Ambustum Candle Making Workshop at Art ‘Otel.
Did you know Ambustum is the Latin word for burn? Neither did I until I attended a candle making class this week with Ambustum at Arts ‘Otel Hoxton.
Ambustum is an independent candle studio based in London making small batch hand-poured candles. Ambustum’s founder Sari was our guide to creating luxury candles. We were excited to create a coconut and rapeseed wax candle that can last up to 50hours.
Our first step was to choose the scent for the candle. We given the choice of three: pear and freesia, daodar, and honey and tobacco. I was super intrigued by honey and tobacco- it’s not a scent I’ve seen before nor would I have expected that as a scent, as I normally associate vanilla, floral or other lighter scents with a candle. Honey and tobacco is one of Ambustum’s most popular candles and due to it being a bit different, I decided to go with this one (along with three others in the class). The dark tobacco leaf is softened with notes of honey, amber and patchouli (a member of the mint family). My friend went for a more summer scent- pear and freesia. This has bergamot, lemon and pear with amber and a touch of patchouli. One of the group one went with daodor. None of us in the class knew what this was, but learnt it’s a species of cedar.
Next, we poured 20g of the chosen scent into a metal jug along with 200g of wax. We stirred for a few seconds then left it for a short period of time. Our candle would be ready for the next stage once it started to become a little cloudy.
Whilst we waited we did placed the wick in the holder, a label on the black candle holder and folded the box for the candle to be placed in when ready. We also spent some time chatting to the other 4 members of the group, who were having a hen’s activity to celebrate one’s upcoming wedding. A glass of Prosecco or wine was included in our event so we enjoyed sipping this whilst getting to know the group members.
We had to keep looking at the candle to see if it was starting to be cloudy. When ready we used the technique of one pour to pour the wax into the holder, centred the wick and left to set. We were all proud of our smooth topped candles and of course had to take some pictures with cityscape at golden hour.
Although the event information said 6-9pm, it’s actually around 90minutes in length as we’d finished by 8pm. My friend and I unfortunately arrived late about 6:30 and Sari was very friendly and helpful with getting us up to speed. We really enjoyed the small group size of the class as it made it feel comfortable yet with individual attention. It’s a relaxed and friendly workshop but please be mindful you do not mix your own scents or decorate your candle. It was also very educative as we learnt about candle care and the science of candle making. We can’t wait to start burning our candles.
Ambustum Candle Making classes are held at Art ‘Otel Hoxton and Art ‘Otel Battersea. The dates for Hoxton are Wednesday 11th September and Wednesday 16th October at 6pm. The dates for Battersea are Thursday 12th September and Thursday 17th October. Tickets can be purchased via the hotel’s website or via Ambustum’s website for £55.
Website: https://www.ambustum.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambustum
Website: https://artotellondonhoxton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artotellondonhoxton
By Caitlin Neal
