Hello and welcome!
I'm Matt, founder of Bicester Granite Soap Company. Soap making has been a hobby of mine since 2015. Professionally I am an engineer. Most of my days are filled with computer monitors and complex technical challenges. Making soap has been a weekly departure from my professional life and I love it because it brings some creativity to my otherwise technically complicated weekdays. Here's me and my housemate, Prince.
I have been making soap in various forms for more than a decade, so I'm pretty good at it by now. My experience includes fragrances, colourants, additives, clays, and every type of oil you can think of. This varied experience has given me a clear objective for my handmade soap: simplicity.
2026 was the year I launched Bicester Granite Soap Company. The name is derived from:
1 - The town I call home.
2 - The timeless ubiquity of stone.
I could have called the company something like "Matty's Bubbly Soapy Time". But I'm serious about soap, so a serious name was needed. What is there to dislike about Granite? It looks great and is a proven trustworthy material through millennia. That describes my handmade soap quite well, I think.
I have taken the knowledge I have gained over my decade-long soap making journey, and brought it back to basics. I don't do fragrances. I don't do artificial colourants such as mica powder. My soap is made with natural ingredients only. If it smells like coffee, it's got real coffee in it - just like our Dolomite - Coffee. If it looks dark like charcoal, it's got charcoal in it - see our Slate - Charcoal & Bamboo. And if it tastes like Turmeric, well, first of all you shouldn't be eating it, but yes that's real turmeric.
Everything is handmade by me personally. At the time of writing this, I am the one and only person in the company. I made the moulds, I formulated the recipe, I mix and pour everything by hand, myself. Every bar is lovingly crafted in my little home workshop in what is probably the smallest house in Bicester. I make 1 loaf at a time, which yields 10 1" thick 120g bars of soap. These bars are cured for at least 6-weeks before being packaged.
The packaging is also designed and printed entirely by me. I use waxed paper envelopes which I print myself. The bars are packaged, sealed and stored in a humidity controlled environment. When a sale happens, I pick, pack and label the shipments, then take them to the post office myself too.
Bicester Granite Soap Company is truly a grass-roots, single person enterprise right now. I would like it to stay that way too.
My objective in 2026 is to grow the brand, not to make money. Yes it's a business, so profit and growth are something to aim for. But in these first baby steps, I just want people to understand what I'm doing and to enjoy simple handmade soap, without any of the trendy fragrances and colours that are so often seen when looking at other soap maker's products.
Quality control is important too. I have already discarded more than one batch because it did not meet my stringent criteria. Don't worry though, I use my rejected bars myself, and give them away to family and friends. Waste is not permitted. In fact, the only waste generated from making a loaf of 10 bars is about 30cm of greaseproof paper, which I use to line the moulds.
My soaps are not exclusive. Unique, yes. But anyone can find a variety that is suitable for them. Use my soap and you will be clean, moisturised, and you won't smell like a florist or a cake shop when you board the train or arrive at your destination.
Natural ingredients, sustainable sources, and simple functional soap for your skin, without any unnecessary additives, fragrances or colourants. That's the objective.
So why not try one today? I think you'll be impressed.
Yours truly,
Matt H