A savvy woman who found herself suddenly out of work has revealed how she turned a simple kitchen-table idea into a booming business, making £5,000 a month.
Izzy Brantingham was working as a wedding coordinator when she lost her job, leaving her with no source of income.
Stuck at home and struggling to find work in the events industry, the 27-year-old decided to get creative – and ended up launching a side hustle that completely changed her life.
Using leftover wine and gin bottles from nights in, Izzy and her dad began turning them into luxury candles.
What started as gifts for friends quickly caught on, and before long, Bottle Top Candle Co. was born – a side hustle that turned into her making thousands a month.
“About six months in, we were turning over around £5,000 a month and posting out hundreds of candles,” Izzy, from Newcastle, told Founder Insights.
“I’ll never forget driving to the post office one Christmas with my Mini Cooper completely full of boxes – that’s when I realised how big it had become.”
Izzy says the early days were chaotic, with hours spent testing wax blends, learning to cut bottles safely and figuring out how to source materials during lockdown.
But the pair persevered, and within just six months, Izzy was running a fully-fledged business from her kitchen, shipping out hundreds of candles each month and earning thousands in sales.
Her best month in December 2022 brought in a staggering £8,000 profit, as demand for her handmade creations soared in the run-up to Christmas.
She said, “Honestly, it was surreal. I never set out to make that kind of money – it began as a creative outlet and a way to stay busy during a really uncertain time.
“Seeing it grow into a profitable business was incredibly rewarding, but more than anything, it showed me what’s possible with the right idea, hard work and a bit of resourcefulness.
“It gave me huge confidence in my own abilities and made me realise how much I loved the marketing and communications side of running a business.”
The business quickly became a family affair, with Izzy handling branding, marketing and orders, while her dad focused on the practical side.
The pair even struck up deals with local bars and restaurants to collect leftover bottles to recycle into new products.
She saved much of her profits, eventually using them towards buying her first home.
As lockdown ended and life returned to normal, Izzy made the decision to focus on her long-term career, moving into marketing and PR.
She said: “The business had done really well, but I wanted to build on everything I’d learned – from branding and storytelling to customer engagement and apply it in a different setting.
“My goal was to strengthen those skills so that, in the future, I can use them to grow another business of my own.
“It felt like a natural next step rather than an ending.”
Izzy is among many people across the country who have tried earning extra cash on the side.
Research by Young Enterprise shows 82% of Gen Z in the UK have tried some kind of entrepreneurship – from reselling on platforms like Depop and Vinted to running side hustles.
But most feel the country’s future economy isn’t backing them, with money worries and fear of failure holding them back.
Now a senior account manager at a global agency, Izzy says skills she first honed while melting wax at her kitchen table.
But she hasn’t ruled out running another business one day, saying the experience gave her an entrepreneurial mindset she’ll always carry with her.
She said: “I’m proud that I turned a difficult situation into something positive and self-sustaining.
“Starting from nothing and building a profitable business in my kitchen taught me so much about resilience and creativity.
“And the fact that it helped me save for my first home still feels surreal.
“It completely shaped how I approach my work.
“I understand what it’s like to build something from scratch, so I really empathise with small-business owners.
“It also taught me to stay adaptable, think creatively under pressure and never underestimate the power of good storytelling.”
She now has advice for anyone thinking about starting a side hustle.
Izzy said: “Focus on the small things; be kind to your customers and go the extra mile – their review will travel further than any advertisement.
“And don’t be afraid to ask questions of people who know more than you; good advice early on can save you so much time and stress later.”
