'I started making home fragrances in my kitchen in 2022 - now I've sold thousands of products from my Staffordshire warehouse and shop'

“My great-nan was always changing her interiors, painting and moving the living room around,” says Ryan, aged 30. “I was thinking about starting the business with my inheritance because I had always wanted something that was my own and gave me a purpose. I was umming and ahhing about what to do and I had a white feather fall on me."  As he's a believer in white feathers and what they symbolise, that moment made the decision for him.

Ryan started COW Home & Body by offering 15 different fragrances, which were available in three sizes, before extending the product range to meet demand. 

In 2024, the business, which has an online store, moved from their home workshop in Brownhills to a dedicated warehouse in Hednesford. 

They make everything themselves apart from their bath bombs, which have to be temperature-controlled.

“A lot of products are made to order,” says Ryan, whose specialty is the home fragrances. 

Calum, 30, is responsible for making the whipped soap as well as the other bath and body products.

Their versatile whipped soap, which doubles up as a body wash, shaving cream and bubble bath, has been their most popular product since it was launched in summer 2023.

It is available in a wide range of scents such as piña colada; rhubarb and custard; marshmallow; 'Berry Pop!'; and 'Peach, please!'.

Ryan’s personal favourite is aloe and cucumber while Calum prefers the fruitier fragrances such as strawberry and coconut.

Last year they added a shop space at their warehouse at Anglesey Business Park, where customers could choose their products in person.

It is open on set days every month, which are advertised on the business’ social media pages. “We ship all over the UK or if you’re local, you can collect from the store. We’ve got a lot of regular customers,” says Ryan.

They also sell their products, which also include wax melts and interior mists, at markets across the Midlands and at events such as Pelsall Carnival.

The business has also won a number of awards including Best Home, Bath & Body Fragrances Producer 2025 – West Midlands – SME UK Enterprise Awards.

Speaking about his business’ name, Ryan says: “I wanted it to be something different that people would remember and not forget."

Offering high-quality products for affordable prices is very important to him and he believes this ethos has helped to attract many regular customers.

“We have always focussed on price – I don’t feel the need to rip people off. I know how much it costs us to make it and I know how much I can sell it for without charging silly prices. I think the price being affordable brings a lot of people in,” he explains.

The pair run the business alongside their full-time jobs – Ryan works for Tesco and Calum for the NHS.

“I love meeting new people. I’ve met so many new friends and made connections up and down the country through this. I would never have met them if it wasn’t for them coming to the warehouse or ordering online,” says Ryan.

“I love picking the smells; our range is so varied that people can usually find one they like, and people like different smells at different times of the year. In the run-up to Christmas, everybody likes cinnamon and vanilla, after Christmas, people want fresher smells for spring and after Easter, they want a lot more of the ultra fruity smells. Depending on where we travel, the scents people want changes too,” he adds. 

“People trust us and they keep coming back to us,” says Calum, who likes that the business also offers an escape from the stresses of daily life.

"Life is busy and can be stressful at times but coming here and making some soap takes your mind off everything,” he says.

For more information, see https://cowhome.co.uk or www.facebook.com/cowhomeltd.