Sweet smell of success for Hawick and Melrose-based fragrance company

A pioneering Borders-based fragrance and lifestyle company has enjoyed the sweet smell of success.

Love Scottish emerged triumphant at the recent Women’s Enterprise Scotland Awards 2023 after being named Embracing Technology Business of the Year.

Love Scottish was established in 2015 by Lesley Landels from a desire to create a premium Scottish home fragrance brand.

There are now Love Scottish outlets in Melrose and Hawick as well as a workshop space and coffee shop in Hawick.

The Women’s Enterprise Scotland Awards ceremony took place at Glasgow’s voco Grand Central Hotel, with established and emerging business leaders being celebrated in ten categories.

Yvette Hopkins, board member at Women’s Enterprise Scotland, said: “Huge congratulations to Love Scottish on picking up the Embracing Technology Business Award.

“Our judging panel were impressed how the business leveraged technology to improve productivity, using Artificial Intelligence on a daily basis to analyse both sales and website data.

“Love Scottish have also used a dedicated employee app, Zero to embark on a paperless revolution.”

She added “At WES, we have an ambition for women-owned businesses. Our goal is to create a diverse, innovative and prosperous business ecosystem, fully unlocking women’s economic potential and consigning the gender gap in enterprise to history.”

Lesley, founder and owner of Love Scottish, said: “Receiving the Embracing Technology Award at the Women Enterprise Scotland Awards was a huge honour for me.

“To be acknowledged by the very organisation that played a pivotal role in the establishment of my business is a testament to the power of support and mentorship.

“This award is not just a personal achievement, but a collective celebration of the strength and potential of women in business and I am truly humbled by this recognition.”

The Women’s Enterprise Scotland Awards was attended by over 250 guests from across Scotland and supported by Business Gateway, Royal Bank of Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, HFL Holistic Financial Leadership, N4 Partners LLP and The University of Glasgow.