Jolene is not just a bakery. It’s a whole community that connects people in Shoreditch with the help of delicious pastries and cups of coffee.
Shoreditch is known for being a vibrant, artsy and grungy part of London. The tourist version includes techno nightclubs that are packed even on Thursday, authentic coffee shops where a limited variety of milk alternatives is considered a crime, and vintage stores with a price tag the same as in Selfridges.
Amongst of all that, there is a different side of Shoreditch that its residents really appreciate. I’ve been living here for two years, but only recently have I discovered the place that makes you feel ‘included’ over a cup of coffee.
Walking along the high street can get overwhelming. There is always a noise coming from the heavy traffic. It makes you put your guard up and look both ways. In such a chaotic area, even the air feels polluted. You don’t want anything at this point except to find a place to catch a break.
The corner of Redchurch Street feels like a portal to another dimension. The surrounding chaos shifts to calmness the same way as leaves hanging on the trees slow down after the scary storm.
That sudden change comes from a tiny bakery with terracotta-painted brick walls and big windows, where you can catch a glimpse of pastries covered in icing sugar. Entering Jolene, there is space only to grab a Danish and order a filter coffee. Even the coffee is going to be served outside through the open window.
People all over Shoreditch gather around Jolene starting from 7am. The smell of freshly-baked sourdough bread, cinnamon rolls and other goods is mixed with the extract of coffee beans in the air. There are only a few benches to sit around, but it doesn’t stop customers. The ground works just fine.
Whenever I pass Jolene before noon, it always have empty shelves with just crumbs left. So now I was dedicated to finding out what is so special about this bakery when Shoreditch is not the place lacking pastries.
Waking up at 8am was easy as the thought of getting fresh croissants was already a motivation to get out of bed. I went to Jolene expecting to be the first customer. However, outside, one guy in a sportswear was sitting on the bench drinking his coffee, and a lady was walking her dog with a bag of bread in her other hand.
There were rhubarb and custard danish pastries, almond croissants, caramel buns, and much more. Each day, the bakery changes its options. I have decided to try pain duisse, which looked beautiful the same way as it sounds. Surprisingly, only two people were working. One takes orders, and the other gives them out through the open window.
The barista’s name is Mikaela. She has worked at the bakery for a couple of months now. When I asked her about her time at Jolene, she replied with a kind smile as she talked about her family.
“It is a meeting point for everyone around the neighbourhood. We connect people and make it in the sweet way possible”.
While making me a coconut latte, Mikaela was sharing her secret of a good cup of coffee that attracts everyone to return after trying it. “It’s all about making it with love. Nothing new,” said the barista, laughing. But, coming back next weekend, I found the answer myself. Jolene makes their customers feel special.
“I know mostly everyone’s order here. In the early morning, a couple takes two lattes of almond milk and three buns after dropping their daughter at the kindergarten—one to their daughter. The guy before you runs every morning, and after his workout, he drinks his cup of filtered coffee. That’s what ‘Jolene is about. It is a meeting point for everyone around the neighbourhood. We connect people and make it in the sweet way possible”.
I took a bite of my pain Suisse. It felt like the whole world had stopped. There was only me and crispy laminated pastry outside with a filling full of smooth almond creme and chocolate swirls. I looked over and saw the lady next to me having the same blast.
The mystery was solved. When you try Jolene once, you cannot leave it behind. You always find yourself coming back to feel again that warm atmosphere of the bakery in Shoreditch. I was about to leave when Mikaela approached me through the window and said, “see you tomorrow, coconut latte and one pain suisse”.
All photos by Kamila Sukhanova.