The name may seem a bit Ronseal – as the old slogan goes, it does exactly what it says on the tin – but there’s more to the Handmade Soap Company than just soap. The firm, which is based in Slane in Co Meath, was started by husband-and-wife team Donagh Quigley and Gemma McGowan in 2010.
“Originally we were selling eight types of soaps at farmers’ markets. It expanded quickly, but we almost didn’t notice at the time because it was such hard work.” “It was when I was on a road trip in Australia with my wife that we went to a farmers’ market outside Cairns and came across a stall with handmade soap. My skin was in rag order from working outside, and the soap was really nice on it. That was the genesis of the business.”
The business has been an Enterprise Ireland client for over a decade and Quigley credits the agency with supporting the company throughout its growth.