When Irish Country Living first met the brothers behind the Max Benjamin range, our first thought was who is Max and who is Benjamin? The reply, however, was: “I’m David Van den Bergh and this is my brother, Mark.”

To add to the confusion, it’s their twin nephews Max and Ben who inspired the name of the range.

“I don’t think when our sister Orla was naming her boys that she envisaged it would end up being an international brand,” laughs David.

However, as their nephews grow big and strong, so does the candle range that bears their names. Now sold in nine countries and 140 shops across Ireland alone, Max Benjamin candles and diffusers are ticking all the boxes in the giftware category because they look so sophisticated and attractive, they are priced reasonably and, most importantly, they smell sensational.

Candle Parties

So, how did two brothers living in a quaint but beautiful valley near Enniskerry in Co Wicklow build such a brand?

“The whole venture started in the 90s,” says Mark. “Orla was on her J1 in America and she started working in a candle-making factory in Florida. Can you imagine the heat?

“When she came home, she started it as a hobby and people really liked them. I came on board with her and we used have candle parties in Enniskerry with lots of friends buying the products.

“That led to candles being sold to small craft shops and within a few years we were being stocked in the likes of Brown Thomas, Selfridges and House of Fraser.”

Mark says that although these are big names, production wasn’t on a massive scale.

“The Oberg range was different to Max Benjamin. They were huge with three wicks – much more ornamental pieces. The focus was on creating a prestigious range, rather than volume.”

The market really started to get very competitive and customers became much more price-focused.

“Sales started to suffer. We felt we had to get out of that market.”

New Beginnings

That could have been the end of this Irish Country Living article – a small family run company who were doing well in a niche craft business that unfortunately failed. However, it’s clear the Van den Berghs have vision and a sheer determination.

“We regrouped, we refocused, we looked at a new direction that would work. David came on board as Orla just had the twins and it was fairly full on. So we looked into the whole area of scented candles.”

Feeling fresh with a new vision is all well and good but this was 2007 and the black cloud of the recession was approaching like a winter storm.

“Ironically, the recession was actually good for us. People had been buying lavish gifts but now they wanted to watch their money. Our candles were priced below €20 and our diffusers were €26. We focused on beautiful presentation and packaging so people could give a really attractive gift without breaking the bank,” says Mark.

The quality of the candle wasn’t going to take a back seat either.

“We decided to opt for natural wax. Paraffin is much easier to work with but our natural wax – which is a combination of coconut, soy and beeswax – is cleaner and healthier, it burns longer and doesn’t produce the same amount of soot. It also allows the pure fragrance to shine through much more. It’s taken years of testing to get it just right.”

What also takes some time is making the candles themselves.

“From start to finish, the production takes seven hours. However, we can make up to 2,500 candles a day now and have capacity for more so we’re really trying to grow our export market,” he says.

Many people would think that all this manufacturing takes place in some faceless industrial estate but the company still stays true to its roots. Surrounded by natural beauty in the lush valley of the Wicklow mountains, David says they don’t plan to stray very far from the family home.

“Who wouldn’t want to work here?” asks Mark. “It’s inspirational, we get a lot of ideas from the seasonal scents.”

Tea Collection

Following trends identified at roadshows in Europe is also key and a big hit has been their Tea Collection. Pairing the scent of tea with the fragrances such as Serene Jasmine and Lime and Lavender hasn’t just worked for the tea-loving Irish but across Europe. And on the back of this success, their new coffee collection is set to be a big hit for the Christmas market in their beautiful rose gold tins.

Our final question just as Irish Country Living pours its very own candle was what advice they have to others building a family business?

“Keep the roles separate. Also, keep shop talk separate from family time. We have to remember we could be sitting across the table in a meeting one week and the next sitting at the family Christmas table.

“To be honest, though, there are so many kids in the family now as well as Max and Ben, it can be hard to even get a word in edgeways.”