CORNISH clothing brand Seasalt opened the doors to its new Winchester store on Saturday.

The shop, which has moved into the former Cath Kidston shop in the High Street, opened at 9.30am, and in attendance will be the Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Eleanor Bell.

The first customer in the queue was offered the chance to officially open the new shop by cutting the ribbon, and received a £100 Seasalt gift card to spend.

Founder Neil Chadwick said: “We are really looking forward to opening our shop in Winchester. It’s a vibrant city full of warmth and character and history. We are really looking forward to becoming part of the community there.”

Many people will be relieved the premises have remained a shop and not been converted into a cafe or restaurant as has been happening in recent years.

There were activities throughout the day, including a performance by shanty group Short Drag Roger, who entertained customers and passers-by with traditional maritime songs.

Illustrator Becki Clark decorated miniature plant pots for customers to take away.

To get into the celebratory spirit, Seasalt will be serving cupcakes from Hampshire’s Little Bee Bakery.

Seasalt designers are based in studios overlooking the sea in Falmouth.

The Winchester store will offer a range of artist-designed pieces across womenswear, accessories and footwear.