A WINCHESTER High Street store has relocated to the site of a former cafe. 

Closs and Hamblin (C&H), now located at 1-2 Walcote Place, High Street, reopened its doors to the city on Saturday, January 28. 

The British fabric shop and cafe, which has been a presence in Winchester since 1988, has downsized to a smaller unit near the top of the High Street, taking over the site of a former cafe, Eat, Drink and Be which closed in 2021. 

The store was previously based near the other end of the street, at 8 High Street, closing its doors to the property on Saturday, January 21. 

Store manager Julie Pither said: “We’ve only been open since Saturday so very early but it was really nice and lots of nice comments from the customers. Most of the customers we had were our original customers. 

“It’s very early days. I think we’ve had a few customers asking where our haberdashery is and they didn't realise that it was only the furnishings so obviously a couple of disappointed customers which we expected, but lots of nice comments from the furnishing customers.”

The Winchester branch held a party in the former property for previous and current members of staff on Saturday, January 21. 

She said: “We had an amazing staff party. We had 70 people come and they were from 1988 when I started, up until the last staff and so it was really nice but sad to say goodbye and thank you to everybody. 

“We held it in the coffee shop which is where all our parties have been, so it was a nice way of finishing.” 

READ MORE: Upper Brook Street Car Park to close for St Clements' practice

The store has relocated just a third of the business into the new location and the staff team has also been reduced from around thirty to five employees, with 25 others being made redundant. 

The smaller showroom will be used for home furnishings only, meaning the sale of dress fabrics, knitting yarns, and craft products has ended after 34 years as the business can no longer afford to run in its previous form in the two-floor building. 

Closs and Hamblin have revealed they will have 20 per cent off event over four days from February 1-4.