reading

Established in the late 1800s by Mr. Maurice Shave in Newbury, the original tobacconist shop, M. Shave, changed hands several times but retained its name and legacy. In 1991, Paul and Karen Gilmour rescued the shop from closure, revitalising it and later expanding with a second store in Reading.

Due to parking issues in Newbury, the original shop eventually closed, with its stock moved to the Reading branch. In tribute to their friend and mentor Alan Coster—whose family had run a tobacconist in Marlow—Paul and Karen renamed the Reading store Shave & Coster.

The Reading shop was managed by their son James and is now owned by Havana House. The business continues to be known for its wide range of tobacco, pipes, and Cuban cigars, and has received several industry accolades, including the Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers Retailer of the Year (2000), Peterson of Dublin Retailer of the Year (2005), and the Silver Chaveta for Havana Cigar Retailer of the Year (2009).