Workshop, one of London’s original pioneers of specialty coffee, today unveils its flagship Cafe & Academy in Belgravia, marking a major new chapter for the brand. Designed as both a shop window and the true home of Workshop, the space brings together the brand’s sourcing ethos, roasting philosophy, and hospitality values under one roof for the first time, creating a launch that carries equal significance for trade partners and consumers alike.
For over a decade, Workshop has helped shape London’s specialty coffee landscape. Renowned for its clean, sweet, and fresh flavour profile, the brand’s disciplined approach to sourcing washed coffees from small-scale growers across East Africa, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Nicaragua ensures every cup is unmistakably ‘Workshop’ in character. “Our sourcing and roasting ethos sets us apart. We are unwavering in our commitment to quality and consistency, and we never cut corners. This dedication is evident in every cup,” says James Dickson, founder of Workshop. “From a Kenyan single-origin filter to a Peruvian espresso or a Brazil-Ethiopia flat white, the flavour profile is instantly recognisable and distinctly Workshop.”
The Cafe & Academy is led by head barista and lead trainer Slava Babych, former World Cezve Ibrik Champion, and General Manager José Cortes, formerly of The Fat Duck Group. Their expertise brings both depth and approachability to the guest experience, ensuring a cafe defined not by pretence but by exceptional coffee delivered with genuine hospitality.
The design of the space reflects Workshop’s refined visual identity, developed in collaboration with George Cosby Studio and implemented by 3Stories. Single-origin coffees are now packed in terracotta, with house blends in the brand’s signature green. The design principles of premium hospitality aligned with luxury partners, a modern London identity, and dedication to quality and craft create a space that feels timeless, grounded, and welcoming.
The Academy
The Belgravia launch transforms this legacy into a tangible destination that embodies precision, transparency, craft, and a deep commitment to quality. The Academy represents an evolution of Workshop’s long-standing training programme, offering hospitality professionals, wholesale partners, and aspiring baristas a dedicated space to develop their skills without barriers or gatekeeping.
Here, partners can deepen their understanding of sourcing, roasting, and service principles while gaining confidence and expertise. For consumers, the Academy opens the door to learning in a warm and accessible way through bookable masterclasses, countering the exclusivity sometimes associated with specialty coffee. “We want people to explore, taste, and grow alongside the experts,” explains Andy Phillips, CEO of Workshop. “It’s about demystifying specialty coffee and showing that quality coffee doesn’t require an attitude to enjoy, just great service and thoughtful design.”
The Cafe
Alongside the Academy, the Workshop Cafe offers a generous, beautifully designed space inspired by the hospitality principles seen in the leading hotels, restaurants, and cafes Workshop supplies. The atmosphere is inviting from the moment you arrive, refined, yet unpretentious in a way that sets it apart from much of London’s coffee scene. Workshop believes exceptional coffee should never feel exclusive or intimidating. Instead, it’s the result of impeccable service, thoughtful design and coffee crafted with precision and care, with takeaway and table service options available.
The seasonally evolving menu highlights both distinctive single-origin coffees and signature blends, thoughtfully paired with a food offering sourced from partners that share Workshop’s commitment to quality.
Workshop at Home
For some time, Workshop has been found and enjoyed in some of the most prestigious outlets in the world. With the introduction of Workshop at Home, this same experience can now be enjoyed from the comfort of a customer’s own space.
Built on a promise of sweet, clean and fresh at home reliability the range spans everything from instant coffee, filter drip packs, cold brew cans to beautifully curated coffee bags. Every detail brings the essential elements of the Workshop Cafe and Academy experience into your home, seamlessly connecting professional craftsmanship with everyday enjoyment. Whether the customer has a technical at home brewing set up or they have simply fallen in love with a specific Workshop coffee.
“Our focus extends beyond the cafe. Everything on the menu reflects our values, and we want every guest to leave inspired to recreate the same experience at home,” shares Dickson. “My favourite blend is El Nevado. It’s such a clever product which can be enjoyed through espresso and filter extraction, and it’s a perennially available single origin from Colombia that tastes fresh and expressive throughout the year. Thanks to Colombia boasting multiple harvesting and shipping periods, we can make El Nevado available year round. ”
Sage x Workshop
This mission is reinforced through Workshop’s partnership with Sage, a household name in at-home espresso brewing. The Belgravia site is London’s first environment where visitors can test-drive Sage machines with specialty coffee experts on hand.
Workshop is committed to ensuring that every coffee lover can enjoy a machine that truly matches their passion, reinforcing a philosophy of thoughtful inclusivity. Whether you’re learning to dial in your grinder, steam silky milk or master the pour over, our Academy offers the expertise and inspiration to refine your craft and create cafe-quality coffee at home across Sage, Lelit and Baratza technology.
“With Sage machines in so many households, this collaboration gives us a meaningful way to support our customers at home, helping them achieve the best possible results with our coffee every day,” adds Dickson.
Hotel and restaurant partnerships
Workshop’s Belgravia launch strengthens the brand’s longstanding relationships across London’s luxury hospitality scene, including Claridge’s, The Langham, Raffles at the OWO, Hotel cafe Royal, 1 Hotel Mayfair, to name a few. The brand also serves acclaimed independents and restaurant groups such as Fortitude Bakehouse, JKS Restaurants (Brigadiers, Ambassadors Clubhouse, Trishna, Gymkhana), Public House (The Hart), Jikoni and Wild Honey.
Beyond coffee, Workshop provides hotels with equipment, installation, and after-sales service for espresso machines, grinders, and hot water boilers, while supplying coffee for espresso, filter, capsules, and cold brew across restaurants, bars, in-room dining, breakfast, events, and conferencing.
The Belgravia Cafe & Academy reflects Workshop’s commitment to shaping the future of hospitality and specialty coffee in London. It is a space where precision, transparency, sourcing discipline, craft, and hospitality come together, providing both trade partners and consumers with a meaningful connection to the brand. “This is an evolution, not a reinvention,” says Dickson. “We’re reinforcing our long-term relationships with small-scale growers, championing quality and transparency, supporting hospitality professionals, and fostering a community where coffee lovers can learn and enjoy exceptional coffee in a welcoming environment.”
