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Welcome to DARK FOUNDRY NO. 8
Founded by Viki Smith & Paul Briggs, a fusion of heritage, passion, and purpose.
Making dreams into reality
Welcome to our home
Viki, a celebrated wellbeing practitioner and “Midlands Wellbeing Practitioner of the Year 2023,” uses her platform to champion spirituality and inclusivity, all while raising three incredible children with resilience and love.. Guiding them through the difficult stages of Autism. While herself recovering from a stroke in 2024.
Dark Foundry no.8 Gave us all as a family to re focus on our goals and spend time working together safely as a little unit .
Paul, an ex-soldier turned chandler, discovered the transformative power of aromas during his mental health journey, crafting candles to elevate safe spaces.
Paul knowing he had to return home to be closer to his family meant we had to put long term plans into reality faster than we expected
Together, they create luxurious, hand-poured soy wax products inspired by their shared heritage and lucky number 8—symbolising infinity and good fortune.
Determination and proud rooted heritage comes together at the Foundry proving just some times we are exactly were we need to be
Where there is dark, we bring light
we don't just create candles and scent we create moments
We are Dark Foundry No.8
Meet The Family Behind The Brand
Behind every candle, every wax melt, every late night and early morning… there’s a family.
Dark Foundry No. 8 isn’t a corporation. It isn’t backed by investors. It isn’t a team of executives sat around a boardroom table.
It’s us.
A Black Country family with three children, big dreams, and a determination to build something meaningful.
Our eldest, our daughter, is 30 and out there building a life of her own. Independent, determined and making her own way in the world, she reminds us every day that sometimes the greatest thing a parent can do is give their children the confidence to spread their wings and follow their own path.
Our son Joe is 20 and works in our Willenhall shop. Joe has autism and faces challenges that many people will never see, but what our customers see is his warmth, kindness and brilliant sense of humour. He loves the interaction, and our customers love him right back.
Then there’s Billy, 14, who prefers life behind the scenes. He loves the creative side of the business, helping with ideas, design concepts and watching new products come to life.
Every order packed, every event attended, every store opened and every milestone reached is about more than growing a business. It’s about showing our children that their future is not defined by limitations, expectations or what others think they can achieve.
We want them to know that life may throw challenges in your path, but those challenges don’t have to define you.
They can drive you.
They can strengthen you.
They can make you dream bigger.
Everything we’re building is a reminder that with hard work, resilience, and a bit of good old-fashioned Black Country grit, incredible things can happen.
From a kitchen table to two stores. From an idea to the pages of British Vogue. From a dream to a reality we’re still building every day.
And at the heart of it all is family.
So to our three children:
Go and chase your dreams. Be brave. Be kind. Be unapologetically yourselves.
We’ve got you. Always. ❤️
The Dark Foundry No. 8 Family
