The Colombian Coffee Company now brewing down the Lane
Posted on: 04.08.2025
Social enterprise and specialty coffee now brewing down the Lane.
Grab a brew from our latest opening, The Colombian Coffee Company, and there’s a lot more than bean water and milk in your mug.
Since 1964, Colombia has been in a state of civil war, where forcible displacement, financial exploitation and physical threat are ongoing concerns. This was what The Colombian Coffee Company founder, Eduardo Florez, grew up surrounded by, and why, when an opportunity arose to reshape the narrative around one of his country’s top exports, he made it his mission to “fundamentally change the way coffee beans are traded to support farmers and their communities”.
With Eduardo away in Colombia, we asked general manager George to spill the (coffee) beans and tell us more about our newest resident.
How is The Colombian Coffee Company a social enterprise?
When Eduardo founded the company in 2016, he set out to work only with coffee producers who are victims of the ongoing violence and historical conflict in Colombia. To ensure our farmers can support themselves and their families whilst also pursuing organic and sustainable production, we pay above market prices and are dedicated to reinvesting in the communities we work with.
We also produce an annual cup transparency report, which tells customers exactly where the money they spend on their coffee goes. Because we really believe that if consumers know more about the communities that make their coffee and the positive difference their purchase has made to someone’s life, their drink will taste even better.
What is single origin coffee?
Single origin has many different meanings in the food and drink industry. Generally speaking with speciality coffees, single origin is used to describe the country where the coffee is grown.
Our use of single origin is a little more nuanced – we’re talking about the single lots of coffee being produced by single estates, farming communities or families. So when you’re trying a coffee from one of our shops, you’re trying single origin coffee in its truest form, from one harvest on one estate.
How does that make the customer experience different?
Because we only work with single origin beans, our customers can choose which variety they’d like for their drink. We have four different beans available (plus decaf), so customers have the opportunity to really experience the natural flavour profile and story of that producer shining through.
We also focus on more authentic methods of preparing our Colombian food and drink. For instance, we make our hot chocolate with a traditional ojeta and molinillo (aluminium pot and grooved wooden stick), so it’s a familiar menu item, but made in a traditional way. We also have empanadas, arepas, tamales. It’s all part of recreating that experience of being in a café in Colombia.
What would you recommend to a new customer?
The one drink we always recommend to first-time visitors is a ‘café campesino’. You won’t get one of those anywhere else.
It’s a very well-known way of preparing coffee in Colombia using a cotton filter. As cotton filters are a bit more porous, they allow more natural oils into the brew which introduces more texture to the drink. We also prepare it with cloves and panela (unrefined cane sugar) to elevate the tasting experience.
Why Petticoat Lane?
We’ve always been interested in being part of a grassroots community – that’s super important for us. Having opened in Borough Market, we know a thing or two about London’s historic market scene, but our base has always been South-East London. So, when we had the opportunity to open a shop here in East London, we were really, really excited.
Petticoat Lane is also such a hidden gem. The area has seen so much change over the decades and centuries. It’s great to be a part of that history and to find somewhere we can enter into an already vibrant and multicultural food community.
So, for great coffee and a greater cause, visit The Colombian Coffee Company at 13 New Goulston Street. They’re open 10:00-16:00, Monday-Friday, and if you drop them a line you can get company discounts on your daily coffee run.