The English Shop
423 South Main Street, St. Charles, MO 63301
636-946-2245
theenglishshoponline.com
Situated northwest of St. Louis proper, The English Shop has been a fabulous source for premium English goods in the St. Charles community for 38 years. Since “the Christmas of ’84,” Eileen Prichard has not only sold great products from across the pond but has also consistently provided a friendly face to the folks on historic Main Street.
Born in England and having moved to the United States at age 21, Eileen found a happy home in America when she married her husband. Though she started to feel comfortable in the new country, she certainly missed the products that she grew up with in Great Britain. “In 1984, you couldn’t find any British products over here,” Eileen explains. “I put an ad in The Post saying, ‘Do you miss your English food?’ And, I got a good response back. I found one little room available here above an English restaurant. I wasn’t familiar with St. Charles. It’s such a handsome, great area.” Serendipitously, the owner of the English restaurant told Eileen that if she would like a room, then she could bring some merchandise in. The room was similar to the size of a small closet. For three decades, the little English shop grew and grew some more and moved four times to eventually become what it is today.
When asked if she happens to remember her first experience with drinking tea, Eileen’s answer, “Absolutely not!” is painfully honest and hysterically British. “I’ve seen people put tea in a baby’s bottle,” she chuckles. “I’m sure it was very early, and it was always there. Tea in England is a very simple thing. If you go work in the yard or go shopping, it’s time for a cup of tea. I was so surprised when I came here because the tea wasn’t particularly good. Sometimes at Christmas, my family in England would send me tea.” When curating her shop in the beginning, the store owner knew that, if nothing else, she must sell tea. Currently, the space devotes an entire room to all sorts of teas and accoutrements reserved for the pastime.
With a motto of “English to a Tea” and the shop described as “fun and full,” the ultra-cozy, supremely British supplier sells an amalgamation of every product that one would ever dream of encountering in England. English fruit pies, sausage rolls, Irish bacon, black pudding, jewelry, kilts, football (soccer) paraphernalia, and Guinness glasses are plentiful. In the separate portion of the store dedicated to all things tea, reside a wide variety of well-known English brands, like Twinings, Taylors of Harrogate, and P.G. Tips, among teawares from pretty, floral teacups to modern teapots. “I get people that come in to get tea and some biscuits or Mr. Kipling cake, and they’ve been coming in for more than 30 years,” Eileen recalls. “It’s just part of their routine. I have one lady who rushes in at 10 minutes to 5:00 because she has to get her Barry’s Tea. It’s a destination for a lot of people.”
If you are desperately needing your “British fix” while staying stateside, are searching for uniquely English imports for a themed gathering, or simply must have your cup of Twinings before the clock strikes 5:00, The English Shop in charming St. Charles will come to the rescue with teas, foods, attire, and quick wit to satisfy. The English Shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m.
