Workshop Coffee

Overview

Workshop was founded in April 2011 by James Dickson in Clerkenwell, London, originally co-branded as a London outpost of Australia's St. Ali before rebranding as Workshop Coffee Co. The roaster started on a 12kg Probat in the back of its Clerkenwell restaurant, opened a dedicated Bethnal Green roastery in 2016, and has since become Claridge's coffee supplier (since 2017) along with around 40 other UK luxury hotels including the Langham and Raffles London at the OWO.

Known for

• One of London's earliest third-wave specialty roasters (2011)
• Claridge's coffee supplier since 2017; ~40 luxury UK hotel partnerships
• Belgravia Cafe & Academy — flagship training space opened spring 2025
• 150+ wholesale partners and a hospitality-first brand identity
• ColorTrack technology for batch consistency

Why it matters

Workshop is the British luxury-hospitality specialty brand. Where most flagship specialty roasters build identity through cafes, Workshop leaned into B2B early — supplying coffee, training, and equipment service to high-end hotels — which now defines a distinct commercial lane in the UK market that neither Square Mile nor Assembly directly occupy.

Production

head roaster

null

roaster machine

Two roasters at Hertfordshire facility (originally 12kg Probat at Clerkenwell launch in 2011)

roastery location

Hertfordshire, UK (production); previously Bethnal Green, London (2016-2024)

Café

Eccleston Street, Belgravia, London

Sources

• https://workshopcoffee.com/
• https://thecoffeevine.com/blog/workshop-coffee-londons-early-pioneer-returns-after-6-years/
• https://mtpak.coffee/2025/02/workshop-coffee-donating-zoos-reduce-waste/
• https://www.thecaterer.com/news/workshop-coffee-launches-staff-training-academy-to-attract-luxury-hotels
• https://thecoffeevine.com/blog/news/meet-roasters-march-17-box/