Josie's opens in Wickham after refurbishing the picturesque Old Tea House in The Square

After months of renovation work a popular family-run business has welcomed its first customers in Wickham.

Josie Latouf, the owner of Josie’s, is delighted to have opened the latest branch of the brunch specialists following the restoration of the Old Tea House in Wickham. After teasing online at the end of last week that they would be opening “very soon”, it opened “quietly” on Tuesday, May 5.

Josie told The News: “It has taken a long time but I am so happy to be open. The community and the people here have been wonderful and we are very excited to be here.”

The Wickham store was initially announced in October last year with Josie getting the keys in November and the initial aim of opening early 2026. The old building required a lot of work as they set about returning it to its former glory.

Josie said: “We took over the site in November and we had a lot of work to do on the building. We had to put in new windows, floors, plumbing, electrics, everything really as it is an old building. Hopefully we have brought it back to what it was with an added Josie’s touch and from our feedback from people today they seem to love it.”

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Josie’s already has sites in Petersfield, Bishops Waltham, Chandlers Ford, Winchester, Romsey and Alresford. The independent chain of cafes has established itself as a popular destination in the county, known for their all day brunches, pancakes, milkshakes and coffee.

While the new Wickham store will have the same tried and tested menu as other Josie’s stores, it is the first ever branch to have a dedicated takeaway area.

Josie said: “It is the same menu and opening times as other stores but we have also introduced a takeaway section with rolls, sandwiches, juices and takeaway cake. It is the first time in a Josie’s that have done a proper takeaway with a separate entrance and we will test it out and see how it does.”

There was no grand opening for the Wickham store which is the way Josie wanted it but some lucky customer did get a sneak peek on Monday, May 4. A training day for the new staff ended up with eager customers being welcomed in and served.

More details on Josie's can be found at https://josies.uk/.

See inside the new Wickham eatery in the pictures below: