Meet the couple starting a churros cafe and a family in Reading

You wouldn’t know Maria Paez and Ronny Grimaldo were raising an eight-month-old baby with the energy and enthusiasm they greeted me at the Churros Kitchen, which opened on Saturday (October 15).

When the pair moved to England in 2009 they couldn’t speak much English, but after studying the language and business, they were ready to educate me on how to make authentic churros from the café in The Village.

Ronny Grimaldo prepares a coffee for reporter Brad Young (Image: NQ)

“We love churros, it is part of our tradition,” Ronny told me.

“We have noticed that it’s very popular in Christmas markets, in pop-up stalls so we thought there is  an opportunity here in Reading.

“We said it’s now or never.”

He continued: “It hasn’t been easy at all, especially with the baby, but we decided to go for it.”

The couple are intent on making the sweet treats properly, despite spiraling energy prices and the cost of oil, in which they fry the churros, doubling.

The Churros Kitchen in The Village (Image: NQ)

“The product depends on the quality of the oil and we are not going to compromise.”

Ronny admitted: “It is a bit worrying to be honest.”

His worries were assuaged by the number of customers lining up to try chocolate, biscoff and hazelnut churros on the opening weekend.

It’s no surprise that word is spreading fast – these are not your British Christmas market churros, lifted limp and oversaturated from a vat and drowned in sugar.

Instead, Maria and Ronny’s churros are like a sweet bread: A chewy, almost crispy outer layer surrounding a softer middle that are complimented by the sugar, cinnamon or chocolate toppings.

“It was amazing, we never expected a lot of people coming here,” said Ronny, adding that he and Maria were proud.

“It is encouraging because obviously there are a lot of doubts about opening a shop because we don’t know how it’s going to go now with the energy crisis making everything harder.

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“It is a big achievement and we are happy about it, but still there are question marks that we need to answer.”

The price hikes faced by business owners in Reading have not been passed onto the customer at Churros Kitchen.

For £6 you will be served up six warm churros and a dip of your choice, and you can enjoy them alongside a reasonably priced espresso for £1.50 (which Ronny told me is the Spanish tradition) or your choice of larger coffees from £2.20 to £2.50, favoured by the Brits.

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The couple explained that in Venezuela, churros were eaten with a chocolate dip, but when they told their English friends they were opening a café in Reading, they were convinced to add biscoff to the menu and it has proven a hit.

Ronny is equally passionate about coffee, having tested several varieties of beans before settling on one.

It lacks acidity, but has a strength and sharpness to it that breaks through the sweet bread and cinnamon in a complimentary fashion.

So whether you need a pick me up on your commute to work or fancy something sweet and warm to get you through the winter months, Churros Kitchen is making a compelling offer to Reading.