Bewley's
Bewley's is an Irish coffee and tea company established in 1840, offering teas, coffees, matcha and hot chocolate.
Last updated October 16, 2026
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Overview
Bewley's is an Irish hot-beverage and café brand with roots in the tea trade and a long-standing association with Dublin. The business traces its origins to the Bewley family, a Quaker family with origins in Cumberland that settled in Ireland in the seventeenth century. Samuel Bewley and his son Charles became prominent tea merchants; in 1835 they imported 2,099 chests of tea from Canton, China. The family later expanded into coffee, establishing a commercial foundation for the tea, coffee and hospitality activities that became associated with the Bewley's name. The company opened cafés in Dublin in the late nineteenth century, including premises on South Great George's Street in 1894 and Westmoreland Street in 1896. Its best-known location, on Grafton Street, opened in 1927 under Ernest Bewley. The building became a Dublin landmark through its architecture, interior design and association with the city's café culture. Its Art Deco-influenced exterior includes an Egyptian Revival mosaic, while the interior contains stained-glass works by Harry Clarke, Pauline Bewick and Jim Fitzpatrick. The flagship café has therefore functioned both as a hospitality venue and as a prominent part of Dublin's cultural and architectural heritage. Bewley's developed beyond cafés into the production and supply of tea and coffee for foodservice and other commercial customers. Its international expansion included the acquisition of Rebecca's Cafe in the Boston area in 1997 and the purchase of Java City in California in 2000. In the United Kingdom, the group entered the market through the acquisition of speciality coffee supplier Darlington's in 2011, followed by Bolling Coffee in 2013 and foodservice distributor Peros in 2015. These transactions broadened the business from a consumer-facing café name into a wider beverage, coffee-service and distribution operation. The company was taken over by Campbell Catering in 1986, creating the Campbell Bewley Group. By 1999, Bewley's operated more than twenty cafés in Ireland and six overseas. The business also operated or supplied a changing network of locations in Dublin, at Dublin Airport, in department stores and in the United Kingdom, with some sites run by franchisees. The Bewley's name was additionally used under a hotel licensing arrangement in Ireland and the United Kingdom; that arrangement ended by mid-2015 after Moran Bewleys Hotels was sold to Dalata Hotel Group. The Grafton Street café underwent repeated periods of closure and refurbishment. A restoration and refurbishment project beginning in 2015 ultimately led to its reopening in November 2017 after an approximately 1,000-day closure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, management announced in May 2020 that the café would close permanently, with 110 jobs at risk, but a phased reopening was announced in July of the same year. The building and its Harry Clarke stained-glass windows have also been involved in litigation over whether the artworks formed part of the premises. The Court of Appeal ruled in July 2024 that the six works were part of the building and could not be sold by the tenant; the supplied reference material reports that the Supreme Court upheld that position in February 2026. Today, Bewley's remains associated with Irish café culture while also operating across tea, coffee, foodservice and international coffee businesses. Its identity combines heritage hospitality, branded hot beverages, commercial coffee supply and landmark retail premises. Bewley's is an Irish coffee and tea company established in 1840, described on its own site as Ireland's leading coffee and tea company and an independent, family-owned business. It began in a small shop on Sycamore Alley in Dublin with Quaker origins, and today connects people and communities in Ireland, the UK and the USA. It supplies hot beverage solutions to the food service and retail sectors, and states that in Ireland it is the market leader in hot beverage solutions in over 4,000 hotels, restaurants and cafes. Its product range includes teas, coffees, organic matcha and hot chocolate, and it has built partnerships with Bord Bia, Café Femenino, Fairtrade and Love Irish Food.
History
The Bewley family were Quakers whose earlier roots lay in Cumberland. After moving to Ireland in the seventeenth century, the family entered the tea trade. Samuel Bewley and his son Charles helped establish the family's commercial reputation through a major 1835 shipment of tea from Canton, China, consisting of 2,099 chests. The family subsequently diversified into coffee, creating the two beverage categories that would define the later Bewley's business. Bewley's café history developed in Dublin during the late nineteenth century. A café opened on South Great George's Street in 1894 and another on Westmoreland Street in 1896. In 1927, Ernest Bewley opened the company's flagship Grafton Street café. The premises occupied a building formerly associated with Whyte's Academy, whose pupils included the Duke of Wellington and Robert Emmet. The building was designed by the Dublin firm Millar & Symes and became notable for its Art Deco influence, Egyptian Revival exterior mosaic and collection of stained glass. Works associated with Harry Clarke, Pauline Bewick and Jim Fitzpatrick contributed to the café's distinctive artistic character. The business expanded through a mixture of cafés, beverage production and commercial supply. In 1986 Campbell Catering took over the company, forming the Campbell Bewley Group. By 1999, Bewley's had more than twenty cafés in Ireland and six overseas locations. Its network included directly operated and franchised premises in Dublin and elsewhere, as well as locations connected with Dublin Airport, department stores and the United Kingdom. Some former Irish cafés operated under franchise arrangements, and the company also had branches in Belfast and Bangor at different points in its history. International growth added coffee and foodservice businesses to the traditional Bewley's identity. The company acquired Rebecca's Cafe in the Boston area in 1997 and expanded on the US West Coast through the purchase of Java City in 2000. It entered the UK market in 2011 by acquiring speciality coffee supplier Darlington's, followed by Bolling Coffee in 2013 and UK foodservice distributor Peros in 2015. These acquisitions gave the group capabilities in coffee supply, distribution and foodservice in addition to cafés and branded beverages. The Grafton Street site has repeatedly required substantial investment and has also been the focus of property and heritage disputes. It closed from November 2004 to May 2005 for refurbishment and restoration. Further works led to another closure beginning in February 2015. The reopening date was repeatedly deferred, and the premises eventually reopened in November 2017 after an approximately 1,000-day, multimillion-euro refurbishment. During the COVID-19 crisis, management announced in May 2020 that the café would close, with 110 jobs affected, although a phased reopening was announced in July. A legal dispute involving the building's Harry Clarke stained-glass windows concerned whether the works were independent artworks or fixtures forming part of the premises. The Court of Appeal ruled in July 2024 that all six works were part of the building and therefore could not be sold by the tenant. The supplied reference material states that the Supreme Court upheld this conclusion in February 2026. The Bewley's trademark was also used for a hotel chain in Ireland and the United Kingdom through a licensing arrangement involving Slaney Foods and Moran Hotel Group. That arrangement ended by mid-2015 after Moran Bewleys Hotels was sold to Dalata Hotel Group. The former flagship hotel in Ballsbridge is now known as Clayton Hotel, Ballsbridge, although elements of its former Masonic-school architecture remain. Bewley's has also developed sustainability-related product initiatives. In May 2018 it launched cups described as 100% recyclable. The brand's present identity therefore spans Irish heritage cafés, tea and coffee products, commercial beverage supply and international operations including Java City in California. Bewley's was established in 1840 and describes itself as Ireland's leading coffee and tea company. It started life in a small shop on Sycamore Alley in Dublin, built on Quaker origins that guided its philosophy and put people at the heart of everything it does. As an independent, family-owned business, it focuses on the quality and craft of its coffee and tea, and connects people and communities in Ireland, the UK and the USA. It has been importing and sourcing quality tea since 1840. It was the first coffee company in Ireland to become Fairtrade Certified, and it has built partnerships with Bord Bia, Café Femenino, Fairtrade and Love Irish Food.
- 2018
Recyclable cups launched
[1]Bewley's launched cups described as 100% recyclable.
- 2017
Grafton Street café reopens
[1]The flagship café reopened after a major refurbishment and restoration project.
- 2015
Peros acquired
[1]The company acquired UK foodservice distributor Peros.
- 2013
Bolling Coffee acquired
[1]Bewley's acquired Bolling Coffee as part of its UK expansion.
- 2011
UK market entry
[1]Bewley's entered the UK market through the acquisition of speciality coffee supplier Darlington's.
- 2000
Java City acquired
[1]The company expanded to the US West Coast by acquiring Java City.
- 1997
Rebecca's Cafe acquired
[1]Bewley's acquired the Rebecca's Cafe chain in the Boston area.
- 1986
Campbell Catering takeover
[1]Campbell Catering took over Bewley's, forming the Campbell Bewley Group.
- 1927
Grafton Street flagship opens
[1]Ernest Bewley opened the landmark Grafton Street café.
- 1896
Westmoreland Street café opens
[1]A further Bewley's café opened on Westmoreland Street in Dublin.
Products and positioning
An Irish heritage beverage and café brand combining Dublin café culture with tea and coffee production, hospitality and international foodservice operations. Ireland's leading coffee and tea company; market leader in hot beverage solutions in over 4,000 hotels, restaurants and cafes in Ireland.
Tea
Bewley's Tea
Tea is one of Bewley's foundational product categories, reflecting the Bewley family's nineteenth-century tea-trading origins. The brand's tea activity sits alongside its coffee and café operations and supports both consumer-facing hospitality and broader commercial beverage supply.
Coffee · 1894
Bewley's Coffee
Coffee became a central part of the business after the Bewley family expanded beyond tea. Bewley's coffee operations serve cafés and commercial customers, while the wider group has also developed international coffee capabilities through brands and acquisitions including Java City. Bewley's cafés offer hot beverages, food and an experience built around Irish café culture. The Grafton Street location in Dublin is the best-known example and combines hospitality with a historically significant building, distinctive architecture and stained-glass artworks.
Speciality coffee · 2000
Java City
Java City is a California-based coffee brand acquired by Bewley's in 2000. It represented the company's expansion into the US West Coast and forms part of Bewley's broader international coffee and foodservice portfolio.
Foodservice
Commercial foodservice supply
Through its coffee suppliers, distributor acquisitions and related operations, Bewley's serves commercial foodservice customers in addition to operating cafés. The UK acquisitions of Darlington's, Bolling Coffee and Peros expanded this business beyond the retail café format.
Bewley's Organic Matcha
Authentic Japanese matcha sourced primarily from Kagoshima Prefecture, made from 100% Tencha green tea, JAS Organic Certified.
Bewley's Indulgent Hot Chocolate
Crafted using only the finest quality Fairtrade cocoa beans; 250g pack; Fairtrade certified.
Bewley's Academy Blend No.99 Coffee
Whole bean coffee available online.
Bewley's Caldas No.40 Coffee
Whole bean coffee available online.
Bewley's Harmony Blend No.93 Coffee
Whole bean coffee available online.
Bewley's Odyssey Blend No.08 Coffee
Whole bean coffee available online.
Bewley's Reserve Blend No.24 Coffee
Whole bean coffee available online.
Bewley's Subirana No.00 Coffee
Whole bean coffee available online.
Brand decisions
2018
Recyclable cup launchProduct launchBackground
The café business responded to environmental concerns associated with disposable beverage packaging.
Action taken
Bewley's launched cups described as 100% recyclable.
2015
Peros acquisitionM&ABackground
Bewley's broadened its UK foodservice infrastructure.
Action taken
The company acquired UK foodservice distributor Peros.
Aftermath
The deal added distribution capabilities to the group's coffee and foodservice business.
2013
Bolling Coffee acquisitionM&ABackground
Bewley's continued consolidating its UK coffee-supply activities.
Action taken
The company acquired Bolling Coffee.
Aftermath
The acquisition increased Bewley's UK speciality-coffee capabilities.
2011
Darlington's acquisitionM&ABackground
Bewley's entered the UK coffee and foodservice market.
Action taken
The company acquired speciality coffee supplier Darlington's.
Aftermath
The transaction established a platform for subsequent UK acquisitions.
2000
Acquisition of Java CityM&ABackground
Bewley's expanded its international speciality-coffee business beyond the eastern United States.
Action taken
The company purchased Java City in California.
Aftermath
Java City provided a West Coast US platform for Bewley's coffee operations.
1997
Acquisition of Rebecca's CafeM&ABackground
Bewley's sought to expand its presence in the United States.
Action taken
The company acquired the Rebecca's Cafe chain in the Boston area.
Aftermath
The acquisition added US café operations to the Bewley's international portfolio.
1986
Campbell Catering takeoverM&ABackground
Bewley's was taken over by Campbell Catering as the company developed into a broader café, beverage and foodservice group.
Action taken
The transaction created the Campbell Bewley Group.
Aftermath
The group continued expanding its café network and later pursued international coffee and foodservice acquisitions.
Recent events
- 2026
Supreme Court reportedly upholds stained-glass ownership ruling[1]
Lawsuit
The supplied reference material reports that the Supreme Court upheld the ruling that the Harry Clarke windows were part of the building.
- 2024
Court rules on ownership of Harry Clarke stained-glass works[1]
Lawsuit
In litigation concerning the Grafton Street premises, the Court of Appeal held that six Harry Clarke stained-glass works formed part of the building and could not be sold by the tenant.
- 2020
Grafton Street café closure announced during COVID-19 pandemic[1]
Other
Management told staff that the flagship café would close permanently in the coming weeks, putting 110 jobs at risk; a phased reopening was announced later in July.
- 2018
Bewley's launches fully recyclable cups[1]
Product launch
Bewley's introduced cups described as 100% recyclable across its café operations.
- 2017
Bewley's Grafton Street café reopens after major refurbishment[1]
Other
The flagship Dublin café reopened in November 2017 after an extensive refurbishment and restoration lasting approximately 1,000 days.
Sources6 sources
- 1Bewley'sen.wikipedia.org
- 2Bewley's Tea & Coffee Ireland | Buy high quality tea & coffee onlinebewleys.com
- 3Bewley's Today – Bewley's Tea & Coffeebewleys.com
- 4Bewley's Organic Matcha – Bewley's Tea & Coffeebewleys.com
- 5Bewley's Indulgent Hot Chocolate | Bewley's Tea & Coffeebewleys.com
- 6Newstalk partners with the Hospice Coffee Morning Together with Bewley's | Newstalknewstalk.com
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