About us

There are a thousand reasons why you would wish to buy the finest china and porcelain – as special handcrafted gifts for much-loved family members and friends, for celebratory occasions and anniversaries, or simply the sheer pleasure of having pieces of perfection in your ownership.

When you shop at The Chinashop®, whether online or in our High Street store, you are buying into a proud history that dates back nearly three quarters of a century.

We, the Donnelly family, have been the dedicated owners since 2011 – but this is a business which has left an indelible mark over a number of decades.

THE EARLY YEARS

The story began in 1951, when the owners of the Sevenoaks Bookshop opened a shop next door, selling chinaware. In 1977, they sold the shop to a man by the name of MacDonald. “Mac” was affectionately known in Sevenoaks circles as The Chinaman, on the basis that he sold china products from a market stall in the town. So preserving this familiar nickname seemed the natural thing for him to do when he acquired the shop. The Chinaman was now firmly established on the High Street!

Time passed and, after a couple more changes of ownership in the ensuing years, we took over the Sevenoaks store in 2011. Following more than forty fabulous years of retailing in the town, however, it was decided that we would relocate in 2017 to Canterbury. It has proved to be a hugely successful move.

And now that we are really settled here, the next exciting stage of our development is the change of name to The Chinashop®, which we feel best describes what we are and what we do.

THE “GO TO” PLACE FOR LUXURY BRANDS

Specialising in the most luxurious and prestigious china, porcelain and crystal, we have an intrinsic interest and wealth of knowledge about speciality luxury gifts and jewellery. Today, we are the “go to” place for the most significant UK brands, like Wedgewood, Moorcroft Pottery, Caithness Glass and Dartington Crystal, as well as being a prime location for some of the world’s finest china and giftware products, like Lalique and Lladro.

Thanks in no small part to the influence of internet shopping, our thriving independent family-run business has been able to spread its reach – not just across the local areas of Kent, but to all parts of the UK and overseas, proving the undiminished and universal appeal of our wonderful products. Indeed, we have customers who will visit the shop from America and the Far East, just so they can get a hands-on feel of the quality of the merchandise we sell, before they buy.

Our beautiful central Canterbury premises are at 20 Burgate – a short stroll along the same street as the cathedral. The shop is a veritable treasure trove of exquisite gifts and ornaments – from individual items to rare limited editions.

Here, you can wander at leisure around our well-stocked showroom, whilst downstairs, in the beating heart of The Chinashop® business, our team take care of all the order fulfilment for our flourishing online operation.

The Chinashop® is synonymous with superior craftsmanship and exceptional customer service. Our knowledge, guidance and enthusiasm is all part of The Chinashop® experience! And, if you’re browsing online and can’t find what you are specifically looking for, simply give us a call on 01227 230970.

WE ARE EASY TO REACH

The beauty of our location is that we are easily accessible by road or rail from all parts of the south east and further afield (it isn’t unusual for customers to travel hundreds of miles by train to visit the shop and to see first-hand the extent and quality of our stock).

And if you aren’t able to get here in person, you have everything at your disposal online to make an informed choice. Indeed, your first port of call may well be to check out our extensive product listing on the website.

OUR SOURCING SERVICE

The Chinashop® can source any products from our suppliers that are still being manufactured. If you discover what you are looking for isn’t listed, simply call us and we can order it for you.

IN A HURRY

If you have an urgent deadline to meet, please let us know and we’ll do everything we can to ensure your order reaches its destination on time. Outstanding customer service is at the heart of what we do – we’ll pull out all the stops where required.

PRICES TO SUIT EVERY OCCASION

Looking for an inspirational, high quality gift idea for a wedding, anniversary, birthday, Christmas or other special celebration? Look no further!

With our extensive choice of products, we have a range of prices that are sure to match your expectations. Simply browse our gift category sections on the toolbar above to find inspirational ideas for unique and luxurious gifts.

GIFT WRAPPING SERVICE

To add that touch of class that will ensure your special gift really is extra special, we offer a bespoke gift wrapping service with our lovely wrapping paper & ribbons.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

At The Chinashop®, we love keeping you updated online with all our latest news and special offers. To ensure you are “in the know”, please feel free to register for our newsletter at the bottom of this page, or follow us on Instagram or on Twitter. Alternatively, you can contact us via our online form.