Our Soap Factory

Our Soap Factory

Written by: Stewart Cattanach

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Time to read 2 min

We manufacture all our products by hand, on the island, in our Soap Factory in Tobermory

We built our factory in 2020. Read on to see how our soap manufacturing has evolved since we first opened our doors in 2008 and launched 'The Isle of Mull Soap Co'

In the beginning - Our First Soap Workshop

For over a decade we made all our handmade products in the back of our shop on Tobermory Main Street. 


This was fine initially, but demand soon took off and making 12 bars of soap at a time didn't last long.


We needed to upscale all of our soap and smellies manufacture ....and quick!

First Mull Soap Manufacturing Upscale

in 2015, after 7 years in the soap business we upgraded to much bigger oil tanks. We still manufactured everything in the back of the shop, but it meant we could make more than 10 times as many soaps per day. 

No work space and slippy floors!


A huge help for productivity but it meant that the packaging side...

  • boxing soap bars
  • labelling candle tins
  • labelling lip balms 
  • packing bath bombs
  • making up soap gift sets etc 

Aswell as space to pack up our lovely customer's online orders, which were coming in thick and fast...was very squashed!

A Brave Big Step in Business

Here's us having just been given the keys - ready and eager to turn this big empty brand new industrial unit into our Mull Soap Factory. This was during covid and felt like a big gamble with all the uncertainty at the time. But after being so so busy on our website during lock down, it gave us the confidence to cross our fingers, and push forward.

  • In the winter of 2020/21 we took on the rent for a 60 msq brand new industrial unit.

  • It's on an Industrial site called Nonhebel Park. A great project funded by MICT, to encourage business growth on the island.

  • Located just a mile and a half out of Tobermory, on the way to Glengorm Castle. It was a great business opportunity, albeit a little scary but we decided to go for it and grabbed it with both hands. 

Setting Up the Mull Soap Factory

The new soap equipment we imported from the US. Americans don't mess about when it comes to soap manufacture. 


We had to get lots of NEW TOYS: 

  • 12 larger soap moulds
  • An air soap cutter 
  • A bath bomb press machine

And Stu LOVES a new toy!!


Excting times when you finally have huge tanks and kit you've only ever dreamed of owning....


Like many businesses at the time, we took out a Bounce Back Loan - an initiative from the banks to help businesses with cash flow through the pandemic. Perfect timing for us as we could use it to fund all the shiny new equipment.

The Factory Now

The soap factory space is ever evolving but it was definitely the right move for us. Our batch sizes are now so much bigger, with a much more efficient manufacture process. And as you know....

Time is money!

Space too is a huge factor, as buying and storing ingredients in bulk, on pallets, keeps costs down for us and for you the customer!

The Shop Workshop Now


The workshop space at the back of our shop on Tobermory Main Street is now much more organised. It is a big, bright and clean space for packing ....and the floor is a lot less slippy! 


Thank goodness as online sales can be very busy!


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