IT IS a brand known world over to represent luxury and tradition in the heart of Knightsbridge, but now for the first time the joys of Harrods can be sampled right here in Oxfordshire.

The new H Cafe opened its doors for the first time in late October and has proved a hit in its first weeks of serving customers.

Nestled in Henley-on-Thames’ picturesque market place, the cafe glows invitingly to passersby (the Christmas lights that were in place when we visited didn’t hurt the overall impression either).

Oxford Mail:

The standalone venture aims to ‘bring the Harrods experience’ to customers outside of central London, through dine in and dine out food options, a ‘curated range of gifting options’ on offer and a click and collect service for customers to buy items online from harrods.com.

Upstairs is a private dining area, which can be hired out for events including afternoon tea, baby showers and birthdays.

It also has fitting rooms, so shoppers ordering from online can try on their items when they arrive and before they take them home, avoiding the need to send things back.

Oxford Mail:

Chris Dee, director of food and home at Harrods, said: “Henley is the perfect fit for Harrods; both share a classic sense of Britishness, and the heritage, quality and beauty of our products are perfectly in-line with the area.

"The location has also been strategically chosen to accommodate and support our customer base in the wider London area.

"We know that we have a large existing customer base in Henley, many of whom are increasingly choosing to shop online as well as visiting us in Knightsbridge.

"This location, aligned with its Click & Collect capabilities, will make it more convenient for local residents to shop with Harrods from the comfort of their home.”

Oxford Mail:

We tried a selection from the H Cafe’s menu that comprised an afternoon tea of sorts.

Finger sandwiches, flaky sausage rolls, cheeses and smoked salmon were all welcome treats, but it was the toasties that stole the show.

They came filled with either truffle or lobster, and were absolutely delicious, a triumph with the whole table.

Don’t fill up on them though, because the cafe also has an offering of traditions Harrods patisserie and cakes, including the signature ‘chocolate bar’ and a praline covered in ‘Harrods green’ glaze (with some being made in Knightsbridge first thing by some of the store’s hundreds of chefs and transported).

Oxford Mail:

These were so good we had to take a box home to prolong the experience.

Staff were attentive and clearly took great pride in the service they were giving to customers. They told us that since opening they’ve welcomed repeat customers daily, as well as new groups excited to see what’s on offer.

Harrods is a British stalwart and is a place not only to shop, but to have an experience that leaves a lasting impression.

It seems the H Cafe will be successful in following suit.