Kongoni (was "The Upstairs Coffee Shop")

Whilst watching Sandi Toksvig’s documentary on the TV about the rise of coffee houses, it struck me how much ahead of its time was the Kongoni in Coventry. I Googled it and found this forum. I think that I can add a few facts here as I worked at the Kongoni. Duncan and Joyce Metcalfe set up the Kongoni Coffee Company in Coventry having been forced to leave Kenya due to the Mau Mau uprising of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Duncan Metcalfe had been involved in the coffee trade all of his working life. I’m not sure of the exact date they set it up but I believe it to be just after 1960. Kongoni is the Swahili name for the Coke’s Hartebeest which is symbolic of Kenya. The quality of the coffee was superb. I went to work for them on Saturday’s starting in 1962. I found the coffee and tea trade fascinating and in 1967 I went to work there full time. I was officially “shop manager” but there was very little delegation from the Metcalfe’s. I did however learn a lot. I spent some time learning coffee tasting at the coffee importers Quick Reek and Smith who were then based in Fenchurch Street in London. I was also taught how to roast the coffee and had a very comprehensive training in both tea and coffee. However, it didn’t work out as well as I hoped as, apart from the genuine wish to educate me in the trade, I was treated very much as a colonial servant. One day in 1969 this was too much and I left abruptly and found myself working as computer operator and worked in IT from then until my retirement a couple of years ago. I can still identify the origin of most coffee though. I’d like to just mention a couple of points from previous posts. The large machine at the back of the shop behind the sacks of coffee was a roaster, not a grinder. The grinding was all done at the counter at the time of sale. The fur shop opposite was called Canadian Furs and was owned by Sefton Marks.

Wow, thanks for that Derek, and welcome to our forum!

I worked in Marie Holliday's in the 60s and we used the Kongoni all the time, but, working next to it all day when they were roasting the coffee got a bit much at times. The customers use to say 'Doesn't it smell wonderful in here' but it did get a bit over the top when you had it all day, but their coffee was the best I had ever tasted. My favourite was Blue Mountain. They were really ahead of their time, the youngsters of today think Starbucks and Costa are a hip new places, not a patch on the Kongoni. Thank you so much for all the info and for bringing back great memories.

I recall the roasting coffee beans in Allwoods, Atkins and Turton, grocers in Fleet Street, bottom of Smithford Street which also had that inviting aroma.

When I was a youth I had a coffee at the Kongoni, and being an inquisitive type I asked where the beans came from. The Lady replied they used a mixture of "Kenya and Costa Rica", so if you want to bring back that authentic Kongoni Aroma, that a good place to start.

I will always remember the smell of roasting coffee walking through the arcade in the late 60s and early 70s from the Barracks car park to the Precinct. Wonderful smell. Whenever I smell freshly ground coffee I am reminded of those days.

I was a regular at the Kongoni in 1975-1977 when I worked at the City Council Rent office. It was the start of my lifelong love of "good coffee". I am not sure who was the roaster at that time, he was an older guy, but then I was 17 so everyone was older. But I remember that when I talked to him about the flavour of my coffee not being quite perfect, he introduced me to Old Brown Java. Still in my book, one of the finest Coffees in the world. Oh and the sandwiches upstairs were ace too. And I still have the carved wooden otter that I bought from the art display upstairs. Does anyone know when it closer? Such a shame.

My friends and I frequented the Kongoni Coffee Shop regularly from 1982 to 1984 when we were sixth-formers (we were friendly with Heidi and Joanne who used to work there, I wonder whatever happened to them). Kenya Peaberry was the regular tipple for us, and we felt very sophisticated. These were the days of Busters nightclub, the Dog & Trumpet's 80s heyday and Revolver Records in the Lower Precinct. Very happy days.

I worked there around this time too and I'm still in touch with Heidi :)

I worked there later around the 80s - Mr and Mrs Metcalf still owned and ran it. I have many wonderful memories of my time there (my mother was manageress) and friends I made there have remained friends after all these years :) They later sold to the Carwadines coffee house chain

Brings back memories, it does. The Kongoni Coffee Company, tucked away down the passageway, with its lovely smell that wafted across Market Way. When I was a boy, coffee was a once-per-week luxury on a Saturday morning (tea the rest of the week), since coffee was comparatively expensive. We always had Costa Rican from the Kongoni.

As I've posted before it wasn't the first coffee shop in Coventry. The one in Broadgate House was after the war. I have no idea if there were any before the blitz.