If a ‘scratch and sniff’ map of the Lake District exists, make sure you go to Far Sawrey first and release the fragrance of bitter orange, lime and sweet ylang ylang.

For just over a year ago Claire and Gareth McKeever moved their Pure Lakes business from Staveley to the tiny village near Hawkshead following a four-year plan to build their own 6,000sq ft manufacturing centre. You can smell the business where they make their skincare, body lotions and home fragrance products long before opening the door...
The couple bought the business a decade ago from founders Sandra and Iain Blackburn. Gareth, a prospective Conservative candidate, was canvassing in Cumbria when he met Claire, who was visiting her family. They married, lived in London, had a son and then decided to move to the Lakes to run a business – they were customers of Pure Lakes and approached them about buying it. “We bought half of it in 2014, I quit my job, we moved up, Claire did an apprenticeship with Sandra and we bought the other half in 2016,” said Gareth. Sandra and Iain work for them one day a week.
“We loved the sustainable ethos of Pure Lakes, the fact the ingredients are plant-based, biodegradable, the smell is all essential oils and it’s not synthetic, the packaging is sustainable and traceable and everything is bought ethically.
“When I was standing as a candidate here I discovered Pure Lakes and I said to my mum (who runs a B&B in Northern Ireland) ‘This product is amazing’ so they used it well before we became owners of it. If you haven’t got the product right then you can forget it. You might make money but it’s going to be very dispiriting,” Gareth said.
Their staff who make the products and the customers who buy them are central to the McKeever vision: “We are in a very privileged position to run a business the way we’ve always wanted it run…and it’s really challenging!” said Gareth. “Our team is phenomenal and we want them to thrive. Where we live is decimated by second homes and holiday homes. We have children in the local primary school and when they started there were 60 plus children and today there’s 42 or 43. Young people can’t afford to live here, work here, there’s not enough affordable housing for them. It’s a huge issue and we have this opportunity to have our business here and create jobs. Job creation is a massive driver for us,” he said.