Hi, I’m Inge-Lise
Bika Candles has been in my family since 1969. I learnt the trade from my mother and have been making candles myself for over 40 years
In a world that’s changing at breakneck speed, we choose to work at a slower pace. Every candle is poured, coloured and finished by hand
For us, craftsmanship is about more than just making something useful. It’s about creating pieces that inspire wonder, that make people feel at home, or that simply brighten up a moment
How it all began
Over 55 years of craftsmanship
Denmark
My parents were living in Denmark when my father started making candles himself. He experimented with a recipe he had found in a Danish magazine and gave the candles as gifts to friends and family
The beginning of bika
Back in Belgium, demand for the candles grew, and the hobby soon turned into a proper craft. My mother transformed it into a professional business, and so the brand Bika – an acronym for Buytaert Ingrid’s Candle Workshop – was launched
Off to Germany
My mother’s sister, Maria Buytaert, quickly recognised the potential of the candles. Germany, with its respect for craftsmanship and its tradition of Christmas markets, proved to be the ideal breeding ground for candles. From 1987 onwards, the candles were produced in German-speaking countries
Takeover
I took over the business from my mother in 2005 and in 2018 I incorporated my aunt Maria’s German branch. Today, both collections can be found together under the name bika. bika Candles is the story of more than 55 years of female entrepreneurship with a passion for craftsmanship!