Jason Atherton launches £245 fragrance

Not content with running one of London’s most successful restaurant empires, Jason Atherton has branched out into the perfume industry with a £245 scent.

As reported by the Financial Times, Atherton has collaborated with food magazine Four on Vetiver Imperiale, a citrus-based unisex fragrance.

The perfume is the first in a series of four limited edition fragrances released by the magazine in partnership with world-renowned Michelin-starred chefs.

Made by perfume house Boadicea The Victorious, the fragrance offers a complex array of notes including vetiver, bergamot, Tunisian neroli, cedarwood, amber , Moroccan Rose, Egyptian geranium, patchouli and black, white and pink pepper.

Atherton was approached by the co-founder of Four, Antioco Piras, about the project.

A number of the ingredients are inspired by Atherton’s childhood in Lincolnshire, including the citrus element, recalling the smell of lemon tarts in the oven, while his travels in the Middle East brought cedarwood and spices into the mix.

The perfume is housed in a turquoise glass bottle with gold detailing, and seems to take design cues from Tom Ford’s popular unisex perfume Neroli Portofino.

A chef launching a scent isn’t as crazy as it seems, after all, it is thought that 70% of the taste experience comes from smell.

Vetiver Imperiale is on sale at Harrods priced at £245 for 100ml.