fran.padgham@lionelhitchen.com

As a result of these friendships, in 1949 Lionel went to work for Stafford Allen & Sons, Ltd. Lionel also became a director of the San Lorenzo citrus fruit processing company in Sicily. After the merger of the Bush, Boake and Allen businesses in 1964, Lionel would go on to found Lionel Hitchen (Essential Oils) Limited.

Born in 1914,  Lionel Hitchen was the eldest of four boys growing up in Sutton in South London. Whilst in Sicily during WW2, Lionel made great friends with Roger Allen whose family owned Stafford & Allen, and Dr Pietro Polara, who would later establish the San Lorenzo company.