Luscious Lavender

Luscious Lavender

A view of our curing rack showing Luscious Lavender, which contains lavender essential oil and lavender flowers, to provide a soft ex-foliating soothing bar, based on the original Colne Bar recipe.

The Natural Food Store

New outlet in Colchester

We are pleased to announce that the Natural Health Shop Colchester, now stock our soap.

Medieval Festival

We met Celia and John of the Natural Health Shop Colchester, over the June Jubilee weekend at the Medieval Festival in Colchester.

Natural Products

Their shop provides a wide range of natural products including quality vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal and homeopathic remedies, natural body care products, wholefood drinks and sports nutrition.

You can visit John and Celia, at the Natural Health Shop, 27 St Issacs Walk, Colchester.

Products in store

Just Kiddin

Goat's milk and Sweet Orange swirled with Calendula Petals.

Gentleman's soap

Cedar wood, Clary Sage & Rosemary presented in a creamy white bar, not only for gents.

Dave's

No Scents, No Colour, just gentle cleaning for extra sensitive skin.

Luscious Lavender

Bursting with lavender, swirled with buds slightly ex-foliating.

Ebb Tide

Seaweed extracts, natural sea salt, Rosemary and peppermint in green and white layers.

Maldon Mermaid

Patchouli, Sweet Orange & Clary sage in lilac, burgundy and cream swirls topped with Jasmin flowers.

Grubby Gardener

Designed for the gardener, a Tea Tree, Cedar wood & Sweet Orange antiseptic mix in a moisturising burgundy bar to wash those grubby green fingers.

In The Circle and Showing off

I first came into contact with 15 Queen Street  via Colchester Digital meet-ups, which has nothing to do with our soap, but my work in the digital-world.

Then, on a cold Friday morning in February, Alex walked up to our stall at Colchester Art's Centre (Colchester Farmers Market) and enquired if we would be interested to do a talk. We had both enjoyed our day at St Lawrence Shool, Rowhedge and we thought it would be an ideal opportunity to explain to the people in Colchester how we make soap and what we are up to. So we signed up.

I didn't realise at the time, that this would also involve an interview and an article in the Colchetser Circle magazine. John Doyle, their resident journalist and photographer, came to visit us towards the close of Rowhedge Farmers Market, and returned to base with some wholesome spicy soup, to conduct  the interview and shots.

I must say that our experience with with @15QueenStreet has been most enjoyable, they are a thoroughly professional and well organised organisation who have contributed so much since their start about 18 months ago.

We have attended a few of their events which have been extremely interesting and insightful as to how much artistic talent there is in and around Colchester.

Well done Mark, Alex, John and everyone else at 15 Queen Street for your work promoting arts, culture, music, artisans, independent businesses and the magazine in the Colchester area.

Long may it continue!




We are not only in the circle this week, but also Showing Off next Thursday 21st June 13:00-13:45 at 15 Queen Street, Colchester. Hope you can make it.

Our Woman in Heybridge

We are pleased to announce, during our recent visit to Maldon, we managed to recruit our new agent in Heybridge. She holds stock and is able to supply our customers in the Maldon / Heybridge area. Contact us as normal and Belinda will arrange your order.

Surviving Maldon Mud Race 2012

Yes, it's a cold, wet and windy Sunday morning and I'm not sure who maddest around here, is it me, for daring to venture out from under my warm duvet and only to drive 45 mins into the deluge of a storm which has been going now for over 24hrs. Or is it the mad Maldonites for inventing The Maldon Mud race, in the first place.

We arrive late, and snuck up to the end of a line of 5 stalls, not much was happening and we started to unpack. It was beginning to rain quite hard now, but we needed the gazebo up to keep our stock dry.

We got it half up when it really began to blow and despite having all four weighted feet and anchoring guy ropes on each corner, at one point I thought we were about to take off.

Anne did well, all 8 1/2 stone of her, clinging onto the flailing gazebo covers it looked like holding back a stay-sail on a gaff cutter. These pop-up gazebos although being quite well designed for a leisurely Sunday afternoon, sipping pimms by the pool, the designers clearly did not consider that anyone in their right mind would "put-up" the "pop-up" in a howling gale, but that is exactly what we were trying to do.

It is only half up, but also broken in three places and I find myself carrying out emergency field repairs, just to make it safe for when I take it down again. We're tied down with two extra make-shift straps, and Anne is sitting bravely, in the centre of the shelter, trying to sip a coffee as I survey how the locals have secured their shelters.

I realise I have to make a decision soon, we're beginning to look a bit silly now, our 5' gazebo, no stall, no products, not even a table, just Anne, sipping her coffee, now on the far side still looking very brave, and not getting too wet. Do I embarrass myself, ourselves, in fact Colne Soap Makers and admit defeat in front of these hardy Maldonites, or do I go for plan B, one box on the table, no table cloth and make all attempts to keep things dry !

You've probably guessed, we are still optimists, and the gaps between gusts seem to be getting longer, we go for plan B. And eventually probably about an hour and a half after arriving, manage to open our stall.

Anne bought a hot coffee & breakfast, our friends Noel & Belinda arrived, things were brightening up.
The race was shortened in the end, it went along not across the river this year due to the bad weather.

But Anne managed to get some photographs.

As we were packing up, the wind began began to show signs of easing off it was becoming a pleasant afternoon after all. A little too late for us this time, all packed up with steaming wet jeans the heater runs full bast and we head off to Maldon Little Ship club to enjoy some home made soup and rolls.

We were wet through, but not all washed out at Maldon Mudrace 2012.

Maldon Mud race 2012 photographs by Anne.