The owner of a perfume shop leant on his family's two centuries of experience in the trade when he held a 'make your own fragrance' day.


The Perfumery only opened in George Lane, South Woodford, five months ago but Irfan Ali and his family have been involved in making sweet smells ever since the 1820s.


Back then Mr Ali's great-great-great-grandfather helped establish a fragrance factory in Yemen, which still operates today and is managed by his uncle under the 'Aden' brand.


His father helped carry on the family business in the UK at a pharmacy in Stratford for the past 32 years before Mr Ali took the plunge and opened his own store in Redbridge.


And on Saturday customers were given the chance to learn some of the tricks of the family's trade by concocting their own scents using an array of nose-tickling ingredients including frankincense, sugar, sandalwood and an array of oils.


Mr Ali, 39, said he chose South Woodford for the business because he believed its more affluent residents would be the perfect customers for his store's unique offerings.


He told the Guardian: "We sell all the main brands but it is our family's oils which are the most popular at the moment.


"Our factory in the Yemen is very well known in the Middle East and we sell all over to countries like Kuwait, Iran, Jordan and so on, but of course they are not widely available in the UK.


"Here I think many people are fed up of smelling the same as everyone else and having the same bottles. 


"Shoppers can be very brand conscious but having something rarer or your own blend can be a bonus for people in social situations. 


"Of course what smells good depends on the person, but there is skill to getting the combinations right.


"Generally speaking older people tend to prefer the more citrus types because it reminds them of their younger days. 


"Years ago those used to be the main type of fragrances available, whereas the modern modern ones are very different and more clinical."


Mr Ali said he was very impressed by the fragrances made by his customers at the event on the weekend.


He said: "We had some experts guiding everyone what to use but the best of the day came from a six-year-old boy. 


"He made a fantastic cologne and I think we all underestimated him. 


"Perhaps it was a bit of a fluke, but the secret to making a good fragrance is to create something that makes you happy."


Mr Ali said he hoped to have more fragrance creation events at his shop in future.