Saintandre.ws

Blessed as we are with a multitude of independent delicatessens, the task of finding the best prices and the tastiest olives fell to me.

When you enter I. J. Mellis Cheesemonger on South Street you can always expect a warm welcome. Staff are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Although they have a vast collection of various types of cheese, if they don’t have what you’re looking for they will do their very best to recommend an alternative. Most of their cheese is competitively priced. For example, Keens Cheddar is just £1.66 per 100 grams. But Mellis caters for more than just your cheese needs. They have a range of larder ingredients from Scottish honey to the highest quality Aberfeldy flour. They also have selections of olives, sundried tomatoes and cold meats.

Butler & Company on Church Street is probably the busiest of the delis. Consequently, it is perhaps harder to get the personal attention you receive in Mellis or The Little Italian Shop. But it does have things that the others don’t. Butler’s wraps are the holy grail of the snack world. Ranging from £2.50 to £4.00, and using good quality natural ingredients, the queues are certainly justified. In terms of larder items, Butler’s has the biggest choice. Their Trackleman’s range is cheaper than Mellis and elsewhere in town, and their own range of jars is infinite. Items perhaps more foreign to our British sensibilities, such as Marshmallow Fluff, packet ‘Mac ‘n’ Cheese’ and Sushi ingredients can also be found on the shelves.

The Little Italian Shop on Bell Street is a treasure-trove of ingredients and inspiration for cooking. If you approach staff with a query, they will talk passionately, and often with stereotypical hand gestures, until you have to politely excuse yourself. Dried pasta is cheaper than Tesco and if you’re feeling adventurous they sell the flour mix so you can make it yourself. You can also buy home-made pasta sauces for 90p, or fresh gnocchi, both made on site. And if you really want to impress people, you can hire the chef for your dinner parties. With a huge range and quite competitive prices, it goes without saying that this is the best place to get your oils and vinegars. There is an oil press in the shop, so once you’ve bought your bottle you can come in and top it up. The Little Italian Shop prides itself on the quality of its ingredients and quite rightly – buffalo mozzarella is shipped in twice a week direct from Naples. You can’t get much fresher without having to go there yourself and at £1.85 per 100 grams, buying it on Bell Street is considerably cheaper.

Why stand in a notorious Tesco line for hours at 5 o’clock to buy your pasta, Dolmio and cheese when you can get better quality and often cheaper ingredients without the stress? Also, if you’re stuck for Christmas gifts, all these delis do beautifully presented hampers. You can choose the items yourself or order a readymade one.

Courtesy of the Fine Food and Dining Society