Coffee, Heritage, Innovation.

Thomson’s Coffee didn't take long to become an integral part of Glasgow's social and business scene. The shop started supplying freshly ground coffee to Glasgow’s bustling coffee houses.
During the early 1840s, David Thomson also took to manufacturing the Naperian vacuum coffee pot, invented by another Scot, James Napier. The innovative coffee pots were an instant hit and shipped worldwide, laying the foundation for modern syphon brewers.

Responding to the growing demand, Thomson’s constructed a custom-designed roastery on Glasgow’s Southside, where it still operates today. During this period, Thomson's expanded its reach by opening stores in Ayr, Edinburgh, and Troon.

The iconic Thomson’s store on Renfield Street closed in 2005, and the Addison brothers retired. The business went up for sale in 2009 and in 2011, the Jenkins family stepped in, becoming only the third family to own this esteemed Glasgow institution since its inception.

Thomson's marked a triumphant return to Glasgow's retail scene when we launched a popup café in the first arch of the city's iconic Glasgow Arches. This reopening signified our first retail endeavor in the city since the closing of our renowned Renfield shop a decade and a half earlier and although the popup was a brief venture, it set the stage for future expansions and further solidified our commitment to serving Glasgow's coffee aficionados

In collaboration with Grant Dick, a longtime friend and former Thomson's team member, we launched 1841 amid the height of lockdown. Situated in the tranquil atmosphere of Glasgow's Westend, 1841 serves as a community-focused café. This initiative represented a significant new chapter in our expanding retail presence, reaffirming our commitment to quality coffee and community engagement.