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.