Rosslyn Coffee boss James Hennebry tells us the secret to great coffee
We’re into the final round of voting for the 2026 Toast the City Awards. We’ve been catching up with some of our finalists; today we spoke to Rosslyn Coffee co-founder James Hennebry, who has two of his City locations, Ludgate Circus and London Wall, nominated in the Best Coffee category. To vote for your favourite Square Mile spots, from bars and restaurants to galleries, green spaces and hotels, visit the Toast the City website here.
What are London Wall and Ludgate Circus doing that makes them stand apart from the competition?
When we launched Rosslyn in the City of London it was our ambition to help to make the Square Mile the foremost location in the world for high volume specialty coffee. Eight years and 10 sites later we believe that, along with our team, suppliers and guests, we have now made this a reality. London sits ahead of Tokyo, New York, Paris or anywhere in terms of what local workers can access on their coffee break. London Wall and Ludgate Circus are front and centre of that success for London and it’s something that we are very proud of. They nail the basics, day in, day out: warm hospitality serving exceptional coffee at pace.
How would your regulars describe Rosslyn Coffee in three words?
World Class Hospitality.
What’s the one thing Rosslyn Coffee does better than anyone else?
Rosslyn continues to nail the basics better than anyone in the global coffee scene. ‘Warm hospitality with exceptional coffee at pace’ sounds pretty simple but to achieve it consistently, day in day out, is challenging – to the extent that no-where does the volume of coffee that Rosslyn does to the standard that we do it.
What’s been the biggest challenge running a business in the City over the last year?
While the city has come back since Covid, it is very much crammed into a three day week, which can be challenging to staff appropriately.
And the biggest opportunity?
People still love great coffee and great hospitality! We believe they always will.
How has the Square Mile changed since Rosslyn Coffee opened its first site?
Monday to Friday has been wedged into Tuesday to Thursday.
What’s a small detail you obsess over that customers might not notice?
There are thousands of them! The one per cent-ers across the board are what makes Rosslyn stand out from the crowd. How you do one thing is how you do everything!
What’s the most memorable feedback you’ve had from a customer?
One particular guest named their first child after Rosslyn, which was certainly a compliment to remember.
Who is your typical customer?
We have a wide array of guests from coffee enthusiasts to day tourists. However I would say our largest demographic is that of the go-getting city worker! They understand quality, they know what it is and they want it at pace! Rosslyn does that better than anyone.
What’s one trend Rosslyn Coffee is embracing – and one you’re ignoring?
We have zero concern for trends, we are only interested in what tastes good. If you seek to be on trend you will invariably, at some point, veer off trend. We instead seek to be ‘on brand’ which manifests as exceptional hospitality with great coffee at pace. It’s what has turned Rosslyn into the leading collection of high-volume specialty coffee shops in the world.
Which other City venues do you rate highly?
So many! Sweetings immediately springs to mind. It’s a proper institution and I’m very grateful for its existence. You have to also admire The Ned and what it contributes to the Square Mile. The sheer scale of what they have achieved is incredibly impressive.
What does a perfect day in the Square Mile look like to you?
Up early and out for a run before jumping on the bar to work alongside our team at one of our sites. I still love the buzz of hospitality. After a couple of hours I tend to get behind my laptop at Rosslyn’s new HQ located in the iconic Leadenhall Market. Lunch tends to be from our good friends at Salad Project, whose success over the past few years has been inspiring. I tend to place my meetings in the afternoons and then, post work, I’ll finish the day at BXR’s gym on the 25th floor of 22 Bishopsgate, which provides incredible views of the whole of London
What do you like to have on your morning toast?
Plenty of butter and some apricot jam.