IN SHORT, RUN US THROUGH YOUR AVERAGE DAY. A lot of my work starts before we open – taking delivery of the fresh bread from our bakery six miles away, liaising with the cheese and butchery departments, holding a team briefing shortly before 9am when we open the doors. Then it’s a case of dealing with suppliers, meeting customers, grabbing a bite to eat in the kitchen for lunch, and towards the end of the day it’s time to do some number crunching. Every day is different – today I’m tasting some new chocolate brands we are going to stock and for some reason all the staff want to help!
DO YOU HOLD MANY EVENTS FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY? Yes, we hold events throughout the year and most, but not all, are linked to food. We’ve just started regular Tuesday Tastings where customers can sample both new and existing products, from our butchery, bakery and cheese sections which we then pair them with crackers, chutneys and jams through to cake and fudge
tastings in our coffee shop. It’s a great way for us to talk to our customers and once they’ve tried a product they often buy it too. Then there are our evening events – buffets, speciality food evenings, food quizzes, etc. One of our most popular annual evening event though is our Buffet & Brass night where the local brass band plays on our patio whilst the diners tuck into a fantastic buffet.
If you would like to
feature your deli in the Delicatessen Magazine please email
Ginette.warwick@the
delimagazine.co.uk
YOU STOCK A WIDE SELECTION OF CHEESES - DO YOU SUPPORT LOCAL CHEESE MAKERS? We’re in a great location, on the cusp of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria so it would be plain daft for us not to stock the amazing cheeses made on our doorstep. One new cheese we have in at the moment is Fellstone made by our neighbour’s daughter so you can’t get much more local than that! It’s a great cheese, made on a very small-scale and we are proud to be the exclusive Yorkshire stockists. We are always looking for local suppliers who are creating something interesting and high quality that we can sell here.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE A GREAT YOUNG BUTCHER ON BOARD - TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT GEORGE. Well George Taylor is definitely one of Country Harvest’s assets. He’s only 24 and has already been named Young Butcher of the Year, won loads of awards for his sausage and burger recipes and was also shortlisted as Young Manager of the Year. The butchery department is always buzzing with George talking to customers, cutting meat to their requirements, advising on cooking and making new varieties of sausages and burgers every month. He’s also very ably supported by his brother Kabel who works behind the scenes and their mum Becky who makes a very mean Scotch egg. It’s a real family affair and the customers love it!
WHAT IS THE MAIN PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO SOMEBODY THINKING ABOUT STARTING OFF THEIR OWN DELI & GIFT SHOP?
Think about your location and the type of customers you want to attract. Here at Country Harvest we have a regular clientele but also a lot of passing trade as we’re on the A65, one of the main roads between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales so we have a range of ‘regular’ items and also lots of more luxurious foods which people buy as gifts or holiday/ weekend treats. You need to have a clear vision of what you want to sell, but saying that some of the foods I thought would do really well just haven’t so you have to remain flexible and get to know your customers. It’s a permanent learning curve.
www.country-harvest.co.uk The Delicatessen Magazine 9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44