Season 8, Episode 5: Through the Smoke with BeauFort London’s Leo Crabtree

[AD: This episode is proud to be in partnership with BeauFort London - a house Suzy has championed from the start, spoken about passionately over the years, and continues to be excited by.]

From a single, hand-poured moustache wax to one of the world’s most daringly distinctive fragrance houses, BeauFort London’s story is as elemental as the scents themselves. Founded in 2013 by musician Leo Crabtree, the brand was born from salt-spray memories, naval histories and a fascination with the poetry of smoke — quite literally “per fumum” (‘through smoke’).

In this episode of On The Scent Podcast, Suzy Nightingale and Nicola Bonn sit down with Leo to trace that journey: from the formative fragrances he wore as a teenager to the moment he realised scent could become a storytelling medium for his fascinations with maritime might, Shakespearean drama, and the awe-inspiring power of nature.

With the launch of Come Hell Or High Water in 2015 — featuring the now-iconic Tonnerre, Coeur de Noir and Vi et Armis — BeauFort London set out its stall with unapologetically bold compositions, rich in unusual materials and deliberately ‘overdosed’ in their intensity. As you listen, you will hear Suzy, Nicola and Leo smelling some of the creations together — Nicola encountering them properly for the first time, while Suzy revisits fragrances she has worn and championed for years, having known Leo since the brand’s earliest days and even helping to shape the direction of Fathom V.

Together, we delve into the inspirations behind the scents, the emotions they stir, and the evolving landscape of perfumery that Leo reflects upon with candour. It is a conversation about transformation — personal, creative, and within the industry itself — and one that invites you to explore these boldly original fragrances for yourself…