Indie Spotlight: Kolly Coffee, Ealing
We definitely shouldn’t play favourites with our customers, but after spending time with the team behind Kolly Coffee it’s hard not to.
Nestled on the ground floor of an unassuming office building in Ealing, Kelly and Olly - the husband-and-wife duo behind Kolly - have built an oasis of quality, consistency, and community. With warm, personal service, an expertly curated menu, and a dangerously tempting snack selection, Kolly is no doubt doing wonders for staff retention in the building they call home.
Back in 2021, Olly caught the coffee bug and left his job to dive head-first into the world of specialty coffee, working in both a café and roastery.
“He always told people he would do this for one year and then open his own speciality coffee shop. Exactly one year later, in October 2022 he did just that. I left my job and joined him to open Kolly Coffee and here we are,” says Kelly.
Now open for nearly two years, Kolly’s regulars are more like family.
“We listen to feedback, we take it on board and we deliver wherever possible. We have always been very passionate about delivering a high standard, especially when it comes to the drinks on our menu. We have tried to offer a range of drink options, but only offer products from suppliers we can talk about and we feel passionate about. There has to be a connection, we like talking to people, not robots.”
“THERE HAS TO BE A CONNECTION, WE LIKE TALKING TO PEOPLE, NOT ROBOTS.”
We spent a morning at Kolly capturing photos, chatting with the team, and sipping on an outstanding long black made with Intermission’s Just a Minute. It was impossible not to notice the personal connections: each customer greeted by name, with their usual order already known. We even met a few die-hard fans of the hot chocolates, and watched nine of them fly out the door within five minutes on a warm summer morning.
We’re not technically allowed to have favourites, but if you want to experience the most chocolatey version of our 55% Milk Hot Chocolate, and you’re anywhere near Ealing, Kolly is an absolute must.
Curious about the popularity of hot chocolates on a sunny day (this was before we tried them — mystery solved), we asked about iced drinks.
“Iced lattes are always a popular choice for the summer but there are 2 other drinks which we have people hooked on. One is our cold brew which the coffee lovers really appreciate. For the chocolate lovers, we make Iced Chocolate with either Islands Chocolate 55% Milk or 55% Dark Flakes. We also offer some beautiful fresh juices which we source from Oasis Juice Bar in Shepherds Bush Market.”
Sourcing is everything at Kolly.
Their beans come from Campbell & Syme and Stay High Roastery, two roasters committed to ethical sourcing and fair pay for farmers. They’ve replaced generic sugars and syrups with Pura Panela, a natural cane sugar that complements the flavour of their coffees beautifully.
When it comes to milk, Kolly go above and beyond. Every week, they drive to Laceys Family Farm in Buckinghamshire to collect milk made by the finest pedigree Guernsey cows. Rich, creamy, and full of character, this milk is gold-standard and Kolly is the only coffee shop in London using it. Olly freezes any milk left on a Friday afternoon (they’re a Monday - Friday operation, being in an office building), and makes hot chocolates with frozen distilled milks (IYKYN).
“WE HEAR FROM OUR CUSTOMERS ‘I HAVE NEVER TRIED HOT CHOCOLATE LIKE THIS. IT’S SO THICK AND CREAMY’”
Their journey began with Islands Chocolate in 2023. Olly was working at a roaster when he tried our 55% Milk Chocolate for the first time and “fell in love with it”, says Kelly. “Most of the time we hear from customers ‘I have never tried hot chocolate like this. It’s so thick and creamy’ - what we believe hot chocolates should be like.”
They use 55% Milk and our 55% Dark Flakes to make hot chocolates, iced chocolates and mochas, and top off cappuccinos with our 45% Hot Chocolate Powder.
Kelly also bakes using Islands for cupping events held a Kolly, using inspiration from recipes on our website - with the cookies & brownies particular favourites!
The Kolly team are clearly passionate for drinking chocolates, and Kelly took huge pleasure in serving us a taste of her 'Winter' Spiced Hot Chocolate, using her own secret spice blend. Originally crafted for winter, the drink was so popular it is now in demand all year round.
There are big things ahead for Kolly Coffee, with a high-street location opening on Uxbridge Road very soon. Keep an eye on 191a Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush for their new site - the hot chocolate is a must!
We cannot recommend Kolly enough. Their service, menu and execution are truly exceptional and their hot chocolates are out-of-this-world delicious!
Kolly Coffee
71-75 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SL (hiding in an office building so you’ll have to seek it out!)
