With a pair of royal warrants and Kate Moss and Sienna Miller known fans, great British fragrance brand Penhaligon’s is truly one of a kind. Alice Ryan enjoys a scent profiling session at the Cambridge store

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In the interests of full disclosure: I have a real thing for fragrance. Both personally and professionally, I take it seriously. So much so, I pride myself on being able to identify a scent from a single sniff.

Once, at a black tie dinner, a fellow guest challenged me on this. I told her she was wearing Gucci Rush, which she was. The event is especially memorable because, the moment the words left my mouth, the poor woman stumbled backwards and fell flat on the floor (along with the shock, it’s possible drink played a part).

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Why am I telling you this? So you take me seriously when I assert that Penhaligon’s is among the finest - if not *the* finest - fragrance brand in the land.

The story begins with Cornish barber William Penhaligon who, in the early 1860s, set off for London to find his fortune. Dick Whittington-style, the story swiftly turns to fairytale. Taking a lease on the now-famous Jermyn Street, then an up-and-coming address, Penhaligon was frequented by the next-door tailor’s clientele. Before long, he was trimming the Shah of Persia’s beard.

Both creative and ambitious, by 1872 Penhaligon had created his first fragrance, Hammam Bouquet: an olfactory tribute to Jermyn Street’s heady Turkish baths, it’s still being made today, to the same recipe and housed in the same bottle. One scent led to another, and so the Penhaligon’s brand was born.

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Winston Churchill apparently had a penchant for Blenheim Bouquet which, all lemon and lime in the nose and pine and pepper in the base, was created in 1902 and remains a top seller. Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and the late Princess Diana have all named Bluebell, a distinctive blend of spring bulbs and spice, their signature scent.

And, of course, the company has two seals of royal approval, too: it’s by appointment to both the late Duke of Edinburgh and the former Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.

Another of the brand’s points of distinction is its scent profiling service - a free one-to-one appointment with an in-house expert to help customers find their perfect perfume, which comes complete with complimentary bubbles and chocolates.

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The profiling process has changed since the pandemic, as, like so much, it went virtual during lockdowns. So my appointment with deputy manager Alyson begins with an online quiz, which, with the options presented like a deck of dealt tarot cards, invites you to select your favourite holiday destination (city break), hat (topper), drink garnish (grapefruit); to sum up your personal style (elegant - on a good day); to identify a spirit animal (leopard).

The results are fun: I’m classified as ‘The Obliging Entertainer’, a friendly sort who prefers to plough their own furrow rather than follow the crowd and is “partial to a gin – the only fitting tonic” (those that know me: say nothing).

Three fragrances are recommended - including the sharp, sparkling Juniper Sling, which I’ve actually worn before - and next comes the chance to smell each in the flesh, spritzed onto a silky pocket square.

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While they’re all lovely, Alyson extrapolates from the selection to make further suggestions, including the newly released The World According to Arthur, an addition to the gold-topped Portraits collection heady with incense and herbs, and Highgrove Bouquet, which captures the gardens of the royal residence at summer’s lush height.

Testing on the skin confirms Highgrove Bouquet is The One: with top notes of silver lime blossom, a heart of mimosa and base of cedar, it’s a beguiling balance of sharp and sweet, fresh and warm, feminine and masculine.

With personalisation offered - the store has an engraving machine which can etch a name or message into the glass of your bottle - the appointment is an inspired option if you want to gift someone a fragrance for Christmas but don’t feel confident choosing it for them. Also, they will love it: few experiences make a person feel more pampered or more special.

Penhaligon’s is at 22 St Andrew’s Street, Cambridge CB2 3BJ. To find out more about scent profiling and to book an appointment, call the store team on (01223) 322664 or email cambridge@penhaligons.com