In September 2025, we took over a coffee shop on Granary Square. Our plan is to transform it into a vibrant café for the King’s Cross community and to use it as a testbed for United Baristas projects.

The shop had recently become unviable for its previous owner following changes in the local neighbourhood. We’re implementing a series of changes to improve financial performance, including updating the proposition, renovating the site and introducing new business and performance-management systems.

Updates to the coffee programme have already reduced the carbon footprint of a flat white by 25–33%. In the coming months, we’ll be introducing new coffee-making equipment and redesigning parts of the site, further cutting emissions by up to 50%.

Ensemble will serve as our home for the Coffee Tasting Framework and hosting classes for the coffee community. We’ve already run a number of successful events with the Ensemble team and peers from across the industry.

Running a coffee business requires a broad and varied skill set from commercial decision-making and strong people management to robust organisational and planning skills, all underpinned by a genuine sense of hospitality. Ensemble offers the next generation of coffee managers hands-on training to help them build viable and vibrant coffee businesses.

There’s still much to do. This is an ongoing project that will continue to evolve and develop over time. If working at Ensemble sounds exciting, explore our current opportunities.

You can find out more about Ensemble and visit us at King's Cross, London, N1C 4AA.