I’m Penny Price and I was brought up with aromatherapy. My mother, the now famous Shirley Price, began her career in aromatherapy in the 70s, by first training and then teaching around the world. I became interested because I was roped in to help fill bottles with potions and have never quite been able to live without it since!
I trained formally as an aromatherapist in 1983, and after 3 years began teaching the subject. I am committed to quality in both product and training, and established Penny Price Aromatherapy Ltd and the Penny Price Academy in 2003. I believe that I work hard to be at the cutting edge of developing aromatherapy – in its practice, its developing curriculum and in how it is taught. I attained the only research degree in aromatherapy awarded by Oxford University in 2001 and lecture in the UK and abroad. The Masters Degree in Education is entitled: Managing school environments: children’s responses to change in the aromatic environment.
In 1974 Penny’s mother Shirley became interested in aromatherapy in order to treat her own mother who had arthritis. After many training courses, including some abroad, Shirley set up as an aromatherapist, blending and creating her own creams for customers in her busy hairdressing and beauty salon. She went on to found Shirley Price Aromatherapy.
Penny and her brother Matthew were soon involved and were helping with mixing creams and filling pots. Penny’s interest grew and she decided at the age of 22 to be an aromatherapist. In 1986, Shirley’s company had grown enormously into a training school and product manufacturing plant and Penny trained as a teacher to take on the role as College Tutor.
After many successful years in business, Shirley and her husband Len sold the company to enable them to retire. Shortly afterwards Penny Price Aromatherapy was founded.
The English Aromatherapy Company
Penny Price Aromatherapy and the Academy of Aromatherapy and Health Studies was founded by Penny Price in May 2003. The company started in stable blocks at the rear of a large Victorian Villa where all the aromatherapy products were developed and manufactured and the aromatherapy training courses were written. The company now provides both Aromatherapy Training Courses and Aromatherapy Products.
The reason for setting up the company for Penny was because her parents Len and Shirley Price had sold their famous aromatherapy business in 1998. Penny had worked for SPA for most of her working life but was not happy working for the new owners and shortly after they bought it, she left the company.
Penny worked as a teacher for the local YMCA and also studied for a Masters Degree and took consultancy work. However, her husband Bob, realised that Penny was not happy without aromatherapy as a major part of her life and encouraged her to set up her own company. to provide aromatherapy training courses and aromatherapy products.
Penny initially spent most of her time hand-blending every recipe until the aroma and the consistency of each aromatherapy product was just right. Over 400 different aromatherapy products, falling into about 11 ranges – some for babies, some for men, some skincare, some therapeutic were developed. She also wrote and published the course material needed for the Academy and the IFPA accreditation in order to teach aromatherapy training courses.
After a time, the stable block was not big enough for the rapidly expanding company and so PPA took over the ground floor of the Villa. However, even this was not enough, and in 2006 PPA bought Spa Villa in its entirety and continues to operate from there. The aromatherapy training courses have become more and more popular over the years, and the aromatherapy products are now sold across the world.
In March 2008, Spa Villa was badly damaged by fire and the company moved to temporary smaller premises while the renovation work was done. in September of that year, the Villa was officially reopened by MP David Tredennick. Spa Villa was then completely refurbished and was again a well-appointed training centre for students from all over the UK and indeed other parts of the world.
In April 2015, PPA waved a sad goodbye to Spa Villa and moved to our new purpose built home at Tungsten Park (still in Hinckley, Leicestershire). The new academy is a symbol of how the company has grown throughout the years and is a truly wonderful place to learn, with fantastic training facilities and as always the highest quality of teaching.
PPA now has Academy venues and product outlets in the UK, China, Japan, Taiwan, Cyprus, Greece, Norway, Ireland and Sri Lanka and is well-respected throughout the world for its professional aromatherapy training courses and organic hand-crafted aromatherapy products. In true family tradition, Shirley Price is consultant to the business and Ellie, Penny’s daughter is a key member of the management team. learning the business just as her mother before her.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Shirley Price would like to point out that she is no longer connected in any way whatsoever with ‘Shirley Price Aromatherapy’. She now fully supports Penny and acts as consultant to the Penny Price Academy along with her husband Len.
