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Having both had extensive careers within the hospitality industry, we had both risen to a level where our job was more about a profit and the focus was more on finance, rather than customer service, fresh food, and the support of local producers – which we are both very passionate about.

We had played key roles in building other people’s business, so we thought it was only right to build our own before it was too late, which led us to purchase John Watt and Son, Bank Street, Carlisle.  This was originally a traditional coffee roaster and tea blenders with a 42-seat café, so we started here focusing on local food produce and refreshing the food offer.

We have gradually expanded our business by running the café in Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life within the grounds of Carlisle Castle and operating the catering for Accord Healthcare and the Rum Story, Whitehaven.  We have also opened a roastery on Blackfriars Street, Carlisle to cope with an increase in coffee sales to local business and further afield, as well as entering into a partnership with Carlisle United Football Club.

Our plans for the future would be to grow and expand our roasting operation, our online business, as well as John Watt Catering Ltd so that more businesses can enjoy our approach to delivering in-house catering.  Ultimately, our aim is for John Watt and Son to still be gracing the centre of Carlisle in another 50 years.

Fresh, sustainable, and reliable, these are the core values that we have based our approach on.  If we commit to delivering our service, we do it.

We have been with David Allen for three years.  They help us with VAT advice, accounts production and general probing of what we will do next.  When we were looking to relocate our accounts to a local firm, David Allen offered us the best all round package of advice and honesty in what we expect.  We have definitely benefited from David Allen with the challenging of accounts and audit and David Brookes provides clear honest advice.