Our Story
Maxwell and Lesley's coffee journey started in Australia in 2008
In Melbourne, they discovered an underground movement called Third Wave coffee. Captivated by the flavour and provenance-driven approach to coffee, they dove in head-first and learned everything possible about this enigmatic drink. Maxwell and Lesley were driven by the opportunity to learn and innovate at a time when people were beginning to think differently about what coffee could be.
the opening of the shop in bath
In 2009, Maxwell and Lesley opened the destination coffee shop Colonna & Small’s in Bath, UK. The shop was dedicated to showcasing the most exceptional coffees in a space built to engage a conversation around coffee. Colonna & Small’s soon became internationally recognised and was awarded the ‘Best Coffee Shop in Europe’ title in 2016.
The roastery
The roastery was launched in 2015, as we sought to take more control of the sourcing and flavour profiling of our coffees. As a roastery we seek to build relationships both with our customers and our partners who share in our fascination and pursuit of exceptional coffee. You can find our coffee being meticulously brewed and presented around the world with select partners.
We have co-authored published scientific papers on coffee delving into the complexities of water science and frozen grinding, as well as sensory science and sustainability. Every research project started with a simple day-to-day coffee problem, an observation that didn’t quite make sense at the time and more importantly — got in the way of good coffee!
The opening of the london shop
In 2023, we stepped into the space on Leather Lane and immediately knew it was the perfect location for us to finally open in London. With our involvement in the UK coffee scene, we often found ourselves in the capital, and the chance to bring what we had been doing in our Bath shop to London had always been a dream of ours. Like the original Bath shop, the London store is a space designed to foster conversations around a curated and ever-changing coffee menu.
Achieving Global Recognition through the pursuit of Innovation
Colonna has become a hub for innovation, Maxwell has built a team and a community of customers who shared his passion for great coffee. This commitment to excellence connected the company to the international coffee circuit, with Maxwell competing in global barista championships and collaborating with experts, scientists, and inventors from various fields. These collaborations focused on answering surprisingly complex questions about coffee, all centred on the pursuit of flavour and understanding what makes coffee truly exceptional. Maxwell’s wins at the UK Barista Championship in 2012, 2014, and 2015 deepened these connections, allowing for even broader collaborations in the relentless pursuit of outstanding coffee.
The findings from this research are always followed by a drive to create solutions and improve the coffee industry. This ethos of innovation led us to reimagine state-of-the-art capsule technology as a platform for speciality coffee in 2016 and incubate the Peak Water Project, which launched in 2020. These projects embody our commitment to dedicating resources to research and innovation that have a meaningful impact on coffee for people.
We are passionate about what coffee is and what it can become. Through our continued dedication to exploring coffee’s possibilities, we aim to share each new discovery with our customers. The rabbit hole of innovation is endless, and as we dive deeper, who knows what we will find in the years to come.
Join us on this journey.
