An Introduction to Char

Winchester is known throughout England as a historic market town with a fantastically renowned Christmas Market. To a learned few, it is known for once being England’s capital city as a result of fortifications set down during the reign of Alfred the Great, whose resting place it remains. To literary enthusiasts, it is known for being the burial place of much loved authoress Jane Austen whose works have pervaded a century and counting. For fishermen who pursue trout and grayling, Winchester is a lovely little city on the Itchen, and fairly close to the Test as well. For the hundreds of students who sweep to and from the city with the tides of the academic year, it is home from home, and a first taste of freedom. All of this is to say: Winchester is a multifaceted city which blends the modern and historical with the skill of a great painter.

Tucked away from the bustle of the upper High Street clothing shops sits a quaint, unassuming Grade II listed building which stands as a patchwork of aged buildings and their mismatched rooftops. It hails you with no music, does not rely on gimmicks such as bubble machines or sales jesters luring you in, yet you feel the draw to its warm lighting as surely as to your own front door.

This is Char.

It could have stood here for centuries, the modern implements of the shop can be counted on one hand. In truth, it came into being only in 2006, but we can pretend as I often do on rainy, dark afternoons when there are no cars in sight and I am weighing tea whilst gazing out of the window to the guildhall which was once a nunnery, the King Alfred statue, the cobbled High Street, and peaking spires of Winchester Cathedral. For that moment, I could be anywhere in Winchester’s history. But I am getting ahead of myself. You have only just arrived.

The first thing you notice upon entering the shop is the intoxicating smell. This is a sensory experience cumulated and cultivated by hours upon hours of weighing teas out – black teas from India, Nepal, and China, green teas from China and Japan, jasmine and chamomile, turmeric and spearmint. The smell is never quite the same, but it is always a soothing welcome that relaxes the shoulders and softens the gaze of whomever experiences it. The world wraps around the walls of this small miracle shop in Hampshire, and it is yours to explore. We have smell jars for each transporting tea, and a small, ever-changing selection of 10 gram samples so that you can build your own tea world tour in an evening, should you wish. Should you be desirous of a particular tea specification, want clarification on some of the odd strings of letters on our labels, or wish to explore slightly beyond your comfort zone, Char’s highly specialised teasellers are more than happy to help. We have all been where you are now, a slightly overwhelmed giddiness about how much there is to know about a beverage we have taken for granted. But trust us, this next part is where the fun truly begins: exploring.

And so, in the city of Winchester sits a small, quiet shop without balloons or disco balls to draw the eye. It has not witnessed history, and it has. Its staff are not overeager up sellers, but experts whose knowledge you can call upon. Its floors are not mirrored or shiny, but wooden, and support a whole world and the wonder of many lucky visitors. It is open between 10 o’clock and 5.30pm on Mondays to Saturdays, and from 11 o’clock to 4 o’clock on Sundays. We would love for you to come see for yourself.