About Us — The Pemberton Garden Café

How it began

A garden, a kettle, and a dream

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In the spring of 1987, Margaret and Arthur Pemberton transformed the walled garden behind their Kensington home into something they had always wanted but could never quite find in London — a café that felt like an extension of one's own sitting room. Somewhere unhurried. Somewhere genuinely beautiful.

"We didn't want to open a coffee shop. We wanted to create a garden that happened to serve extraordinary coffee."
— Margaret Pemberton, founder

What started with six cast-iron tables, a second-hand espresso machine, and Margaret's mother's scone recipe has grown into one of London's most quietly beloved retreats. Yet the spirit remains unchanged: a place where time moves a little more gently, and where the cup in your hand has been made with genuine care.

Through the decades

A history of gentle moments

1987

The doors open

Margaret and Arthur Pemberton welcome their first guests through the wrought-iron gate. Six tables. A handwritten menu. A queue by the second weekend.

1993

The conservatory is built

An Edwardian-style glass conservatory is added, extending the season through autumn and winter without sacrificing the feeling of being in the garden.

2001

The roastery is born

After years of sourcing from London's finest roasters, the Pembertons install their own small-batch roaster. Single-origin coffees become the house obsession.

2009

Afternoon tea returns

The formal afternoon tea service — a wartime casualty at many establishments — is lovingly restored. Within a month, it is fully booked every weekend.

2015

Second generation takes the helm

Clara Pemberton, Arthur and Margaret's daughter, returns from culinary studies in Paris and takes over the kitchen. The menu deepens without losing its soul.

2024

Thirty-seven years and counting

Still the same walled garden. Still the same wrought-iron gate. The rosebushes are older and more magnificent. Some things only improve with time.

The people behind the cup

Our team

Clara Pemberton

Head of Kitchen & Co-Owner

Trained at Le Cordon Bleu, Clara returned to the family café with a passion for elevating British classics. Her scone recipe is under strict lock and key.

James Whitmore

Head Barista & Roast Master

James has been cupping and roasting at Pemberton since 2003. He travels annually to source our single-origin offerings, and knows precisely how much matters.

Sophie Chen

Pastry Chef

Sophie studied pâtisserie in Lyon and brings a delicate Continental hand to our British-leaning patisserie menu. The battenberg is hers — and entirely unmissable.

What guides us

Our principles

Sourced with conscience

Every ingredient is chosen thoughtfully. We work with suppliers who share our values — small farms, fair prices, seasonal produce. We know where our food comes from because we asked.

Made by hand

Our kitchen begins before dawn. Nothing is bought in pre-made or reheated. The scones, the jams, the shortbread — all prepared on the premises, each morning, by our team.

The unhurried cup

We will never rush you. Our tables are not to be turned on a timer. A café should be a place to linger over a second pot of tea without apology or implication.

Tradition, not nostalgia

We honour time-tested recipes and rituals because they are genuinely excellent — not because we are afraid of the new. Some things improve with patience. So do we.

Our Story