Suggestions for things to sell in a deli?

[Singasongaday]

What would you like to find for sale in a deli? Looking for ideas and suggestions please.

I like it when delis collaborate with other local food people. Eg round here there's an artisan doughnut place that's unreal, but it's a pain to get to and always sells out. They supply a couple of local cafes and delis which are closer. Same also for a local kombucha maker. At Christmas, a local deli made up some hampers for gifts but also let you make your own by choosing a box, a bow, shred, and then anything from the deli. I received a lovely one with cheese, crackers, Chutney, jam, chocolate. All different suppliers/makers.

Oh and there's a lovely deli round here that also sells some craft type stuff. So you can buy a mug from a local potter, along with some nice teabags and biscuits and give as a gift.

Oh and nice wines, spirits and beers!

Sorry, can't stop thinking of delis now. There's a local cheese lady who does pop up cheese tasting events etc, usually from a local bakery. After hours ticketed tasting events, or hands on workshops would be fab.

@BuddhaAtSea has nailed it.

Definitely check out your local demographic and supply accordingly.
Sell a few things that your local , say, Nepalese, Ghanaian or Latvian community might be missing. In turn, they may well venture on to other delicacies that you may be offering.

I'd be careful of making too many of certain things as some products don't last long at all eg cheese scones are best made and sold on the day and croissants don't linger well either.

Pickles and Piccalilli

Oooh I want to go there! Sounds absolutely delicious!

Smoked salmon of the highest quality and other smoked fish, including some made into pate.

Offer to make up picnic hampers and gift hampers.

A deli near me sells individual quiches, they are deep filled and really tasty.

Pre-ordered made-to-order lunch boxes. Offer a selection of quiches, sandwiches, dips, vegetables, cheeses, meats, etc and sweet things such as fancy biscuits, brownies, fruit salad etc.

The order is sent in and when the customer goes to pick it up, it is ready to go, complete with napkin and bamboo cutlery (if needed).

Hot food that can be put into customers' packaging, e g Tupperware. Charged by weight.

Fresh flowers.

Mine has a freezer of unbaked versions that you can fill up a bag of- sausage rolls, pies, cinnamon rolls, chocolate twists etc
they do a soup and a casserole each day to take away, everyone goes there from their work at lunch

Former scotch eggs!

Gourmet not Former!

I'd go for a particular cuisine to specialise in, with older customers you might go for Italian as it's familiar - olives, homemade pesto, pastries, rum babas etc. Or french. Foreign but not too foreign!

@Skiphopbump intrigued - did you already have a picture of deli pies or did you go specially? Looks like an undercover shot!

Options that don't all include bloody cheese and mayonnaise. I hate both and my options are usually very limited.

Some high quality ready made meals - eg lasagne to sell by the portion .

And rocket! I hate the stuff and I’ve walked away from delis before because it was in all their veggie rolls, sandwiches & salads.

Stuffed vine leaves. Food of the gods

Pork pie slice
Pickled walnuts
__

House made sauces - like fresh pesto, arrabiata etc.

My favourite deli in my old
neighbourhood had a selection of fresh homemade sauces. You could buy a small, medium or large tub & a nice packet of dried pasta there and dinner was sorted.

Olives, salumi & some cheese and you had a simple easy dinner party sorted.

@Squamata 😂nothing as exciting, just a cropped small picture from their website.

Really really good cake for when I want really good cake and can’t be arsed to bake. Not dry overly sweet mediocre cake that looks really pretty. Cake that tastes so good it doesn’t give a toss what it looks like and neither does anyone who tastes it. (Our deli used to do a chocolate Guinness cake good enough to weep over but it’s gone. Really nice Bakewell tart and sunk-in-the-middle things made of whizzed up pistachio nuts and rosewater also in this category for me)

I’m not sure I would consider it a deli then, but then I’m foreign. Sausage roll..hmmm…that’s easy to find, I’d come to your shop for charcuterie, something special, something I can’t find anywhere else. More on the lines of venison salami with a nice mustard and sourdough.

Thank you all who thought my previous post sounded yummy. Can I recommend you a book called Pomegranate soup by Marsha Mehran? That’s a book about a deli heaven, among other things :)

Fancy pate
Like makeral pate