Trade news
Deli-cious rendezvous for food lovers
Kieran Sloan, owner of Sawers Deli in Belfast, talks to Sam Butler MBE
K
ieran Sloan didnʼt blink when a customer calmly ordered 40 packs of
kangaroo steaks. He knew the barbecue season had begun and that the order was just
another manifestation of changing eating trends in Belfast. The owner of Sawers famed Deli in Belfast, probably Northern Irelandʼs best gourmet food store, Kieran has had more than his fair share of unusual purchases and requests. Like crocodile, wildebeest and springbok steaks; ants wrapped in dark chocolate; and even a whole rattlesnake! These now figure on the promotional boards outside this remarkable food store.
But thereʼs more, a great deal more to the exotic foods, such as mango powder, a current favourite, and freshly made hummus, he now sells. Sewers, the deli in College Street he has owned for almost 10 years and worked in since 1985, stocks the very best in local produce including an unrivalled selection of fresh fish from Ardglass and Portavogie. Youʼll also find Fivemiletown Creameryʼs splendid speciality and award winning cheeses from Tyrone, Sukiʼs gourmet team and fruit infusions from west Belfast, Finnebrogue venison burgers and sausages from Downpatrick, dry cured bacon from Sprotts in Portadown and delicious preserves from Margaret Brownlee, also based in Portadown. Heʼs also recently added a local honey and Lavender cupcakes Holywood.
“People here are definitely becoming more adventurous about food and willing to try something really exotic. For instance, we do really good business in Kangaroo steaks particularly when the sun appears. There must be some really exotic barbecues in Belfast now,” he says. “Eating trends are being influenced by foreign holidays and also by the host of cooking programmes on television. Recently, for example, we had a number of customers asking for mango powder. We had de‑listed it because it wasnʼt selling. Then, a celebrity chef used mango powder and customers started asking for it again.”
Another influence on sales of the more unusual products, he says, is the influx of people from other parts of Europe and the rest of the world. ʻWeʼve had South Africans living here asking for wildebeest and spingbok steaks, which we source these from distributors or over the internet, a great way to find new food ideas.”
A fine food evangelist, Kieranʼs aim was to create “ an emporium of good food”. And heʼs succeeded in developing a wonderful cavern of thousands of gourmet products. Too many, he admits, to count. Itʼs hardly surprising that Sawers is usually packed with ʻfoodiesʼ looking for something different, thought maybe not as exotic as a frozen rattlesnake or chocolate covered grasshoppers.
His selections of fish, meat and cheese are excellent…and the service always friendly and knowledgeable. If you fancy munching on a grasshopper, the staff will be happy to offer a sample.
Food enthusiast Kieran Sloan
The choice of Sawers as the jumping off point for the popular Belfast Bred walking tour of the cityʼs culinary delights was a no‑brainer. It was quite simply the only place to start. Whatʼs next for Kieran Sloan? “Onward and upwards”, he says. “I see scope to develop the shop further and Iʼd also like to create a fine food bistro.” And he has his eyes on a location he reckons would be ideal spot for such a venture. He has the track record and enthusiasm to make it another success story.
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