Cotswold Perfumery

What Cotswold Perfumery does

Cotswold Perfumery is a UK family-owned perfumery founded in 1966 and operated by Cotswold Perfumery Limited from Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds. The company manufactures and sells fine fragrances — including women's floral, citrus, and aldehydic ranges and men's chypre and fougère compositions under the direction of Chief Perfumer John Stephen — alongside a broader product catalogue of flower waters, reed diffusers, talcum powders, soaps, perfume essential oils, and perfumery lab equipment. The underlying technology is traditional perfumery craft: in-house compounding of fragrance oils into finished consumer products, supported by ~60 years of accumulated formulation expertise rather than automated or AI-driven production systems.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model through its own physical retail store and e-commerce channels, supplemented by paid perfume-making courses and luxury accommodation that cross-sells with the brand experience. Pricing spans low-ticket body and home products through to premium fine fragrances, and revenue mechanics rely on a mix of unit sales, course fees, and accommodation bookings. International shipping is constrained by UK Post Office regulations on flammable liquids, limiting the addressable market to UK domestic and on-premise visitors. The firm obtained ISO 22716 GMP certification in 2025, formalizing manufacturing quality standards for its cosmetics production.

Name

Cotswold Perfumery

Legal name

Cotswold Perfumery Limited

Website

https://cotswold-perfumery.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cotswold Perfumery is a UK family-owned perfumery founded in 1966, manufacturing fine fragrances, body products, essential oils, and lab equipment for individual consumers, hobbyist perfumers, and course attendees through its own store, e-commerce, and on-site perfume-making courses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Fragrances and Perfumery

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (45612), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Niche & Artisan Fragrance (CRABADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fine Fragrance (Women’s/Men’s/Unisex) (CRABADAA), Home Fragrance (Candles, Diffusers, Room Sprays) (CRABADAE), Personal Fragrances (Perfume, Cologne, Body Sprays) (CRADANAD)

Keywords

• Niche fragrance manufacturing
• Fine english perfumes
• Perfume making courses
• Home fragrance products
• Perfumery essential oils

Headquarters

HQ city

Bourton On The Water

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Fragrance Products: Sale of own-brand perfumes and colognes including women's fragrances (English Rose, Ruby, Muguet, Pallas, Viva) and men's fragrances (Oberon, Amber, Cymbelline). Products sold in various sizes from 2ml to 100ml.
2. Home Fragrance Products: Luxury reed diffusers and flower waters (Lavandula, Neroli, Rosa) for home fragrance application.
3. Personal Care Products: Talcum powder products in various scents and sizes, and vegetable-based soaps.
4. Perfumery Ingredients: Sale of perfume essential oils and ingredients for perfumery enthusiasts and course attendees, including aromatic compounds, absolutes, and base materials.
5. Perfumery Equipment: Laboratory equipment for perfume making including formulation sheets, tester strips, pipettes, vials, perfumers' organ stands, and laboratory scales.
6. Perfume Courses: Perfume making courses and workshops run in dedicated teaching room/laboratory at the perfumery in Bourton-on-the-Water.
7. Accommodation: Luxury five-star self-catering apartments at the perfumery location and in Cheltenham for visitors to the Cotswolds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cotswold Perfumery manufactures and sells its own range of fine English fragrances for the niche market, including women's fragrances (English Rose, Ruby, Muguet, Pallas, Viva) and men's fragrances (Oberon, Amber, Cymbelline), along with flower waters, luxury reed diffusers, talcum powders, vegetable soaps, perfumery essential oils and laboratory equipment. It also runs perfume making courses in its on-site teaching laboratory and offers luxury five-star self-catering accommodation in Bourton-on-the-Water and Cheltenham. All fragrance production is conducted under ISO 22716 Good Manufacturing Practice certification.

Product overview

Cotswold Perfumery is a family-owned perfume manufacturer established in 1966, offering a niche portfolio of fine fragrances and related products. The core product line consists of women's fragrances (floral, citrus, and aldehydic types including English Rose, Ruby, Muguet, Pallas, Viva) and men's fragrances (Chypre and Fougère types including Oberon and Amber). Complementary products include Flower Waters for freshening, Luxury Reed Diffusers for home fragrance, Talcum Powders in matching fragrances, Perfume Essential Oils for aspiring perfumers and course attendees, and Perfumery Laboratory Equipment (formulation sheets, tester strips, pipettes, scales, vials, organ stands). The business extends beyond products to include Perfume Making Courses taught in their dedicated laboratory, Gift & Course Vouchers, and Luxury Holiday Accommodation at their Bourton-on-the-Water location. The company holds ISO 22716 Good Manufacturing Practice certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women's Fragrances (Floral, Citrus and Aldehydic) Own-brand women's fine fragrances in floral, citrus and aldehydic families, including English Rose, Ruby, Muguet, Pallas, Lavandula, Neroli, Rosa and Viva, sold in various sizes from 2ml to 100ml. Targeted at individual consumers seeking niche English fragrances.
• Men's Fragrances (Chypre and Fougère) Own-brand men's fine fragrances in Chypre and Fougère families, including Oberon and Amber colognes, sold in sizes from 2ml to 100ml. Targeted at individual consumers seeking niche English fragrances.
• Flower Waters Single floral fragrances designed as fresheners, including Lavandula, Neroli and Rosa flower waters, for personal/home fragrance use by individual consumers.
• Luxury Reed Diffusers 200ml luxury reed diffusers in matching fragrances such as English Rose and Muguet, designed to release fragrance into the home via reed sticks; for individual consumers.
• Talcum Powder Italian talc-based body powders in fragrances including Pallas (Jasmin), Oberon (Fougère), English Rose, Muguet, Cymbelline, Ruby and Viva, available in 30g and 100g sizes for individual consumers.
• Perfume Essential Oils and Ingredients Over 100 perfumery ingredients including essential oils, absolutes, aromatic chemicals and base materials (e.g., Aldehyde C16, Rose Otto Bulgarian, Jasmin Absolute Egyptian, Sandalwood Oil Australian, Bergamot Oil, Ylang Ylang), sold in ethanol or DPG dilutions (typically 10%) for perfumery enthusiasts and course attendees.
• Perfumery Laboratory Equipment Professional and hobbyist perfumery equipment including formulation sheets, tester strips, pipettes, vials, perfumers' organ stands, laboratory scales, bottles, labels and silicone grease for individual perfumery practitioners.
• Gift & Course Vouchers Redeemable gift vouchers and course vouchers for perfume products and perfume making courses, targeted at gift purchasers and aspiring perfumers.
• Perfume Making Courses Perfume making courses and workshops delivered year-round in a dedicated teaching room/laboratory at the Bourton-on-the-Water perfumery, covering fragrance classification and vocabulary; open to individual consumers and aspiring perfumers.
• Luxury Holiday Accommodation Five-star self-catering luxury apartments at the Cotswold Perfumery in Bourton-on-the-Water and in Cheltenham town centre, targeting visitors to the Cotswolds; course attendees receive discounted rates.
• Oberon Cologne A clean, green sporty Fougère-type cologne based on the classic Fougère classification, featuring oakmoss and lavender with a precious wood dry down, available in 2ml, 7.5ml and 100ml sizes.
• Oberon Vegetable Soap Premium grade vegetable-based soap scented with the Oberon Fougère fragrance, sold as a 100g bar for individual consumers.
• Pallas Talcum Powder Italian talc-based body powder with delicate floral notes and sweet Jasmin absolute tones, silky smooth and absorbent, available in 30g and 100g sizes for individual consumers.
• Muguet Luxury Reed Diffuser 200ml luxury reed diffuser releasing a Lily of the Valley fragrance with a delicate floral scent evoking spring, supplied with 8 reeds (6 recommended for optimum effect).
• English Rose Luxury Reed Diffuser 200ml luxury reed diffuser releasing the classical scent of an English Rose into the home, evoking summer days.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Floris London: Family-owned British perfumery founded in 1730, holding a Royal Warrant and manufacturing fine fragrances with traditional methods. Directly comparable as a long-running family-owned UK niche perfumery with bespoke services and heritage brand positioning.
• Clive Christian: British luxury perfumery producing high-end fine fragrances with traditional formulations and heritage brand positioning. Comparable niche/ultra-premium positioning in fine fragrance with traditional perfumery craft emphasis.
• Miller Harris: London-based niche perfumery founded in 2000, offering fine fragrances across multiple scent families (Floral, Chypre, Fougère, Oriental) with similar fragrance classification vocabulary. Comparable niche positioning, product range, and education-led brand storytelling.
• Penhaligon's: Heritage British perfumery established in 1870, producing fine fragrances, colognes, and grooming products with a similar niche/traditional positioning. Closely comparable as a long-established UK fine-fragrance house with a flagship retail store and educational brand heritage.
• Ormonde Jayne: London-based niche perfumery producing fine fragrances, home fragrances, and bath products with traditional formulation expertise. Comparable as a UK-based niche fragrance house offering multi-category perfume and home fragrance products via direct-to-consumer and select retail.
• Atkinson's: British heritage perfumery founded in 1799, producing fine fragrances and colognes with classic Fougère and Chypre compositions. Comparable as a niche heritage perfumer with traditional fragrance families and a similar artisanal UK brand profile.

Broad incumbents

• Lush: UK-based manufacturer of bath, body, and fragrance products including soaps and perfumes with strong direct-to-consumer and educational positioning. Comparable as a UK brand offering overlapping product categories (soaps, fragrances, essential oils) with education-led brand storytelling.
• Diptyque: French heritage brand offering fine fragrances alongside candles, reed diffusers, and home fragrance—overlapping product categories including reed diffusers, perfumes, and personal care. Comparable as a broader niche/incumbent player with home fragrance and personal perfumery product overlap.
• Molton Brown: British heritage brand producing fragrances, bath and body products, and home scents including reed diffusers. Comparable as a UK-based established player with overlapping categories (fragrance, body care, reed diffusers) but a much larger retail footprint.
• Jo Malone London: British heritage fragrance house now owned by Estée Lauder, offering fine fragrances, home fragrance (candles, diffusers), and bath products. Comparable as a UK-rooted fragrance brand with overlapping categories (fragrance, home fragrance, bath) but operating at much larger scale via capital backing.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cotswoldperfume
• Facebookfacebook.com/CotswoldPerfumeryFragrances
• Instagraminstagram.com/cotswoldperfumery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cotswold-perfumery-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cotswold Perfumery