John and Amber Fisher, co-owners of Ardent Flame Candles, at their stand at the Big E on Westfield Day.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Lederer
WEST SPRINGFIELD — On busy days, John and Amber Fisher, the co-owners of Ardent Flame Candles, make up to 300 candles by hand in their Bennington, Vermont, studio.
“We’ve actually had some companies try to come and offer us machinery to make them and we said, no, we don’t want to do that. We always want to make them hand-poured,” said John Fisher.
Fisher was born and raised in Westfield, a fourth-generation resident. His family still lives there. He graduated from Westfield High School in 1994. After graduation, but before he left for college, he worked at one of the city’s Big Y supermarkets. Now, his candles are sold in both the city’s stores, as well as Big Ys across the Pioneer Valley.
“I used to work there and now I’m putting our own product at that store,” he said. “I’m very proud of that.”
Growing up in Westfield showed him what it means to live in New England, as well as its community spirit, he said. He noted the culture of Westfield is friendly to small businesses. The support and mentorship he received at Westfield High School was important, too.
Besides being handmade, Ardent Flame Candles are 100% soy. They come in up to 24 scents; their website lists “Maple Sugar Shack,” “Cinnamon Apple Crisp,” “Lavender Mint Tea,” and “Oak Campfire,” among others. They can be purchased off the website for $17.95; their “Buzzing Beeswax” 100% beeswax candle is $25.
“These candles are all natural and 100% non-toxic,” said Fisher. “People really need to understand that they’re healthy but also that they smell great. I always tell people, ‘what’s the point of a healthy cookie if it doesn’t taste good?’”
This year, Fisher returned to the Pioneer Valley for the Big E, his company’s first year at the fair. He and his wife were stationed in the Vermont state building for 11 hours a day between Sept. 22 and 29.
“It takes a lot of energy,” he said. “To be able to do this everyday, it’s like running a marathon.”
Nonetheless, on Sept. 26, which was Salute to Westfield Day at the fair, Fisher said it was going great. He said he was lucky to be in the Vermont building, representing a state that tourists visit for handcrafted items, like his and his wife’s candles.
“They want things that are quality, done by hand, specialty items,” he said. “The fact that we make each one in small batch is what connects us with our product.”
They are hoping not only to come back next year, but to be a permanent fixture in the building, if the Eastern States Exposition lets them.
In the future, they also hope to expand to stores in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine; they are currently only sold in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. They plan to continue making candles by hand. They have no intent to do it any other way.
