Free UK delivery over £40 · Click & collect from Fossgate, usually ready in 2 hours
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Plants · Candles · Gifts — Fossgate, York

Little green things & candles poured just round the back.

An independent plant, candle and gift shop in the middle of York. Every candle is hand-poured in our back room in batches of forty, every plant is peat-free, and anything can be gift-wrapped by someone who genuinely enjoys it.

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A long wooden table crowded with potted houseplants inside the Fern & Wick shop
The shop

Fresh off the shelves

Candles poured in the back room, plants from growers we've actually visited, and pots we'd happily have at home. Everything below is in stock in the shop today.

Bring back any empty Fern & Wick jar and get £4 off a refill – we clean it, re-pour it and send it home with you again.

Gift finder

Stuck for a present? Three quick questions.

Tell us who it's for, what you'd like to spend and the sort of thing they love. We'll pick three things from the shelves – the same way we would if you walked in and asked.

Prefer a person? Ring the shop on 01632 960 527 and we'll put something together for you.

1Who's it for?
2What's the budget?
3What's their vibe?
Mei, Fern & Wick's founder, working at the shop counter surrounded by plants and flowers
"If a candle doesn't make the back room smell good for a fortnight of testing, it doesn't go on the shelf."— Mei Lin, founder & chief candle-pourer
Our story

A shop that started on a kitchen hob

Mei started pouring candles for friends in her Leeman Road kitchen in 2017. Two years and a lot of scorched saucepans later, Fern & Wick opened on Fossgate with forty plants, six scents and a wobbly table.

Today there are four of us, more than 200 plants and 22 scents – but every candle is still weighed, poured, labelled and cured by hand in the room behind the till. You can usually smell what we're working on from the street.

Mei & the Fern & Wick team

Made in YO1

Hand-poured in small batches of forty, two minutes from the Shambles. Each label is signed by whoever poured it.

Peat-free plants

Grown without peat, mostly in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire nurseries, and checked over by us before they go home with you.

Refill, don't bin

Bring back any empty jar for £4 off a refill. Over 3,100 jars have come home to be re-poured since 2020.

Cargo-bike delivery

Local orders across YO1–YO32 go out by cargo bike or electric van on Tuesdays and Fridays. £3.50, or free over £40.

From wax to windowsill

How a candle gets made here

Four unhurried steps, all of them in the room behind the till. Nothing leaves until it has had its full cure.

  1. Step one

    Weighed

    Soy and rapeseed wax and fragrance oil, weighed out by hand for a batch of forty. No more, no fewer.

  2. Step two

    Poured

    Into amber jars at the big workbench, with a cotton wick set straight by eye. You can usually smell it from the street.

  3. Step three

    Cured

    Then we leave them alone. Every batch sits on the curing shelf for a full 48 hours before anyone is allowed near it.

  4. Step four

    Signed

    Trimmed, lidded and labelled, and the label is signed by whoever poured it. Then it goes on the shelf out front.

Fern & Wick OUSE MIST
And then it's yours

Lit on your windowsill

Burn it for two or three hours at a time, trim the wick to 5mm, and when there's a centimetre of wax left bring the jar back for £4 off a refill.

Go on – bring your pointer close to the flame.Go on – tap the candle to blow it out.

Shop the candles
Candle-making workshops

Pour your own, in our back room

Two relaxed hours at the big workbench. Blend your own scent from our 30 fragrance oils, pour a candle and a tin of wax melts, and leave with both (plus slightly waxy fingers).

  • One 20cl candle in a reusable jar
  • A tin of six wax melts
  • Tea, coffee or a glass of fizz
  • Small groups – never more than 8
  • All materials and aprons provided
  • Ages 14+ (under-16s with an adult)
The warmly lit back room at Fern & Wick with hanging plants, shelves and a long workbench
The back room – where every Fern & Wick candle is poured, and where you'll be pouring yours.

Choose a session

£45 per person · 2 hours · Your candle is ready to collect after a 48-hour cure (or we'll post it for £3.95).

Upcoming workshop dates
Seats
1
Total
£45

Pay in the shop or on the night. Move your date for free up to 72 hours before. Private parties for 6–10 people on request.

Kind words

York's favourite smelly shop

4.8 out of 5 from 356 Google reviews
@fernandwick.york

Life on Fossgate

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Good to know

Questions we get asked at the till

How quickly will my order arrive?

UK orders go out Monday to Friday by a tracked 48-hour service – order before 1pm and it usually leaves the same day. It's £4.95, or free when you spend £40 or more. Plants travel in compostable wrap and paper; we don't post anything over 60cm tall, so the big ones are click & collect or local delivery only.

Do you deliver locally in York?

Yes – anywhere in YO1 to YO32, by cargo bike or electric van on Tuesdays and Fridays. It's £3.50, or free over £40. Pop your postcode into the basket and it'll tell you straight away if you're in the zone. Click & collect is always free and usually ready within two hours during opening times.

Can I return something?

Of course. You have 14 days from delivery to send back anything unused and unlit for a full refund – just email us first so we know it's coming. Plants can't be returned (they don't enjoy the post twice), but if one arrives damaged, send us a photo within 48 hours and we'll replace it free. Your statutory rights aren't affected.

What's in your candles? Are there allergens?

A soy and rapeseed wax blend, cotton wicks and phthalate-free fragrance oils. Every candle carries a UK CLP safety label listing any allergens present – common ones are linalool, limonene and coumarin – and the safety data sheet for each scent is available on request. If you have a specific sensitivity, ask us and we'll check the sheet with you before you buy. Our heart candles are unscented.

Any candle safety tips?

Burn for 2–3 hours at a time, trim the wick to 5mm before each light, keep it on a heat-proof surface away from draughts, curtains, children and pets, and never leave it burning unattended. Stop when 1cm of wax is left – then bring the jar back for £4 off a refill.

Are your plants pet-safe?

Some are, some aren't. Calatheas and Chinese money plants are considered safe for cats and dogs; monsteras and pothos are not. Every plant label in the shop says which, and we're happy to suggest pet-friendly swaps.

Can I cancel or move a workshop booking?

Move your date for free up to 72 hours before your session. Inside 72 hours we can't refund the seat, but you're welcome to send a friend in your place. The back room is step-free and we can adapt the bench for wheelchair users – just tell us when you book.

Visit the shop

Follow your nose to Fossgate

Between Pavement and Walmgate, five minutes' walk from the Shambles. Look for the green front and the plants on the pavement.

Opening hours Open now

    Find us

    Fern & Wick
    23 Fossgate
    York YO1 9TA

    01632 960 527
    hello@fernandwick-example.co.uk

    Nearest parking: Piccadilly or Foss Bank car parks, about five minutes' walk. Park & Ride buses stop a few minutes away. Dogs very welcome – there's a water bowl by the door.

    Fern & Wick 23

    Join the Wick List

    One email a month: new scents before they hit the shelves, workshop dates before they sell out, and 10% off your first order.

    Workshops