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The Fife Gift Card can be spent with over 90 businesses in Fife, including vegan skincare company Superfly Soap in Kincardine. Owner Lisa McWatt said:
“I launched Superfly Soap in April 2018. My mission was to create plastic-free, vegan and cruelty free soaps, and give people an option that was eco-conscious, vegan, affordable and natural. I started off making the soap bars, and moved into lip balms, solid shampoo bars and more recently skincare.
“I’d had a creative business in the past with an Etsy shop selling macramé and jewellery, alongside my old IT job in the police force, so that helped me immensely. When I finally handed in my notice to run Superfly Soap full time, I didn’t allow myself to get scared because it would have stopped me. There is lots of science behind soap making. I use a cold process technique, and you have to make sure the oils and butters are at the right amounts. I really wanted to learn fast, so I went on an intensive soap making course and that was invaluable.
“I had the opportunity to go out to Croatia to teach soap-making and I decided to do wholesale orders too, so that was a massive boost in the early days of Superfly Soap. Then it was lockdown. The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card banners started appearing in the village around that time, and I saw a post on a Facebook group I was on about a paddleboard company who had joined the new Scotland Loves Local Gift Card. Shopping local is something that works alongside my ethos at Superfly Soap and I immediately wanted to get on board with the project.
“Buying things off Amazon is an easy option but I think during the lockdown, people became more aware of what’s around them and more appreciative of it”
“One of my main priorities as a business is to reduce emissions and cut down on the environmental impact of the products I create. Buying things off Amazon is an easy option but I think during the lockdown, people became more aware of what’s around them and more appreciative of it, wanting to support independent brands and makers. People also started to change their habits in a positive way, walking to the shops or cycling and using the businesses around them. It’s vital that we keep up that change.
“One of the biggest benefits of shopping local is the environmental benefit. When people shop local with small businesses, most of the ingredients that went into creating that product were sourced locally which means less delivery miles. Not only that, it’s the change that it can make to local businesses and the area.
“We still need to keep money in the community. If people spend with Superfly Soap, it stays in the area, and it’s a huge support for owners like me. This is the time when we really need to shop local, to keep money in our communities. You get really lovely unique items when you shop local. Giving someone a local gift card shows a little more thought. You’re giving something from your area, and it gives you a little happy feeling! If people spend their Fife Gift Card with me, they can spend it online and get local collection or delivery, or they can come into the studio. They can use it to buy our solid soap bars, skincare, even dog products.
“It’s the best gift because it makes people realise that they can have really nice products and look after the environment too.”
