At Feedr, our vendors are at the heart of what we do. We love meeting with them and learning more about their story and passion for delicious food. Last week, we met with one of our most popular vendors – Kaleido. With the exciting news that they have just opened a brand new store in the heart of Soho, we jumped at the chance to visit the new shop. Their founder Laura showed us round the dinky (former elevator) store and it’s safe to say we fell in love with the place. Covered in brightly coloured logos and showcasing her delicious salad rolls, it was drawing the eyes of many customers desperate to try her healthy, tasty kaleido rolls.
While we were there, we used the opportunity to ask Laura a few questions about her story, plans for the future and (as always) included a few fun foodie questions too:
Q: Tell us a little bit about Kaleido’s story and how you got started…
A: Everything started with a £30 voucher I spent on rice paper sheets, prawns, noodles and coriander to make traditional Vietnamese summer rolls (which are very popular in France, where my partner and I are from!). While rolling, we discussed how amazing it would be to wrap any conceivable salad with rice paper so that you could eat it just like you would a sandwich.
One evening, I was at home, preparing rice paper rolls for our dinner. As I was filling them with vegetables, I realised that I was effectively creating a salad that you can eat like a sandwich. The idea is incredibly simple but there wasn’t anything like it. We got excited, Denis encouraged me to resign from my corporate job and make it happen. And here we are now, transforming salads into magical tubes packed with brightly coloured goodness! We’ve fallen in love with this idea because we felt it was a playful, innovative, simple & clever way to eat healthy, offering a multisensory experience!
Q: We only work with the tastiest and best quality vendors across London – what is it about the food you make that makes you stand out?
A: We have created a new food category, the Salad rolls category. Traditional rice paper rolls have existed for years but we have invented the Salad rolls, Salads you eat like a sandwich.
All our salad rolls are made fresh every morning only using natural ingredients. We also use lots of herbs – herbs are underused and we believe it is a very healthy way to create taste & freshness.
Q: Where do you turn for inspiration to keep ideas fresh in the kitchen?
A: I am following lots of inspiring chefs on Instagram and they always make me discover new ingredients or combinations of flavours. I also do lots of experimental cooking so I’m also learning on the fly.
Q: Moving to your own central London location is a really exciting step for your business, congratulations! What will your next steps be?
A: Making Salad rolls more available where people need it! I want everyone to be able to grab a healthy, tasty and convenient lunch or snack.
Q: We love Kaleido being a part of our vendor community! What’s your favourite thing about working with Feedr?
A: I love the fact that there is a real mission behind Feedr. We can really feel it from the vendors you select, the way you treat them and the events you organise.
Q: How would you describe a Kaleido roll in 5 words to someone who has never tried one before?
A: Healthy, tasty, playful, fresh and convenient.
Working in the restaurant industry, you must be a big foodie – so tell us more about you:
Q: Which Kaleido Roll is your favourite and why?
A: I don’t have a favourite, I love all of them! This is why I wanted customers to be able to mix and match flavours and build their own box because they are all amazing. Even if you buy our already pre-packed boxes, they will be assortment boxes so that you can eat the rainbow.
Q: What’s your favourite restaurant in London?
A: Right now it is Duddell’s. They have an amazing £24 menu at lunchtime.
Q: What’s the ingredient you always find yourself reaching for with when you’re cooking at home?
A: Eggs. My parents used to call me “neneuf” when I was young. I love eggs and I’ve always been impressed by all the things you can do with eggs. I do eggs with soldiers, frittata, oat pancakes etc.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to food?
A: I really really love chocolate. I used to have lots of chocolate cravings because I was refraining myself a lot. Now I’m just eating some when I want with moderation so I’m not guilty anymore actually 🙂
If you haven’t tried Laura’s delicious treats, then we suggest popping down to her brand new store in Kingly Street, London.
