Cambridge University Press describes a delicatessen as a small shop that sells high-quality foods, such as types of cheese and cold cooked meat, often from other countries, and, especially in the United States, sandwiches made using these foods. It then goes further with the definition of the deli counter; a counter in a supermarket where you can get different types of cheese, cold cooked meat, prepared salads, etc.
These definitions need to be put into context, taking into account the present state of the World, post Covid and with other additional external factors impacting heavily on all shoppers across Wales.
Firstly we want to look at the delicatessen in recent history. The delicatessen really came back into existence within the UK in the 1950’s.
Two factors here: Firstly that of food rationing. Being set up in 1940 as a reaction to World War II and was not totally removed until 1954, even then there was a restriction on the manufacture of cheese. It is also important to remember that during the 1950’s the cost of food took up 30% of household income.
Incidentally it wasn’t until the 1980’s that cheese production increased and is typified by Caws Cenarth, bringing back production of their Caerfilli in 1987, as a reaction to milk quotas.
The second factor is globalisation. Over time food became more plentiful and globalisation of food supply expanded bringing the costs of food down and the variance of foods available growing.
Right now though the globalisation that made food from around the world so readily available at affordable prices, is now starting to have the reverse affect, as world food prices are rising and many believe that this is not going to be short lived.
Returning to the delicatessen definition and its adjunct, the deli counter, the latter is sadly in the descendent with Sainsbury’s closing its deli counters in 2020 and earlier this year Tesco closing 317 of its deli counters. Both companies citing lack of consumer demand as the reason.
So let us look at the definition of delicatessen more closely. Should it be said that a delicatessen is a food shop that offers products both locally sourced and imported, that is largely not pre-packed or not pre frozen (then sold as fresh), with knowledgeable people behind the counter.
This more detailed definition then brings about a change of perspective which has to be for the betterment of local food and drink as a whole.
Welsh Country has never shied away from supporting local food and drink and will continue to do so. The vast majority of local food and drink is sold through delicatessens of sorts, be they called a butchers, a farm shop, a farmer’s market or those wonderful local specialist shops.
Welsh Country considers just a few of the hundreds of these outlets that trade across Wales, supporting those that they sell to, offering helpful knowledge, but also a major part of the supply chain for producers.
Firstly we look at a butcher’s shop founded only a few years ago. It demonstrates the ideal of a delicatessen wanting to stock and sell quality products but with a depth of knowledge and service for the customer that is second to none.
Situated in the quaint village of Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant, in the Tanant Valley is Izzy’s Butchers. First and foremost they are a village butcher’s shop supplying the surrounding area with quality Welsh meat and game. However, the growth of tourism and enthusiasm of the owner towards Welsh produce, means that Izzy is expanding her lines of produce to soon include other great Welsh food and drink. Izzy’s emphasis will still be on quality, but also provenance.
The introduction of local beer and cider produced from 2 microbreweries less than 4 miles away, will help showcase the fantastic products of the Tanat Valley, as will the honey and preserves already stocked from this locality.
A small selection of Welsh cheese, charcuterie and even Welsh wine, will ensure that both locals and tourist alike can indulge in a selection of what the rich Welsh larder has to offer.
Since taking on the shop in March 2020, Izzy has seen a growth in customers asking the provenance of the meat on display. She has also noticed that a lot of customers, both local and tourists, come into the shop looking for local produce. Whether this is in the form of local Welsh lamb, or the local honey, there is definitely a demand for products that have provenance behind them and the larger the selection, the more you can showcase Welsh products which better for us, Wales plc and most importantly the consumer.
There is also a ‘hybrid type’ delicatessen, which may be, one we the consumer prefer, a type of shop that carries a wide range of quality local and imported food and drink. Selling mainly on a self-serve basis but with knowledgeable, fully trained, helpful staff always around and able to portion those products such as cheese to the customer’s desire.
A few examples from north Wales to the south and east one has to mention:
Dylans in Criccieth, Menai Bridge and Llandudno
Also in north Wales there is Blas Ar Fwyd in Llanwrst and just down the road Llechyd Da in Betys Y Coed.
In mid Wales Ultracomida has a Spanish bent to its offerings in Aberystwyth and Narberth.
Narberth is also the venue for the long established Wisebuys.
To the south east possibly one of the most famous delis in Wales, resides in the arcades in Cardiff, that of Wally’s established in 1947.
Without exception all of these businesses run their delicatessens alongside other symbiotic business arms, be that restaurants, cafes, or a wholesale operation, with all selling a proportion of their lines online.
Welsh Country looks at one business in more detail that typifies this diversification, but also demonstrates the collaboration with local businesses.
The Welsh Deli at the Corris Café are both part of the long established Corris Craft Centre just outside Machynlleth. Shirley Owen tells their story to Welsh Country.
“The underlying rule at the Welsh Deli is the sourcing of food and drink items that have been grown, reared and produced in Wales. Many of the items stocked have been carefully curated by small artisan producers just a few miles from Corris.
Linked via an archway from The Corris Café, the Welsh Deli stocks many items that can be sampled across the Corris Café menu. Brand new for 2022, the Dyfi Dog, is a special hot dog filled with a fabulous sausage created especially for us by Rob Rattray butchers, from Aberystwyth and finished off with optional mustard, ketchup and caramelised onions. The Corris Hot Dog Sausage is available to purchase in The Welsh Deli, together with a range of Rob Rattray’s award winning sausages.
Discover Morgan’s Brew Tea, the highest quality, naturally brewed tea from near Welshpool and available in a mesmerising blend of exotic flavours. Discover and taste these flavours in The Corris Café and then buy a pack to take away from the Welsh Deli.
The Corris Café bara brith is one of our best sellers, created in our own kitchen using quality Welsh ingredients, the bara brith is served with Welsh butter in the café and available as a 1Ib loaf to purchase from the Welsh Deli.
The baristas from Mug Run in North Wales supply us with filter coffee we serve in the Café and their diverse range of blends are also stocked in the Welsh Deli.
The Welsh Deli stocks The Flawsome drinks range, created from wonky fruit packed with flavours and zero sugar. Made near Cardiff these sustainable health shots save tons of wonky fruit that otherwise would have been sent to landfill. They are available to taste in the Corris Café too.
We also serve Toloja Orchards fiery Dragon’s Breath Chutney alongside our classic Corris Rarebit. This popular chutney is made in small batches near Lampeter. We also stock their Dragon Fire mustard, their Welsh Flag Pack containing horseradish sauce (for the white of the Welsh flag) Dragon Fire mustard (for the red of the flag) and green mint and apple sauce (for the green of the flag). Their Ploughman’s Packs contain a selection of their handmade chutneys. Toloja Orchards also create their own marmalades with a Breakfast Pack available. We also create our own in-house relish which is served alongside our selection of Real Burgers.
New in the Welsh Deli for 2022 is a 200ml bottle of fizzy mead made by the Shire Meadery based near Aberystwyth, the mead is available in a variety of flavours.
The Welsh Deli features a sweet aisle with Welsh biscuits, fudge and waffles. Another aisle of the shop includes inspiration for home baking including Welsh spices, seasoning and eggs. Brand new for 2022 is freshly baked bread. The Welsh Deli also sells Talgarth Mill bread kits, enabling customers to create their own bread at home. The range of Welsh alcohol includes Welsh meads, beers, ciders, liqueurs and brand new for this year Gwinllan Llaethliw wine from their vineyard near Aberaeron, we now sell their red, white and rose wine.
A range of Welsh cheeses are available from the Snowdonia Cheese Company and Caws Cenarth. Brand new for this year is Nutchi, a nut based vegan cheese alternative produced in Cardigan. Smokey cashew, garlic & chive, cashew and almond flavours are all available. The Welsh Deli also stocks a range of savoury crackers for cheese including Tregroes savoury waffles. The Welsh Deli sells Valley Mill slate platters and serving boards made from Welsh slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog perfect for serving our Welsh cheeses with crackers and chutneys.
A range of Welsh honey, jams and spices are available including fiery chutneys and spices from the Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, created from chillies grown on their farm. Also stocked is a Hot Fire Honey made by Black Mountain Honey.
We stock the Coconut Kitchen range – Thai style products made in Conwy. Their own brand of coconut milk has won a Welsh True Taste award.
During the Summer the Deli has its own Pop-up Ice Cream shop selling Mario’s luxury Welsh ice cream”
With all this diversification the survival and prosperity of the delicatessen in Wales is secured albeit in a non traditional form.
We must though revisit two traditional delis firstly The Grate Cheese Deli in Colwyn Bay where owner Cheryl Parry told Welsh Country.
“I love to find as much local produce as I possibly can, we have so many great producers here in Wales, it would be a shame not to share them!
I have a great selection of cheeses from small Welsh Award winning producers, Cosyn Cymru, Pen Helyg, Trefaldwyn, Y Cwt Caws, Teifi, Castell Gwyn, Caws Cenarth to name just a few,
We have 6 different raw Honeys that are very popular for the health benefits they have.
We have sweet and savoury Welsh biscuits, Aberffraw, O’r Maen, Dragons, Scarlett Angel, Cradocs and Tregroes.
If you have a sweet tooth we have amazing homemade fudge, brandy snaps, treacle toffee and cinder toffee from Pwllheli. Coffee from Mug Run with bara brith from Blas y Castell which can be topped off with wonderful Norcoed preserves
An array of chutneys, microgreens, pies, sauces and mustards and a range of Coconut Kitchen curry pastes can finish off a Welsh gift hamper very nicely :-)”
Also in North Wales is the Tredici Deli in Beaumaris, a specialist in local Welsh Produce.
Tredici Deli was opened with the aim of sourcing top quality Welsh produce, from small breweries and distilleries to Welsh meat, preserves and baked goods. Tredici Deli sells all things local, both to the many tourists that travel to the beautiful island of Anglesey and the locals who love to enjoy the amazing culinary delights that are available right on their doorstep.
Tredici Deli has its own in-house baker that produces handmade pies that are sold hot and fresh every day. Other examples of the wonderful local fayre include the amazing Anglesey Honey, produced just a short distance across the Island of Anglesey and Goetre Farm Preserves who are based in Gwynedd and who provide a delicious array of jams, chutneys and pickles.
To add to the offering, Tredici also have their own in-house butcher that provides the very best in quality Welsh meats.
To wash down what is sure to be a feast of local delights, Tredici also have a great range of beers and ciders, including Jaspal’s Cider from Aberfraw on Anglesey, ales from Anglesey Brewhouse in Llangefni and if you are after something a little stronger, do sample the range of delicious gins from Llanfairpwll Distillery.
So what can we conclude? The delicatessen has changed dramatically in the last 50 years and we are sure it will change yet again in the next 50 years. The Covid pandemic is having effects that none of us foresaw and now with the first war in Europe in eighty years, things are changing dramatically. This demonstrates the fact that globalisation can now be considered a hindrance rather than a benefit. Not many of us realised that the whole of Western Europe is reliant on the rest of the world for their energy and food.
It may seem a backward step, but it seems inevitable that the proportion of our income spent on food is likely to rise and that to reduce this price increase, buying local becomes more important. That having the education of how to make more from less, using the knowledge that lies within those food emporiums becomes even more crucial.
