Modern Coffee.

About.

Our story.

25 square meters on London’s famous Bermondsey Street was all it took to conceive Watch House and lay the foundations of everything to come. Historically a shelter for men guarding the graveyard of St Mary Magdalen’s Church, today we honour its former role by providing a contemporary sanctuary to our customers. This tiny building became our namesake and the home of a simple ambition, to offer quality coffee, food and service, and bring a new lease of life to this unique building. 

From these humble beginnings our ambitions have continued to grow, leading us to new spaces, cultivating great relationships and expanding what we want to bring to our customers. This journey formalises itself in what we consider to be Modern Coffee. As we look to the future, we hope to continue to build on what we started with; preserving the legacy of our spaces remains at the heart of our development, and Modern Coffee at the heart of what we do.

Modern Coffee.

Honouring the history of our buildings and their surrounding areas continues to be our inspiration, designing each new House to feel familiar but wholly unique. This narrative leads us to consider more about what we believe encapsulates ‘Modern Coffee’. 

We respect ‘Speciality Coffee’ for the benchmark it provides; dedication to a transparent and ethical supply chain, focus on provenance, flavour and quality of coffee. It is the foundation of knowledge at each stage of our work, and an evolving source of reference. 

Modern Coffee encapsulates a wider experience, recognising the breadth of what makes your coffee stop special  - excellent coffee, considered spaces, quality food and most importantly the people involved every step of the way. 

Our ethos.

Grounded in community, inspired by the past, our aspiration is to be your local hero wherever we open. We are the welcome alternative to the faceless chain, a home for  the curious customer who knows what they want, and are loyal to what is good. WatchHouse’s ethos is to be an active part of the communities we inhabit - we make great coffee and delicious food in bespoke environments. It is as simple as that.

Our team.

At WatchHouse we aspire to build a company of skilled and passionate individuals working together to deliver Modern Coffee with care. Championing curiosity and ambition, we seek those who are hungry for knowledge and committed to pushing the boundaries of the task ahead of them. This is our community. Not simply a group of people, but a team dedicated to giving a little unique insight to each customer that steps through the door.

Roland Horne.
CEO & Founder.

Roland founded WatchHouse in 2014, having prior and extensive experience in running small to medium sized businesses. In addition he holds non-exec and exec directorships in the fields of property and management. Roland is an MSc graduate of Economic History from the LSE and is currently study for his Exec MBA at Oxford University. 

Stephanie Gregg.
Culture Director.

Steph joined WatchHouse as a Cafe Manager of our first site in Bermondsey and has since gone on through the company rising to the position of Operations Director and most recently Culture Director. Originally from Brighton Sussex, Steph oversees the cultural development at WatchHouse, across all Sites, Roastery and Support Office.

Ryan Garrick.
Head of Coffee.

Ryan joined WatchHouse in 2018 as Head of Coffee. After making the finals of the Coffee Masters 2017 competition, Ryan has since gone on to coach the 2019 Brewer Cup Winner and will support the WatchHouse Competition team competing at the World Barista Championship in 2021. Ryan is a qualified Q-grader and is industry known for his passion and ambition within coffee. Ryan holds a degree from the University of Dundee in Psychology.

Damon Conn.
Operations Director.

Damon joined WatchHouse in 2022 as Operations Director, bringing with him over a decade of leadership
experience in the specialty coffee and hospitality industries. His vast experience has seen him lead multi-site, multi- functional operational activities at Taylor St. Baristas, Harris + Hoole, Sodexo and Marks & Spencer.

Jessica Davies.
Head of People.

Jessica join WatchHouse in 2020 as our Head of People. Jess has over fifteen years experience in hospitality sector, eight of those in specialty coffee. She worked previously in management team at Harris & Hoole Cafes before joining Taylor Street Baristas as a HR Administrator in 2016. During these prior roles she gained extensive knowledge and experience in recruitment, ER and training and development and now leads these elements of the business at WatchHouse.

Simon O’Shea.
Head of Food.

Simon joined WatchHouse in 2020 as Head of Food.  His extensive experience in the hospitality sector has encompassed work as a chef in leading five star hotels, to operational management roles in leading sport & leisure venues and speciality coffee retail. Simon brings a passion for exceptional food to the WatchHouse team and delivering an offer for a Modern Coffee experience.

Coffee Matchmaker

Rituals. Ventures. Rarities. Which brew is right for you? Find your perfect match in six simple steps.

Start Matching

Are you looking to try something different?

What’s your favourite brewing method?

How do you like your coffee?

Do you take milk?

Rituals

We think you'll love Rarities. Throw caution to the wind and challenge your preconceptions. Each month we showcase cups that reveal flavours we wouldn’t have thought possible from the humble coffee bean.

Ventures

We think you’ll love Ventures. Some days we seek adventure. Fresh inspiration. These are the days when we welcome the unexpected. A single curiosity that will open our minds to new possibilities.

Rarities

We think you'll love Rituals. Like an evening bath or reading the Sunday papers, these are the coffees that ground us. Comforting, warm, familiar.

Your Order.

Complimentary shipping on all UK orders over £30. We dispatch orders Monday - Thursday. Orders placed after 2pm Thursday will be dispatched the following Monday.
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