Our Story

Deluxe Coffeeworks was founded in April 2009 by Carl Wessel and Judd Nicolay. Judd had worked in coffee for many years in his home country of New Zealand and recognised the need for and lack of good coffee in Cape Town. Carl co-owned a prominent production company and was looking for a change of pace from the demands of the film industry. They met in Cape Town at a bar, and a few weeks later Carl emptied his bank account and they bought a second hand roaster which they installed in Carl’s backyard.

Sid Gray worked in one of Deluxe’s original locations in Franschhoek from his adolescence where he became fully immersed in the Deluxe World. With Cape Town being recognised as one of the world’s top cities for specialty coffee, he wanted to bring a taste of the Mother City to our new home in the Big Smoke upon moving to London, so Sid teamed up with friends John Rowett and Liam Stoos in 2021.

Deluxe Coffeeworks London now has two locations in West London - Deluxe 219, a dedicated bar espresso in Hammersmith focusing on brews and music, and The Roastery in Shepherd’s Bush where you can watch the magic of coffee roasting happen while you enjoy a brew.