We’re celebrating 125 years of serving Coca‑Cola in Great Britain, together with local corner shop bosses like Kaual.

For Kaual Patel,  his family-owned corner shop is the cornerstone of the Catford community.

Kaual is the owner of Torridon Convenience Store, which his parents bought in 1984. Together, the family grew it into a successful business through a strong focus on meeting the needs of local people.  

Kaual took over the running of the store in 2000 and, as a passionate South-East Londoner, he set out to develop the business in a way which supported, as well as served, his local community.  

Offering locally-sourced products from micro-businesses across Catford and the surrounding area - Kaual’s mantra is: “If you’re a local producer, there’s a space on my shelf for you”.   

A savvy entrepreneur, Kaual has created his own range of products to give his customers an authentic taste of Catford that they can’t get anywhere else including the ‘Torridon Convenience Store IPA’ - made in collaboration with Brockley Brewery - and his own brand of Gin, flavoured with bay leaves from the trees outside his store. This collaboration shows how small independent businesses can unite to support each other and build community.Kaual’s dedication to the Catford community extends beyond supporting independent and local businesses, with recent local projects including his work to fix the local church roof. 

This year, we’re celebrating 125 years of serving Coca‑Cola in Great Britain, together with our local independent retail partners like Kaual.

Corner shops, and the “bosses” who run them, aren’t just an essential part of the Coca‑Cola system - they are a pillar of communities whose value to society goes beyond the products they sell.

That is why - to celebrate our local corner shop bosses - Kaual has been immortalised by talented Gen Z photographer Serena Brown, known for her work on bringing the stories of real people to the front of her camera lens. Brown produced a gallery of photos celebrating the commitment, heritage, know-how and personalities behind Britain’s corner shop counters.

Similarly, Director Ross Bolidai has produced a moving mini-documentary that looks at Kaual’s story and how our local corner shops boast a vital role within communities and in supporting fellow independent businesses throughout London.