Bewley's
Encyclopedia
Bewley's Limited is an Irish company, established in 1840, that produces tea and coffee for sale around the world. The company is owned by Campbell Bewley Group Ltd.
Bewley’s is the largest importer, roaster and supplier of fresh coffee in Ireland and was the first coffee company to import fairtrade-certified coffee into Ireland in the 1990s. It is by far the largest importer of fairtrade coffee, supplying many of Ireland’s leading foodservice, retail, forecourt and convenience store operators with their requirements.
Bewley's has significant coffee roasting facilities in Ireland capable of roasting approximately 2,000 tonnes of coffee beans per annum. The company has operations in the United States; in the Boston
area under the Rebecca's Cafe name and in California as Java City. Bewley's also serves customers in the United Kingdom, Europe and internationally. It employs over 1,000 people worldwide.
monopoly. The Bewley family subsequently expanded into the coffee trade and in the late 19th century they opened cafes in South Great Georges Street (1894) and Westmoreland Street
(1896) in Dublin.
Following the end of the Irish War of Independence
, the Irish Free State
was established in 1922 and endured civil war between 1922 and 1923. The Grafton Street café was opened by Ernest Bewley in November 1927 and was a huge vote of confidence in a city and country that had endured significant turbulence. The building had once housed Whyte’s Academy, a school whose pupils included The Duke of Wellington
and Robert Emmet
.
Ernest Bewley undertook a complete refurbishment of the building, drawing inspiration from the great European cafes of Paris and Vienna, as well as exotic oriental tearooms and Egyptian architecture (which influenced the façade and was inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamen’s Tomb in 1922).
The grandeur and ambition of Ernest Bewley’s achievement resulted in Bewley’s Grafton Street immediately becoming an essential part of the literary, cultural, artistic, architectural and social life of Dublin. The café became a haunt for some of Ireland’s most famous literary and artistic figures, including James Joyce
(who mentioned the cafe in his book “Dubliners”), Patrick Kavanagh
, Samuel Beckett
and Sean O’Casey. Bewley’s Grafton Street has equally acquired a special place in the hearts of all Dubliners and visitors to the city alike.
Since 1986 Bewley’s has been owned and operated by Campbell Bewley Group Limited (“Bewley’s”), which belongs to the Irish entrepreneur, sculptor and artist, Patrick Campbell, and his family. Patrick Bewley, a direct descendant of the founder Joshua Bewley, still works with the company.
The company also leases and operates one of Europe's most renowned coffee and tea emporiums - Bewley's of Grafton Street. Opened in 1927, Bewley’s Grafton Street is a Dublin landmark and is Ireland’s longest established and largest café with over one million customers annually.
Bewley’s Grafton Street closed in November 2004 for a brief period and reopened in May 2005 after a careful refurbishment and restoration. Its lease was challenged by the landlord Ickendel Limited in 2007 after extensive works were carried out to the historic building without landlord consent. In 2007 the 'Mackerel' Seafood Restaurant on the first floor of the cafe was closed to accommodate demand for additional café seating.
One of the cafe's most famous assets is a set of six stained glass windows by the Irish stained glass artist Harry Clarke
(1889-1931), who completed them in 1927 at a then cost of some sixty thousand pounds, and are located in the main coffee and tea room named in his honour. The Harry Clarke Room is found by walking straight through the Front Café to the back of the building on the Ground Floor. This is the largest room in the building with high ceilings, chandeliers, paintings and sculptures. Bewley's Grafton Street also comprises a Café Theatre with casual seating for up to 50 people. Located in the 'Oriental Room' of the Cafe, it is Dublin's foremost stage for lunchtime drama (also including a light lunch during the show) and it is also a venue for evening cabaret, jazz and comedy. The cafe freshly roasts all coffee that is served on the premises.
The company previously operated several other cafes in Dublin which were closed over the years.
, T.D. The plan is being achieved through active carbon reduction initiatives, a move to renewable energy sources and support for high quality certified carbon offset projects. The Carbon Neutral status will apply to Bewley’s coffee roasting, tea blending, foodservice and retail operations and will include Bewley’s Grafton Street Café.
Bewley’s is the largest importer, roaster and supplier of fresh coffee in Ireland and was the first coffee company to import fairtrade-certified coffee into Ireland in the 1990s. It is by far the largest importer of fairtrade coffee, supplying many of Ireland’s leading foodservice, retail, forecourt and convenience store operators with their requirements.
Bewley's has significant coffee roasting facilities in Ireland capable of roasting approximately 2,000 tonnes of coffee beans per annum. The company has operations in the United States; in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area under the Rebecca's Cafe name and in California as Java City. Bewley's also serves customers in the United Kingdom, Europe and internationally. It employs over 1,000 people worldwide.
History
The Bewley family were Quakers who originated in France and moved to Ireland in the 18th century. They entered the tea trade and in 1835 Charles Bewley landed an unprecedented cargo of 2,000 chests of tea shipped directly from China to Dublin, thereby breaking the East India Tea Company’sEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
monopoly. The Bewley family subsequently expanded into the coffee trade and in the late 19th century they opened cafes in South Great Georges Street (1894) and Westmoreland Street
Westmoreland Street
Westmoreland Street is a street in the southern city-centre of Dublin, Ireland. It is one of the two broad avenues - along with D'Olier Street - that converge at their northern ends at O'Connell Bridge over the River Liffey...
(1896) in Dublin.
Following the end of the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
, the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
was established in 1922 and endured civil war between 1922 and 1923. The Grafton Street café was opened by Ernest Bewley in November 1927 and was a huge vote of confidence in a city and country that had endured significant turbulence. The building had once housed Whyte’s Academy, a school whose pupils included The Duke of Wellington
Duke of Wellington
The Dukedom of Wellington, derived from Wellington in Somerset, is a hereditary title in the senior rank of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first holder of the title was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , the noted Irish-born career British Army officer and statesman, and...
and Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet was an Irish nationalist and Republican, orator and rebel leader born in Dublin, Ireland...
.
Ernest Bewley undertook a complete refurbishment of the building, drawing inspiration from the great European cafes of Paris and Vienna, as well as exotic oriental tearooms and Egyptian architecture (which influenced the façade and was inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamen’s Tomb in 1922).
The grandeur and ambition of Ernest Bewley’s achievement resulted in Bewley’s Grafton Street immediately becoming an essential part of the literary, cultural, artistic, architectural and social life of Dublin. The café became a haunt for some of Ireland’s most famous literary and artistic figures, including James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
(who mentioned the cafe in his book “Dubliners”), Patrick Kavanagh
Patrick Kavanagh
Patrick Kavanagh was an Irish poet and novelist. Regarded as one of the foremost poets of the 20th century, his best known works include the novel Tarry Flynn and the poems Raglan Road and The Great Hunger...
, Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
and Sean O’Casey. Bewley’s Grafton Street has equally acquired a special place in the hearts of all Dubliners and visitors to the city alike.
Since 1986 Bewley’s has been owned and operated by Campbell Bewley Group Limited (“Bewley’s”), which belongs to the Irish entrepreneur, sculptor and artist, Patrick Campbell, and his family. Patrick Bewley, a direct descendant of the founder Joshua Bewley, still works with the company.
Bewley's Grafton Street
Bewley’s Grafton Street closed in November 2004 for a brief period and reopened in May 2005 after a careful refurbishment and restoration. Its lease was challenged by the landlord Ickendel Limited in 2007 after extensive works were carried out to the historic building without landlord consent. In 2007 the 'Mackerel' Seafood Restaurant on the first floor of the cafe was closed to accommodate demand for additional café seating.
One of the cafe's most famous assets is a set of six stained glass windows by the Irish stained glass artist Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke was an Irish stained glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.- History :...
(1889-1931), who completed them in 1927 at a then cost of some sixty thousand pounds, and are located in the main coffee and tea room named in his honour. The Harry Clarke Room is found by walking straight through the Front Café to the back of the building on the Ground Floor. This is the largest room in the building with high ceilings, chandeliers, paintings and sculptures. Bewley's Grafton Street also comprises a Café Theatre with casual seating for up to 50 people. Located in the 'Oriental Room' of the Cafe, it is Dublin's foremost stage for lunchtime drama (also including a light lunch during the show) and it is also a venue for evening cabaret, jazz and comedy. The cafe freshly roasts all coffee that is served on the premises.
The company previously operated several other cafes in Dublin which were closed over the years.
North America
The company entered the American market by acquiring the Rebecca's Cafe chain in the Boston, Massachusetts area in 1997. Campbell Bewleys further expanded to the west coast in 2001 with the purchase of the Java City chain in California, and with franchise units in South Korea. Through its subsidiary Java City, Bewley's won the contract in 2010 to supply coffee to American Airways.Environmental Sustainability
In 2008 the company announced that it will become Ireland’s first fully certified Carbon neutral coffee company by year-end, resulting from the implementation of a major environmental sustainability initiative. The development will see over 3,500 tonnes of CO2 removed from the atmosphere each year. The announcement was made by the Irish Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, John GormleyJohn Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
, T.D. The plan is being achieved through active carbon reduction initiatives, a move to renewable energy sources and support for high quality certified carbon offset projects. The Carbon Neutral status will apply to Bewley’s coffee roasting, tea blending, foodservice and retail operations and will include Bewley’s Grafton Street Café.