Kul Coffee and the shifting demographics of Edinburgh’s caffeine scene.
Charlie Ellis reports on the arrival of Kul Coffee at 15 Elm Row, a top-class spot that starkly illuminates the evolving divides within Edinburgh’s cafe culture.
Spending significant time in cafés means constantly stepping into parallel worlds, where the ‘clientele’ shifts dramatically from one location to the next. Recently in Leith, the contrast was palpable: the Costa in the Kirkgate, a sanctuary offering comfort to the marginalized, felt worlds away from Williams & Johnson on the Shore, which manifested the area's gentrified portion – a hub for professionals on super-slim laptops. A new entrant in the Spurtleshire coffee scene highlights these demographic rifts perfectly.
The invisible force field
Kul Coffee, much like Ante on Haddington Place, reveals an apparent generational coffee divide. It’s as if an invisible force field exists around such specialty places, seemingly repelling anyone over the age of 55. While this split is most pronounced between chains and independent roasters, it even exists within the specialty scene.
Generally, these spots skew heavily towards the confident, affluent young people – the 20- and 30-somethings. In Kul’s case, this is regrettable, as my initial impressions of the coffee were overwhelmingly positive. For now, Spurtleshire's more mature residents are inadvertently missing out on truly top-class coffee.
I stumbled across Kul by chance, drawn in by the airy spaciousness and an abundant sense of energy. The volume of the chatter and the ‘vibe’ of the baristas promised quality. One common critique of specialty venues is their small scale; many are full with fewer than a dozen customers. Kul, with space for about 40, bucks this trend.
As a young student of mine put it: ‘I’ve seen Kul, but it gives me like good coffee with Starbucks vibes.’ While Kul's management might baulk at the chain comparison, it underscores the venue’s unusually large size for a specialty shop. In this sense, Kul represents the mainstreaming of specialty coffee, moving it beyond the sole preserve of the deep-cut coffee geek. It echoes the scale of places like Cairngorm in the West End or the growth of ‘indy chains’ like Blank Street.
The well-oiled machine
On the bright Saturday morning I visited, Kul was packed. Fearing a forced takeaway, I was grateful for the last ‘solo’ table in the back corner, which offered a prime view of the operation. The menu confirmed the shop's serious intent, offering a range of interesting ‘pour-over’ options for the real aficionados.
What was most notable, despite the place only having been open for six weeks, was how well-oiled the team was. This smoothness of operation, not in the sense of intoxication but of professional efficiency, was striking. Recognizing staff from other established specialty coffee places provided immediate reassurance: I was in good hands.
The coffee confirmed it. Though a ‘mere’ decaf, it was brimming with flavour, a testament to both the skill of the baristas and the rising seriousness with which decaffeinated beans are now treated – no longer an afterthought.
To test my ‘invisible force field’ theory, I deployed a secret sipper: HB, a mature coffee geek I know from the local table-tennis league. HB, who regularly frequents places like Williams & Johnson and Cafen, was the perfect pathbreaker. He successfully penetrated the generational divide. His succinct report was wholly positive:
'I'm at Kul. Excellent coffee. Professional Australian staff are very efficient. They have to be. It's hectically busy. The house Colombian is delicious. Complex and fruity. I'm also having the guest Indonesian. It's completely different. Much softer, almost like a tasty pour over. For me they've added a lot to the Edinburgh coffee scene. I hope they can keep their team. They were stretched when I was there yesterday. The guy preparing my espressos is very good. I know him from Cairngorm.'
His feedback highlights a critical point: running a high-volume specialty café requires a substantial team of capable people. Café work is often dismissed as low-level employment, but it requires highly skilled labour. Initial impressions suggest Kul's team is both skilled and experienced, with baristas who deliberately move around the city’s coffee community, eager to acquire new knowledge and develop professionally.
The team I spotted was large – at least nine – with the manager expertly overseeing seating and stepping in during intense waves. Consistency under pressure is the true hallmark of a top barista. The sheer size of Kul’s team, reminiscent of high-volume London spots like Origin, suggests they are prepared to handle high demand throughout the day, not just the typical morning rush.
The value of quality
One final aspect: price. Kul is not inexpensive, with most espresso-based drinks hovering just below the four-quid mark (or ‘£3.9’).
In their defence, specialty coffee places are not dramatically more expensive than chains serving mediocre coffee; the UK average is £3.35. At Kul and other high-calibre venues, you are assured of a quality product crafted by professionals.
So, to those in Spurtleshire who feel that a spot like Kul is not for them, I offer a simple suggestion: give it a go. Why should youngsters and ‘hipsters’ keep the best coffee to themselves?
KUL COFFEE, 15 Elm Row, Edinburgh EH7 4AA
