John Watt & Son Espresso Bar & Roastery

About

This is the next great step in the long history of John Watt & Son and possibly the biggest leap since Bank Street moved from being a traditional grocer’s shop to becoming a tea and coffee specialist with a thriving cafe on-site. With the wholesale side of the business growing significantly in two years it became apparent that a 2kg roaster was going to struggle with the increased demand. With no room for a bigger roaster in Bank Street we were faced with a choice, be logical and take a sensible unit on an industrial estate or take over a rundown and quirky shop 5 minutes walk away from Bank Street, and thus JW Espresso Bar & Roastery was born! At Blackfriars Street we have the room to service our wholesale customers properly with a bigger roaster and an organised packing room. We have also opened a cafe where you can have a brew and a cake while watching tomorrow’s coffee being roasted. Plans are afoot to open a barista school upstairs as well as coffee tastings, watch this space!

At a glance

• Typical visit: about 1 hour