Farrants Cobham

Hidden Gem: Farrants Cobham

27.11.2023

I recently had the chance to re-visit a stationery store called Farrants located in Cobham, Surrey. It has been on my mind to write about this store for a while but I just could not get to it. I actually became aware of Farrants during pandemic. But why am I talking about a stationery store I visited recently? After all, the subject of our blog is not pencils, erasers, books or notebooks. However, this stationery is different stationery.

You ask why? Because in a hidden part of this rather large store, there is a walk-in humidor at the back and a cigar lounge on the lower floor. This lounge which we can truly call a secret oasis, is a room which was created during the pandemic. Farrants, that was already selling cigars for a while, turned the pandemic into an opportunity and worked on this cigar lounge and the result is a very pleasurable venue.

Farrants is actually a very old store with a history and has been selling cigars for a long time. David Worsfold, who took over the business from his family, is also active in Association of Independent Tobacco Experts in the UK.

When you first enter, there is no sign of cigars or tobacco plain in sight, except for the sign on the door. But if you already have been there, as someone who knows his way, you enter a short and narrow corridor from the door next to the cash register. At the end of you suddenly reach the walk-in humidor... and your eyes start to dilate, while the scene begins to fill with cigar, accessories, tobacco and even pipes.

Once you choose your preferred cigar from the humidor, it is now time to go down to the cigar lounge downstairs, which is also kind of out of sight. While Harry or Aaron, one of the other knowledgable representatives of the shop, is showing you the way, you realize that you actually passed by the door on your way to the humidor. As you go down the stairs, you come across a very pleasantly lit and furnished cigar lounge.

Although the seating capacity is limited, this is a place that can easily accommodate around 10 people and has sufficient ventilation and heating. The walls of the basement, which also has a coffee machine and television, are filled with locked humidors that can be rented for customers. A free-standing cigar ashtray sits on the edge of each seat, preventing you from constantly leaning on the coffee table in front of you. There are also table cutters, table lighters and punches from the Colibri Quazar series. In one of the recent chats I had with David, he mentioned that actually he had to have them carried from US, since those accessories were not coming in gun metal color at the time - maybe still - to UK market.

In one corner of the lounge stands Ramon Allones Hunters and Frankau House Reserve Series 1790 humidor. Although it has not found its owner yet, we think that someone from China will probably provide its final home to it. The acquisition of Habanos by the Chinese and the increasing interest in luxury in China, especially in recent years, are important factors in this.

Although the Surrey location where the venue is located is not the closest choice to London, it is a region where country-style life and natural beauties stand out. It is also a preferred location for shooting by the film producers. The area served as a plateu for famous movies such as Gladiator, Harry Potter and Bridget Jones.

If you have the chance to go outside of London and happen to be in Cobham, I recommend you to visit this hidden oasis. for sure.

Enjoyable smoking...