Delis are set to be this year’s biggest hospitality trend: here’s where to find the UK's best

Delicatessens are fast becoming go-to destinations for food lovers seeking quality produce, regional specialities or simply a good cup of coffee and a pastry. Whether you’re stocking up on pantry essentials, hunting for a prime foodie gift or intrigued by those little luxuries that make cooking more exciting, these independent gems across the UK deliver on flavour, provenance and a sense of community, from historic establishments to neatly curated farm shops and bucolic village nooks.

Best delicatessens in London

Farm Shop, Mayfair

For seasonal British produce

This stylishly outfitted deli on South Audley Street in Mayfair is the sort of gem that London foodies dream of shopping in daily. By day, the ground floor is a showcase for the best of British produce, with baskets of vibrant fruit and vegetables, rustic sourdough, tempting bakes and shelves stacked with artisan chutneys and jams, all sourced from the company’s own Somerset farm and a select group of producers. There sare also grab-and-go sandwiches, toasties and coffee.

As the evening arrives, follow the discreet arrows through the deli and down to the softly lit basement, where candlelight and a welcoming buzz set the scene for wine, leisurely grazing and people-watching. Think rotisserie chicken, indulgent cheese toasties and generous sharing boards piled high with Somerset charcuterie and cheese (cheese lovers will be in their element, with temperature-controlled rooms ensuring the likes of Yarlington, Montgomery's cheddar and creamy Bath Blue are always at their best). farmshop.co.uk

The Ealing Grocer

For sustainably minded staples

What started as a lockdown project between Ealing denizens Andy Harris and Katie Millard has flourished into a neighbourhood fixture, supplying the W5 area with premium pantry staples, hand-sliced meats, farmhouse cheeses, homewares and more. This paradise of artisanal wares was inspired by the co-owners' various work travels visiting eclectic épiceries, street markets and tavernas. Pimp up your pantry with the likes of pickled green figs, La Guinelle vinegars and Cantabrian seafood (many of the products are exclusive to the store, imported through Andy’s other business, Vinegar Shed).

There is also a daily roster of traiteur-style prepared food (think chicken and saffron rice soup, pumpkin arancini and spanakopita), and you can also catch Andy making his celebrated soft serve ice cream, with diverse flavours like saffron, melon, vanilla and sea buckthorn. Devotees to sustainability, they sell many things by the scoop and encourage shoppers to bring their own bottle to fill with the best Greek honey or olive oil. theealinggrocer.com

Gladwell's, Camberwell

For a little bit of everything

Housed inside a Grade II listed former bank, this neighbourhood store has it all under one roof, from everyday essentials through to luxury treats for gifting. Trending deli staples share space on the packed shelves with English forced rhubarb, Dusty Knuckle sourdough, British cheese from Mons Cheesemongers, natural wine and fresh seafood, not to mention a sleek butcher's counter from Turner & George, the award-winning butcher co-owned by chef Richard Turner (Hawksmoor, Meatopia, Pitt Cue Co).

The counter sells freshly baked Viennoiserie and bagels, deli sandwiches and homemade sausage rolls, which disappear in minutes. In the the evening, sip on a glass of wine or beer at shop prices. gladwells.co.uk

Lulu's, Herne Hill

For unique comestibles

The sister wine bar and shop to Herne Hill restaurant Llewelyn's, this bijou deli champions quality and craft in its carefully selected products from the kitchen's favoured suppliers, along with house-made pantry provisions. Rare and local finds include green hot sauce from Rye Lane, spiced tomato juice from The Pickle House in Suffolk and EVOO from Honest Toil.

Lulu's ensures locals and commuters are well fed with a weekly changing menu of pastries and coffee, freshly made sandwiches and salads, with small plates, wine and cocktails served from 6pm. lulus.london

Lina Stores, Soho

For high-quality Italian fare

A Soho fixture since 1944, Lina Stores is the city's most famous destination for authentic produce and ingredients imported from Italy. The mint-tiled corner shop is a visual treat, its shelves crammed with everything from metre-long pasta frills to chic bottles of passata, ideal for gifts, stocking up the larder or simply treating yourself.

Regulars love the fresh pasta bar and a meat and cheese counter, piled high with over 40 different types of salumi and formaggi, from ’nduja and finocchiona to creamy gorgonzola. You can also expect delectable pastries and sweets – all ready to take home or enjoy with a strong Italian coffee on the spot. linastores.co.uk

Persepolis, Peckham

For Persian pantry staples

Step into this quirky deli-cum-café and stock up on exciting Persian pantry staples. This much-loved deli is a cornucopia of tins, spices, paklava and beyond, with Persian rugs, cookware and shisha pipes adding to the atmosphere. Beyond the shelves, a relaxed café rustles up vibrant meze platters and a unique selection of meat-free dishes — think tofu scrambled with dates and aromatic spices, or indulgent dairy-free sundaes bejewelled with Persian sweets. foratasteofpersia.co.uk

Provisions, Islington

For wine and cheese

This smart Islington shop is worth a visit for its inimitable line-up of cheese and wine. Provisions was founded in 2015 (with a second shop on Hackney Road that opened in April 2022), and the team puts a lot of care into the curation, seasonality and presentation of their products, importing raw milk cheese, organic and natural wines, cured meats and other deli items mainly from small producers in France and Italy.

Aiming to make wine and artisan food affordable and accessible rather than elitist, Provisions stocks quality products like tinned fish from Portugal, cured meats from the French Basque Country and craft beer from across the UK. Later in the evening the space morphs into an intimate pintxos bar. provisionslondon.co.uk

The Larder, Lewisham

For local London finds

Opened in 2014 by south London foodies Katherine and Cynthia, this homely delicatessen stocks as locally as possible, including beers from Brockley Brewery and Villages, bread from Boulangerie Jade and Cooper's Bakehouse, Catford Honey, chutneys and oils from Pat & Pinky’s, Catford and Lewisham Gins. Organic fruit, veg and salad comes from Chegworth Valley Farm in Kent and Sitopia Farm in Greenwich, while British cheese (Neal’s Yard Dairy) and European cheeses (Mons Cheesemongers) is delivered every week. Owing to its well-curated range, The Larder was recently crowned the best deli in London. thelarderdeli.com

Terroni of Clerkenwell

For fresh Italian produce

London’s oldest delicatessen (and arguably the first in England), Terroni of Clerkenwell has been a family-run fixture since 1878. Inside, counters brim with Italian cheeses, cured meats and freshly made pizza. Must-tries include taleggio, creamy burrata, punchy gorgonzola, guanciale and mortadella studded with pistachios. Settle in with the locals for a slice of just-baked pizza, best enjoyed with an Aperol spritz or a glass of sangiovese. terroni.co.uk

Jones of Brockley, Crofton Park

For high-end wares

All your picnic needs are catered for at this family-run store, neatly curated with posh jars of olives, nuts and tapenade, British beers, cider and more. Its commitment to selling flavour-first supplies and quality groceries is evident in its samples of peaches from Natoora, ice cream sandwiches from Happy Endings and 100% British canned fish from Sea Sisters. Towards the end of the week, cop artsy, buttery bakes delivered by Toklas Bakery, such as their 'nduja and cheddar croissant. jonesofbrockley.com

Harrison’s, Ealing

For cheese or something special

This unassuming spot has been a local haven for fine wine and life’s little luxuries since 2010. Check out the bumper crop of British and European cheeses which line the shelves, spotlighting award-winning cheesemakers like Snowdonia Cheese Co. It also stocks a solid range of gourmet treats; highlights include truffle carpaccio, duck rillettes and fresh Scotch eggs. The team are wine and spirits specialists, too. harrisonswines.co.uk

Mum’s Whole Food, Harringay

For organic groceries

It's almost impossible to walk past this family-run store without stopping to admire its abundant flower display. Inside, there's a bounty of organic produce in all shapes and colours flanking shelves of little goods to satisfy every craving, from luxury teas to truffle cheddar and freshly baked cinnamon rolls from the bakery. There's also a decent health and wellbeing section stocking clean beauty products and green household items. mumswholefood.co.uk

Best delicatessens across the UK…

Lunya, Liverpool

For authentic Spanish flavours

Lunya is a family-run Catalonian deli-restaurant that celebrates the best of Spanish produce and cuisine. Step inside and you’ll find shelves stocked full of regional wines, sherries and vermouths, alongside a deli counter laden with fresh padron peppers, piquillo pepper hummus, and an extensive array of artisan Spanish cheeses – from nutty manchego and mighty wheels of cabrales blue to creamy torta (Lunya says it has the UK’s largest stock of cheese from Catalunya and Spain).

The selection of cured meats is equally tempting, with acorn-fed Ibérico ham taking centre stage. For 15 years, Lunya has been a go-to for food lovers seeking authentic flavours, with everything from Asturian cider to Navarran roncal cheese available to take home. lunya.co.uk

Martin & Malthouse, the Cotswolds

For olive oil and local cheese

A collaboration between family and friends, Martin & Malthouse is a rustic-chic deli, café and bottle shop in the quaint town of Tetbury. Shelves are teeming with local cheeses, meats, baked goods and coffee, alongside an assured clutch of fine wines, beers and spirits in the bottle shop. Make a beeline for the olive oil pressed from the family’s own groves in Greece.

Each Thursday, the shop transforms into a buzzing evening wine bar, offering charcuterie and cheese boards, while a local sourdough pizza maker pops up a couple of times a month to dish up freshly baked slices. martinandmalthouse.co.uk

Lupe Pintos, Glasgow

For hot sauce and more

For nearly a quarter of a century, Lupe Pintos has been a vibrant fixture in Glasgow’s West End and a haven for spice lovers, brimming with more than 100 varieties of hot sauce, Mexican products and speciality foods from across the Americas. Whether you’re on the hunt for an interesting Mexican beer or seeking authentic ingredients for a chilli con carne, a visit to Lupe is always a discovery.

Shelves are filled with everything from dried chillies and Yorkshire-made Mexican-style queso fresco to freshly delivered tortillas each Wednesday. Devotees make pilgrimages here for cult favourites such as La Carmina from Asturias, a cooking chorizo that has graced the deli’s counter for decades. lupepintos.com

Eusebi Deli, Glasgow

For Italian groceries

Eusebi Deli began life as a humble Italian grocer in Glasgow’s East End in 1975. It's since flourished into a vibrant deli and restaurant in the city’s West End, with regional and seasonal Italian dishes taking centre stage. Expect a deli counter with ready prepared meals, fresh pasta, grocery provisions and fine wines at your fingertips.

The team’s commitment to quality is unwavering; in the on-site ‘pasta laboratory’, pasta is crafted daily from scratch, using a variety of flours including chickpea, chestnut and grano arso. eusebideli.com

Picnic Fayre, Norfolk

For Norfolk stock

Running for over 40 years, find this bucolic deli squashed into an old forge in the shadow of Cley Windmill. Shelves are lined with the deli’s own chutneys and spice pastes, but the real star is their speciality bread: pillowy focaccia drizzled with a fragrant lavender marinade. Foodies can also fill their totes with Norfolk wines, homemade pâtés and quiches and local preserves and mustards. The deli also stocks fresh sourdough and viennoiserie from ‘Baked in Cley’, made only a stone's throw away. picnic-fayre.co.uk

Cedarbarn Farm Shop, North Yorkshire

For Yorkshire supplies

A treasure trove of Yorkshire deli finds, Cedarbarn Farm Shop on the outskirts of Pickering is a must-visit. This wholesome deli and farm shop is a go-to spot for foodies to stock up on artisan treats, with a considered range of fresh produce grown on its own farm and groceries from some of Yorkshire's finest suppliers (Shepherd's Purse cheeses, Whitby Seafish smoked fish and Yorkshire Rapeseed oil, for example). Shelves are lined with Rosebud Preserves jams, local Yorkshire honey, Cartwright & Butler butterscotch crunch biscuits and bottles of Wold Top Brewery ales. cedarbarnfarmshop.co.uk

Broadway Deli, the Cotswolds

For locally grown produce

Housed in a characterful 17th-century building with a storied past — including stints as a vicarage, tea room and guest house — Broadway Deli has been a cherished fixture in the Cotswolds for over two decades. Step inside to discover shelves jammed with freshly baked bread and pastries, locally grown fruit and veg and artisan cheeses, nestled alongside a selection of wines and deli essentials sourced from near and far. Beyond the counter, a delightful café and picturesque garden offer the perfect spot to linger over your finds. broadwaydeli.co.uk