Into The Cathedral Quarter…

I’ve always had a soft spot for Burgate; from the Moat Tea Room to my fond childhood memories of Canterbury Pottery, this area of Canterbury has always been a vibrant and quite unique part of the city.

The Cathedral Quarter is developing its own personality; an expression of individualism which pulls you in, making you want to explore all the shops located in the distract. With a ever changing high street and vast investment taking place, this is a quality that needs to be carefully held in our hands and taken care of.

I had the pleasure of visiting Loake Shoemakers, 38 Burgate, on Monday for a friendly discussion on the district and the wider city. I was taken back how carefully customer care was approached; each customer mattered on an individual basis and time was taken to understand and know their needs. This is very rare in our fast-paced, target driven retail world. It is an experience I hope many, many people get to enjoy for themselves; from the first moments I walked into the store, I felt like I mattered. It is something the retail sector desperately misses.

I left Loake feeling very confident and happy for the district; there is truly something special happening in this quarter. Not just Loake, but others in the area as well — like Wrapped! at 22 Burgate. I have to get this off my chest:

Oh my God. I love this shop.

From the store layout, window displays, decorations and cute, funny cards — everything screams amazing. And I truly love you forever and a day for what you did for pride weekend. Sadly, I’ve only managed a flying visit but I seriously need to return and talk to the team. Walked out of Wrapped! with the biggest smile on my face. Been a while since a shop left me this excited.

The Chinaman, 20 Burgate, know how to steal my heart with anything pug related. I nervously watched on as fragile, and rather expensive, displays where put together. I’ll be popping in for a chat with them this week, hopefully, and a more detailed experience will follow.

These words are not hyperbole or typical blogger exaggeration; it is raw emotion and genuine enjoyment from this district. The Cathedral Quarter stole my heart and refused to give it back. And I’m glad. I shall return, many times, to explore all the businesses in the area.

Next time you’re in the high street, jump off and head into Burgate and explore the Cathedral Quarter — you won’t be disappointed.