Interview with Laura Mimoun – Co-Founder of Kaleido Rolls

This week we caught up with Laura Mimoun, Co-Founder of Kaleido Rolls, to talk about why she launched Kaleido Rolls, the fun of experimenting with different flavour combinations and more.

Can you tell us a little about Kaleido Rolls?

We are a challenger in the food-to-go offering in London. We’ve been around since 2017 and were the pioneer in salad rolls when we launched. We think eating healthy should be fun and playful, so Kaleido Rolls is basically a salad you can eat like a sandwich. What could be more fun!

Our menu consists of 10 flavours and half of our menu is veggie or vegan. Our rolls are low in calories yet very filling, so they’re a guilt free option for lunch or dinner. In June, we also opened our first branch with an on-site rolling station (other branches get their fresh rolls from our ‘Kaleido Rolls kitchens’ located in East London) on Kingly Street in Carnaby, which was a dream come true.

Where did the idea to create Kaleido Rolls come from?

It’s actually a funny story and happened – as best things often do – by accident. My husband and I were making Vietnamese rice paper rolls for dinner at home a few years ago. The next day I was making lunch from the leftovers and stuffed the rolls with a bunch of salad, and then thought it would be cool to use ingredients and combinations from around the world. That’s when we really started experimenting with different flavour combinations and fell in love with the product. It took a few months to convince myself to leave my previous job in marketing and to make a grab ‘n’ go business out of it. Fast forward six years, and here we are with five branches in London and one in the Netherlands – and counting.

We have tried your Kaleido Rolls and they are delicious! How did you come up with the flavour combinations?

Thank you so much, I’m so glad to hear it!

Coming up with new flavour combinations is easy as I love cooking! I have hundreds of recipe books at home and I use them for inspiration all the time. All our recipes are inspired by popular food combinations (for example, salmon & cream cheese, or chicken caesar), or by salad recipes I have eaten and loved.

Once you have the foundation, that’s when the fun part starts when you’re playing with different ingredients. We always try to add vibrant colours, as well as different textures, such as crunch. Kaleido Rolls is all about playfulness and we really want our customers to have fun when they’re having our rolls for lunch or dinner.

Is there anything you are currently working on that you can share with our readers?

We are currently working on coming up with new monthly flavours. Our newest addition to the family is salt beef, the next one will be chicken chipotle, and we’re experimenting with others as we speak. I would like to create a hoisin duck for Chinese New Year, and maybe a fried tofu for our vegan consumers… The best thing about our product is that opportunities are endless, and we are constantly mixing and matching new flavour combinations.

We have also launched the first-ever disloyalty program for our customers. Throughout September, people who visit Kaleido Rolls will get a free roll of their choice when they visit one of our branches in Kingly Street, Canary Wharf, St. Paul and King’s Cross and show their Pret subscription card. It’s time to #CheatOnPret and try something new, and it’s nice to support independent businesses while doing so.

Best piece of advice you have been given?

‘Better Done Than Perfect,’ is how I approach most things in life, particularly when it comes to business. Sometimes it’s best to just go for it and not wait around to ensure everything is perfect – had I done this, Kaleido Rolls would never have launched!

If you had a free day in London to do what you want, where would you go?

I rarely get a completely free day but on the days that I do, I love to visit Richmond, have a picnic with my children on the grass and try to spot a deer.

For more information visit https://kaleidorolls.com

Food photos courtesy of Kaleido Rolls

Portrait of Laura by Nyla Sammons