Comedian Justin Moorhouse has opened a second coffee shop in Manchester named after his son Barney, who died suddenly aged 28 in December last year. The new branch of Barney's is located in the Printworks, an entertainment complex in the city centre.
Justin Moorhouse, an actor and comedian, spoke about the loss during an interview on BBC Radio 5 on Sunday, November 1, telling his friend and broadcaster Colin Murray: "He just fell asleep and we lost him."
Father and son's coffee business
Father and son used to work together at the Kaffeine and Co coffee van, later renamed Barney's, in Thornfield Park in Heaton Moor. Last week, Justin opened a second Barney's in Manchester's Printworks.
During the interview, Justin explained that the business was already being renamed before Barney's death, saying: "We had this little coffee business, which we were renaming Barney's anyway. So this is not some kind of like sentimental homage."
He described his son as a great chef whose "chef life didn't suit him," so they got the coffee business instead. "He was kind of this, like, barman on the park, and people would come and tell him all their stories, and listen to his things, and he was very kind, and so we decided to carry on."
Tragedy and decision to carry on
Justin announced the heartbreaking news of Barney's death in a statement on his social media accounts on December 13, 2025. An inquest has been opened and adjourned into the cause of Barney's death, with police previously stating there is no evidence of suspicious circumstances.
Speaking about the sudden loss, he said: "I've spoken very publicly about this and it was a huge shock. He wasn't poorly, and people are fascinated by why young men die. There was no reason. He just fell asleep and I'm not hiding anything. There's nothing there, there's nothing nefarious... but he just fell asleep and we lost him and it was so sudden."
He described making an immediate decision after Barney passed away: "I made a decision straight away, almost instantaneous, to decide to go one way or the other, and you either use your grief for comfort, and you use it as a blanket. But I decided to take it and think, the worst thing that's happened has happened, let's run with it."
New opening in the Printworks
Justin said of the new venture: "So, taking a couple of people on and very excited that we're opened in a place in Manchester called Printworks which is like an entertainment complex, an old printing place, with a cinema and bars and entertainment stuff. So we opened there this week and it's been very hard."
He acknowledged the challenges of the hospitality sector, saying: "I listen to a lot of people talk about hospitality business and it is tough out there for a lot of people."
The pair laughed as Justin went on: "People often walk past our van on the park and go 'little gold mine this' and you think it really isn't."
