Welcome to the smokeless zone

Jul 1 2007 by Mike Chapple, Liverpool Daily Post

The Only place in Liverpool where you can light up

FOR almost 200 years, it has been supplying cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco and snuff to generations of discerning Liverpool smokers.

From today, Turmeaus Tobacconist in Fenwick Street will become the only place in the city where smoking will be lawful – providing customers are sampling cigars or pipe tobacco.

The chances are that it will be around for many decades to come. Established in 1817 in the reign of George III, Turmeaus is an oasis for tobacco lovers, and it seems that it will continue to be soe.

It is the country’s second oldest surviving tobacconists, beaten by a rival that opened in London several weeks earlier.

At one time, the two French Turmeaus brothers, who started the business and lived in Wirral, ran a chain of six shops across the city.

They were lured to Merseyside by the opportunity to establish a company in what was emerging as the major port of the British Empire, importing tobacco as well as selling tobacco products.

It will be business as usual for manageress Christine Spencer-Nastor, a lifelong non-smoker.

“I do not think we will be affected at all, as a specialist tobacconist, by the new laws. Our regular customers continue to come here, and we are picking up new younger customers wanting snuff as an alternative to cigarettes,” she said.

There are few places in the country, let alone Liverpool, where it is possible to buy cigarettes made in Cuba or Indonesia, or American Spirit, a 100% pure tobacco additive free brand.

Add to that some of England’s former favourites, Capstan Full Strength, Players and Senior Service and it really is an Aladdin’s Cave.

The shop even sells strawberry or peach flavoured hand rolling tobaccos, with hand-made Cuban cigars the Rolls Royce of the stock. Mrs Spencer-Nastor added: “Because we are a specialist tobacconist, we are legally allowed to allow samples to be tried within the shop. There are only a few dozen such places across England with this exemption.

“I am not against the new rules and have always supported no-smoking in restaurants. But we have survived a very long time, including other campaigns, and we are still here.”

How pubs and restaurants are preparing > > >