron that was used once to heat water beside the fire. I imagine the stories these walls could tell. A window lets in lots of natural light, making the space feel more open and welcoming than you might expect from a cellar. It is calm, quiet and tucked away, which suits the way I like to make my products.
How the Space Works Now
The cellar itself is a large open space with two smaller rooms that come off it, each with a curved ceiling. One of the rooms is my curing room. All of my soaps go in there to cure for four to six weeks. I have one side for the soaps and the other side for my other products, including my equine and dog ranges. Keeping everything organised and separate makes it easier to work efficiently.
The second room is where I keep all my ingredients, moulds and packaging.
By the window in the main space, I have a stainless steel workbench. This is where I make all of my products by hand. On the other side of the bench is the area where I package everything up and prepare orders. It flows really well. I can move from making, to curing, to packing without feeling cramped.
More Than Just a Workshop
For me, this cellar is far more than a workspace. It carries the history of the house, the story of the stables and the beginnings of The Stable Soap Company. Every day I work there, I am reminded that the business is not just about creating natural, handmade products. It is about building something meaningful in a place that already has so much character.
Still traditional.
Still handmade.
Still small batches.