Samantha Jameson conceived of the idea for Soapsmith in 2010, driven to turn her kitchen table hobby of creating artisanal soaps into a business that would not only allow her to do what she loved best, but to be part of a renaissance of craftsmanship within British manufacturing. The brand, which started and, true to its roots, remains in Walthamstow, launched two years later – but only after she had pawned her wedding and engagement rings to be able to buy the equipment she needed. But then, Samantha has always been driven; when a chocolate fountain she designed was bought by chocolatier, Thorntons, she took the proceeds and poured them all into her new soap-making business.
