As local couple Richard and Tara Lescott finally succeed in launching Uno Lusso, the business that lockdown tried so hard to snuff out, Amanda Borrill has been finding out more about this little piece of luxury right here on our doorstep.
Eighteen months into this pandemic, we are all way too familiar with its impact and the destruction seen in its wake. Few of us will have come through unscathed and for many it has brought about a radical re-evaluation of what is important. For the Lescotts, inspired by their love of all things Italian, the creation of Uno Lusso (One Luxury) with its stylish black white and chrome imagery was to be the catalyst behind the very brave decision to leave behind well paid jobs in the corporate world and head into the world of home fragrance.
New Horizons
High fliers in recruitment, Tara and Richard had both climbed the corporate ladder, ultimately becoming directors on the Board at Hays Plc. Richard was CEO of the Nordics and the couple enjoyed several years in Stockholm before returning to the UK and setting up home here in Histon. Founders of their own management consultancy with offices both here and in London, working life was becoming ever more successful with Tara becoming a published author and columnist for industry magazine, The Recruiter. Dark clouds though were gathering and their love for the industry diminishing.
Tara takes up the story:
“All my life candles and home fragrance were a way of de-stressing and making our home feel calm and restorative but, with a chronic health condition, I found most shop-bought candles triggered horrific migraines. This led me to research more about how they were made and how to do it myself – which I studied for quite a few years – never once thinking that this was a business or alternative career. I viewed it as a hobby and, quite honestly, a form of meditation whilst also allowing me to have my beloved candles and wax melts without headaches and black walls! It was only my complete and utter disillusionment with recruitment that made me seek alternative careers options and a friend suggested candles. By this time many friends and family kept asking me to make them and so we decided to quietly test whether people would buy them while also keeping our other business going.
“As you may have guessed, it went pretty well to the point where we could no longer run both businesses and we had to take the very difficult and scary decision to close one and keep the other – choosing to fully commit to Uno Lusso despite everyone telling us we were crazy! This was February 2020. Within the space of a week – completely by accident we stumbled upon the beautiful location at Manor Farm. It wasn’t even on the market – but we signed the lease and moved in just 2 days before lockdown”.
No way back
The couple had invested all their savings into launching a business that could not now operate as planned and most of the equipment and money spent on trade shows and events was also lost as many of those companies folded or refused to refund. Faced with having to completely rethink their entire business model, the couple had to move fast and their only option was to head online. Beginning with videos on Instagram, and taking the risky decision to give lots of product away for free – allowing people to test run their products – sales steadily grew. The product range has now increased to the point where, today, they can no longer cope with demand and need to expand their team.
Tara continues:
“They say ‘if you want to take the island you must burn the boats’. The boats were well and truly set on fire but we were not the firestarters! We literally had our backs against the wall. We had no old business to return to – it did not exist but would have gone with COVID anyway. We had no savings left to reinvest in changing our business model but what we did have was a crazy work ethic and a lot of belief and passion for what we wanted to create and the raw materials. We gave away product, ensuring it was so good that people would want to come back and buy. With people feeling stressed and at being at home more, that plan really paid off. Via Instagram, we showed how we were different and shared the ups and downs of a struggling family business. All this was enough to get us going but we were constantly beset by problems with supplies and pricing – the costs of our raw materials have increased by almost 300% since lockdown. So we had to change course again and push ahead with products where we could get supply. These challenges with supplies remain, even today”.
Hollywood calling
These last months, however, have not been without a few bursts of sunshine and, with much joy, Tara told me how they very nearly missed out on an incredible opportunity which they feared was a scam…
“A major global movie franchise was researching online to recreate a luxury shop for a critical scene in their movie and seeking a luxury candle brand. When we asked the production buyer why he chose Uno Lusso, he said it was purely based on how the products looked – in particular our Venetian glass candle jars with lids, our packaging and diffusers. They really liked our black, white and silver theme and consulted with us to recreate the displays and products. We even produced signage and layout to ensure it reflected our brand – it actually looks a lot like the inside of our new shop.
“We actually didn’t believe the call at first – and didn’t respond to the first two calls. It was only on the third call when we were asked to sign various waivers and non-disclosure type documents that we began to think it might be for real. At that point, we were informed of exactly who was in the film and what film it was (we have since seen some very brief footage of a scene being filmed) and we realised it was not a joke! What’s more, the production company actually paid for all the hundreds of products it used. It was very exciting, surreal and crazy, and now we have the wait for the film to be released at which point we are allowed to share our involvement more fully”.
The big day arrives
Finally, on Saturday 4 September, Tara and Richard, supported by their children Chloe – an ‘A’ level photography student who shoots many of the promotional images – son Tristan and many other family, friends and customers, finally held the launch party they had feared might never happen. Cutting the ribbon of their new on site shop was Eve Wall, aka Mumma Eve, a lady who became very important to the family during lockdown. Tara explained:
“Ok, so Mumma Eve is a real character! Her name is Eve Wall and she became very important to us during lockdown. She is a customer – beginning with an order placed after a recommendation. She has chronic breathing issues and didn’t want to give up her beloved candles and wax melts but couldn’t tolerate most brands. She tried our products and fell in love. What I didn’t realise was that she runs a #Hinching (cleaning phenomenon) group on Facebook with over 50,000 members. She was so impressed with our products, that she shared with her group and we were hit with a landslide of orders.
“We owe her a lot – she continues to promote us to anyone that will listen to this day! She has genuinely become a friend and it felt right for her to open the shop. I really don’t think we could have survived lockdown with her help”.
Shop Local
Uno Lusso will be taking part in HI HUB’s autumn Shop Local campaign this October, created to give a little extra boost to the huge range of businesses we are lucky enough to enjoy here in our community. Tara explains what they will be offering:
“We are bringing back the offer that got us started – a FREE sample pack of 12 melts (£10 value) with the first purchase when visiting the shop for anyone who quotes the code HISIMP or brings our voucher.
“On Thursday 16th September from 8am – 4pm, we will be on Histon village green. We’ll have balloons for the kids and some tables and chairs so people can sit with some space and smell our range of fragrances. People can purchase on the day too if they wish but the event is really to promote that we are here and open. We hope people will drop by and pick up a voucher for the HI HUB Shop Local offer at the same time.
“We have customers all over the UK and we would really love to have more local customers – as a family we very much invest in local businesses as much as possible and think it’s really important for our local community to thrive.
“We have lived in many villages around Cambridge. We have also both lived and worked abroad, yet nowhere comes close to Histon & Impington. It’s a special place and to keep it that way we need our small businesses, our High Street, our schools and open spaces to thrive. The biggest challenges for small businesses is yet to come”.
Uno Lusso opens its doors to the public next week on Thursday 16th September. You can find them at West Barn, Manor Farm, Milton Road Impington, and also on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
They will be open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Keep a look out for future changes to opening times on the website. They also welcome online orders and offer a Click & Collect service. Full details via the website.
