The Steamhouse

About The Steamhouse

Owners Ashley Baker and Kayleigh O’Mahony started out selling coffee out of a van and launched the business in Leamington Spa in 2016, using their £14,000 house deposit. The Steamhouse now has 11 stores trading, with a presence across Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. In May 2025, The Steamhouse launched a new franchise programme and targeted a 30-store estate within the next three years.

“We’ve just had our best year yet,” said co-founder and director, Ashley Baker. “Over the past decade, we’ve developed three unique store formats: The Steamhouse depot (our full brunch destination), The Steamhouse bakery warehouse and The Steamhouse bagel shops. Each are designed to suit a different customer experience and location, while staying true to our focus on quality, creativity and community.

“We’re not your average eatery - we’re a passionate crew of young, creative foodies serving up mind-blowing eats, fast and fresh. We have high standards and big ambitions, and we’re looking for partners who share that. All of our stores carry five-star environmental health ratings, and we expect the same excellence from our franchisees. We’re ready, and excited, to welcome our first new partners in summer 2025.”

In March 2026, the company told Propel it is to expand beyond its Midlands heartland with four new openings this summer - in Stratford-upon-Avon, Malvern, Cheltenham and a debut Welsh site in Cardiff.

The Cardiff site opened in August 2026, in partnership with new franchisee TVC Hospitality. Baker said: “We found a tiny but prominent 350 square-foot unit, planned and built a bagel store concept to our exact specification with our build team, my operations team recruited and trained ten talented local team members, empowering them to run the store. Just ten days later: £26,000 in revenue, a confident, self-sufficient team and viewings booked next week for potential Cardiff store number two. Incredible work from everyone involved. Cardiff, we’re only just getting started.”

Why franchise with The Steamhouse

• ✓To support the rollout, The Steamhouse has partnered with franchise consultant Andy Hulbert, of Bee Smart Consultancy. They have developed a comprehensive franchise programme including recruitment, onboarding, full training, store acquisition, preferential supplier relationships and launch marketing support. The Steamhouse has two Leamington Spa locations and one each in Solihull, Astwood Bank, Redditch, Cheltenham, Bromsgrove, Oxford, Witney (at UE Coffee Roasters) and Banbury. The business also had a range of merchandise including bobble hats, t-shirts, hoodies, sweaters and tote bags.
• ✓The company said: “You don't need to have the technical knowledge to make bread, but you must have natural leadership skills and the ability to roll up your sleeves and get involved. Franchisees must have liquid assets of at least £75,000, have outstanding interpersonal and communication skill, and be a highly motivated, hands-on leader, with experience building and managing successful teams. The Steamhouse will offer partners a choice of three distinct store models – cafe grab and go for transport hubs and busy footfall areas, large cafe for suburban and city areas and the warehouse/depot model for destination brunching.”