Penhaligon's In Cambridge

Putting London aside for a moment, perfume shopping in Britain can be a disheartening experience: sales assistants are often clueless and the stock itself uninspiring. However, there are a few places out there that are well worth visiting, places like Penhaligon’s on St Andrew’s Street in Cambridge.

Whatever you may think of the fragrances they sell, the staff are welcoming, patient, extremely well-informed and always willing to engage in a genuine discussion of their products. There’s a fine line between giving the customer enough space to browse at his or her own pace and ignoring them to the extent that they feel completely unwanted. The people at this particular branch of one of Britain’s oldest perfumery houses know just how to achieve this balance. I pop in and say Hello on each and every one of my trips to Cambridge and I have yet to walk out without a huge smile on my face and a few enticing samples in my pocket. Make sure you stop by next time you’re in the area.

Persolaise.