Our story.
Exceptional coffee. Considered design. Intentional details that lift your day.
Our history.
Proudly originating in a former 19th-century watch house on London's famous Bermondsey Street.
Former 19th century watch house that became our first House.
From humble beginnings in South London.
Opened in 2014, our first House gave us our name. A tiny building next to a Bermondsey church, it had once given shelter to those guarding the churchyard. Today, every House offers a contemporary sanctuary to our guests.
No guard duty required.
Timeline.
2014.
The original WatchHouse.
Where WatchHouse began. A first House in Bermondsey, and the start of everything that followed.
2016.
Our first brunch House.
Tower Bridge marked a broader expression of WatchHouse, with brunch taking its place alongside coffee.
2020.
The Roastery opened.
A dedicated roasting space gave greater control over quality, profiling and every cup.
2023.
Beyond London.
Bath was our first House outside London, a measured step beyond the city where WatchHouse began.
2024.
Crossed the Atlantic.
Our first House in New York. A new city, the same standard.
2025.
Modern Coffee in the UAE.
WatchHouse arrived in the UAE, extending our approach into a new market.
2014.
The original WatchHouse.
Where WatchHouse began. A first House in Bermondsey, and the start of everything that followed.
2016.
Our first brunch House.
Tower Bridge marked a broader expression of WatchHouse, with brunch taking its place alongside coffee.
2020.
The Roastery opened.
A dedicated roasting space gave greater control over quality, profiling and every cup.
2023.
Beyond London.
Bath was our first House outside London, a measured step beyond the city where WatchHouse began.
2024.
Crossed the Atlantic.
Our first House in New York. A new city, the same standard.
2025.
Modern Coffee in the UAE.
WatchHouse arrived in the UAE, extending our approach into a new market.
Our founder and CEO.
Roland Horne.
In founding WatchHouse, Roland Horne set out to make more than just excellent coffee. He wanted to build a different kind of coffee experience. One that took quality seriously, but left the ego elsewhere.
From the beginning, the ambition was clear: to build a brand that welcomed the connoisseur and the casually curious in equal measure. Rooted not only in what was served, but in how it was served, where it was served, and the way it made people feel. That pursuit of excellence across coffee, design and hospitality would become Modern Coffee.
Roastery and coffee sourcing.
The standard behind every cup.
At our London and New York roasteries, every coffee is developed through constant tasting, profiling and refinement. From first sample to final roast, the approach is exacting and consistent, shaped to bring clarity, balance and character into the cup, and to uphold one standard across every House.
We source seasonally from trusted producers across origin, building long-term relationships that prioritise transparency and quality. Each lot is selected for character and traceability, then evaluated through rigorous tasting before purchase, ensuring coffees that reflect both place and producer intention.
Our menu.
Because you can't live on coffee alone.
Every House offers food sourced and prepared for flavour, quality and provenance, with daily bakes produced each day by our bakeries in London and New York.
