Pictured: Blue Palm Candle Co.'s new brick and mortar location opened last week. Photo courtesy of Jenny Medved.

Like many of us throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenny Medved was looking for a way to relax and reduce stress during a time when unwinding was categorically difficult. She turned to burning candles around her home, however she quickly realized that she was allergic to the soy-based wax that many mass-produced candles are composed of. Hoping to find candles that offered the same relaxing aura and aroma, yet without sacrificing her sinuses, Medved began crafting candles herself in her home, carefully testing which waxes and oils performed well while not negatively affecting her health.

“I started making them and then my husband said ‘you need to start selling these because they are awesome’. My friends loved them and from there it just got bigger and bigger,” Medved says. With that momentum, Medved created her candle company, Blue Palm Candle Co. in 2021. The company’s name had lived in Medved’s mind for many years, since her days as an art student dreaming of opening her own studio. “I had hung onto that name for a long time, so to me it was just a given that was what I was going to call it.”

Medved’s candles are made of coconut wax, one of the cleanest waxes available, and the wicks are fully cotton and lead free, making for a completely safe, clean, smokeless and low-soot burn. The candles are themed around Florida, with best-selling scents like Florida Citrus, Beach Day and Reef. “It's for everyone who loves Florida and everyone who loves Sarasota,” Medved says. There are even hyper-local scents named after beloved spots around town like Siesta Key, Lido Key and Longboat Key.

Before opening her brand-new brick and mortar store last weekend, Medved was selling her candles at the Sarasota Farmers Market every Saturday, offering both pickup options for online order at the market and a specialty Farmers Market scent-composed of lavender, cucumber and sage, only offered at the booth. The new store is located within Florida Studio Theatre’s space and the historical, quaint nature of the building immediately drew Medved in. Because of this, the store’s hours will follow that of the theater, opening from 4-8pm Tuesday through Friday and closing on Saturdays, to allow Medved to continue frequenting the Farmers Market.

An Atlanta native, Medved has lived in Sarasota for the past 23 years, initially moving to the area as a Ringling student. Today, she continues to pursue her passion for painting along with her passion for creating safe and top-tier quality candles. Shop goers may see her using her easel in the store or her pieces displayed on the walls, which adds another layer to the charm of Blue Palm Candle Co .

Blue Palm Candle Co., 1247 1st St., Unit East, Sarasota, 941-841-0071, bluepalmcandles.com.

Pictured: Blue Palm Candle Co.'s new brick and mortar location opened last week. Photo courtesy of Jenny Medved.

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