Behind the gable door and timeworn step, hides an apothecary for the senses.

Blocks of organic handmade soap, dotted with rosebuds and cinnamon sticks, nestle in wicker baskets. Earthenware bowls, filled with dried flowers, herbs and spices, brighten the table. And the air is scented with organic handmade soap and beauty products, gently hand-stirred to retain the natural goodness. Candles and Diffusers made in glass and ceramic containers contain natural waxes carefully handcrafted.

Here, time takes a back seat – and one batch of organic handmade soap takes a whole day to perfect. After a long day in the office, designer Jacqui Sheard would unwind by making bars of crafted organic handmade soap. It was a passion that became a profession when she found a cosy little shop in Lacock and started Quintessentially English.

Behind our products is an age-old philosophy: When you touch a flower you disturb a star. It’s an idea that goes right back to medieval times when herbalists combined the sciences of medicine and astronomy – and flowers, linked to the stars, were used for their healing properties. Like these early sages, we believe there’s a connection, between earth and air, fire and water – an energy that flows through everything: a quintessence.

At Quintessentially English, we make organic handmade soap, natural beauty products, and luxurious toiletries – for your head, right down to the tips of your toes, available in our store and online. You’ll find everything from handmade organic soaps, sublime shampoos, perfumes and face creams, to ‘me time’ massage oils, fizzy bath bombs, bath melts and Shea butter lip balms. Each aroma matches to a candle, wax melt and diffuser completing the range. Everything we make at Quintessentially English is as pure as nature intended, so it’s always kind to your hair and skin. You’ll never find ‘nasties’ like SLS, SLES and parabens in any of our products – just the finest sustainable organic oils, beeswax, herbal infusions and 100% essential oils. To create many of the earthy colours, we simply add natural vegetable extracts or clays. And, for that personal touch, we lovingly hand-finish each batch, wrap every block in paper, and tie with a length of twine.