Notting Hill Candle Making Workshop Above The Elgin: £65

The London Refinery's Candle Making Masterclass takes place in the upstairs room of The Elgin, the pub at 96 Ladbroke Grove, London W11 1PY, a short walk from Portobello Road. It costs £65 per person, runs for two hours and ends with you pouring a soy candle with a 40-hour burn time that you take home after the workshop. The remaining Notting Hill dates this year are Sunday 8 November and Saturday 21 November, both starting at 2.30pm, and every student has to be over 16.

The detail that sets this class apart is the scent library. The London Refinery works with essential oils, and the workshop page lists more than 30 to choose from. That makes the blending stage slower and more interesting than the usual pick-two-bottles format, because essential oils behave differently from synthetic fragrance oils: some are faint in wax, others dominate a blend with a single drop. The class opens with a short explanation of how the sense of smell works and how scent affects mood and emotion, which sets up the blending session that follows.

Lucy Heale founded The London Refinery, and the brand makes its candles, diffusers and home fragrance at its headquarters in Ealing. That explains a slightly confusing quirk of the website: the booking page's web address still mentions an Ealing Broadway studio, but the public Notting Hill classes are held at The Elgin. Ignore the old wording and follow the address printed in the product description and on the booking rules page.

A practical approach for the blending stage: start with one oil you already know you like, such as lavender or sweet orange, and treat it as the base. Add a second oil in small amounts and smell the mix on a strip before committing it to wax. Stop at three oils at most. Strong notes like clove or peppermint can swamp everything else, so add them last and sparingly. Write the drop counts down, because the whole point of this class is being able to repeat a blend you love at home.

Everyone works at their own station with personal blending equipment, a mixing jug, a whisk and glassware supplied, so there is no queueing for shared tools. The instructors walk you through heating the plant-based soy wax, blending your chosen oils into it and pouring. The aim, according to the class description, is that you leave able to make a soy candle at home and keen to keep developing your own fragrances, rather than just holding one finished jar.

You do not need to bring anything. The candle comes home with you the same day, unlike some studios that ask you to come back once the wax has cured, so this works for a same-day present. The class description pitches it at a group of friends, a couple, or someone who has made candles before and wants to sharpen the technique.

Read the rules before paying. Class bookings are not refundable, but you can move your date with at least seven days' notice by emailing orders@londonrefinery.co.uk. A booking can be moved twice, and the new date has to fall within three months of the original. Cancel with less than seven days' notice, or fail to show, and you are charged for the class. Arriving more than 20 minutes late means the session is marked as redeemed. Gift class vouchers are valid for one year from the booking date.

The Refinery also sells a One to One Private Workshop for £450, aimed at people who want a full session to themselves, and it hosts hen parties and brand events at other venues.

Holding a craft class above a pub has advantages. The booking page describes The Elgin as a cornerstone of Ladbroke Grove with a long history, and the room upstairs is away from the bar downstairs. Arrive ten minutes early, find your seat and get settled rather than rushing up the stairs at 2.30pm. Afterwards the bar below is an obvious place to let the wax set a little before carrying the candle home.

The two December dates, both on Saturday 5 December at 11am and 2.30pm, are a Festive Candle Making version near Liverpool Street rather than Notting Hill. The website does not print that venue's address; it says a reminder with full location details is sent a week before the class. If you book a December session, do not head to Ladbroke Grove by mistake.

Ladbroke Grove station on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines is the nearest Underground stop and within walking distance of the pub. Leaving The Elgin, turn toward Elgin Crescent, one of the prettiest residential streets in the area, and follow it east to Portobello Road. On a Saturday the antiques stalls at the Notting Hill end draw crowds, while the northern stretch under the Westway is quieter and better for vintage clothing.

With a 2.30pm start you finish around 4.30pm, which leaves time to walk south along Portobello Road to Notting Hill Gate before the light goes in November. Westbourne Park Road and Westbourne Grove have plenty of places for an early dinner. If you prefer greenery, Holland Park lies to the south-west, and its Kyoto Garden is a calm detour on a dry day.

An honest verdict: this is the right workshop for people interested in essential oils and in making candles again at home. It is less suited to families, given the 16-plus age limit, and less convenient for anyone who cannot do a weekend afternoon. For a weekday evening alternative in the West End, STANZA Artigiana holds a two-hour Wednesday class at Cafe Jamie Oliver in John Lewis Oxford Street.

Venue: The Elgin (upstairs), 96 Ladbroke Grove, London W11 1PY. Nearest station: Ladbroke Grove. Remaining Notting Hill dates: Sunday 8 November and Saturday 21 November, 2.30pm. Price: £65 per person for a two-hour Candle Making Masterclass, materials included, candle taken home the same day. Over 16 only. Dates can be moved with seven days' notice, twice, within three months. Late arrivals beyond 20 minutes forfeit the class. Ask Karpo in the Karpo APP for a Westbourne Grove dinner table afterwards.