Blackburn: The UK’s Unlikely E-Cigarette Hub

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, September 13, 2026

Blackburn has emerged as a major European hub for e-cigarette production, with companies like Totally Wicked and Flavour Warehouse driving over £500 million in annual sales and employing more than 2,000 people. This industrial shift has revitalized the town's economy by transforming old factories and creating abundant jobs, despite ongoing debates about vaping's public health impact.

In Blackburn, Lancashire, an unexpected industrial revival has taken place around the production of e-cigarettes, establishing the town as a leading centre for vaping businesses in Europe. Once known primarily as a Victorian cotton manufacturing hub, Blackburn has evolved into a significant player in the vape industry, hosting multiple companies that supply products across the UK and internationally.

At the heart of this transformation is Totally Wicked, a company that has operated in Blackburn for over a decade and employs around 400 people in the area. The company’s growth helped spur a local cluster of similar ventures, some founded by former employees or inspired by its success. Among these is Liberty Flights, established in 2009 by two former Totally Wicked web designers, Abe Spain and Matt Moden. Moden, who has roots in the 1990s Madchester music scene, expanded Liberty Flights to sales exceeding £11 million before selling it in 2022 to Supreme, a wholesaler based near Manchester.

Another notable Blackburn-based business is Flavour Warehouse, which produces the popular Vampire Vape brand. Its founder, Phil Boyle, credited e-cigarettes with helping him quit smoking after other methods failed. Boyle, a Blackburn resident, now employs more than 500 people, with his company’s sales reaching £161 million annually. In 2025, Flavour Warehouse sold a stake to Japan Tobacco to support further expansion and acquisitions, with ambitions to grow revenue to £1 billion.

The concentration of vaping enterprises in Blackburn has transformed disused factories and warehouses into production facilities, generating over £500 million in annual sales and providing employment to more than 2,000 workers. Vape shops have also proliferated across the town, with Blackburn recording the highest density of registered vape retailers in the UK — 27 shops serving a population just under 120,000.

Local leaders acknowledge the economic benefits while recognizing the controversial nature of vaping. Phil Riley, leader of Blackburn with Darwen borough council, described the growth in vaping-related businesses over the past 15 years as a significant source of reputable jobs and innovation. At the same time, the industry faces criticism: some see vaping as a valuable tool reducing cigarette smoking, potentially saving lives; others express concern that these products have introduced nicotine addiction to younger generations.

Entrepreneurs attribute Blackburn’s prominence in vaping to the region’s history of industrial clustering, with businesses emerging to build on early successes much like the town’s former cotton industry. As Phil Boyle noted, “It’s just a natural thing” for companies to form around a winning formula, fostering competition and innovation that has reshaped the local economy and established Blackburn as a centre for vape manufacturing and commerce.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.