Delilah Fine Foods

Nottingham

It is a rare and welcome cause for celebration when an independent retailer is able to stand its ground in the face of high-street Goliaths; even more so when they topple them. In the case of Delilah Fine Foods, which moved into the cavernous, sun-filled premises once occupied by a branch of a global bank, it surely deserves an entry in the Robin Hood hall of fame. That said, the amount and quality of produce on display here would have sorely tested the medieval purse- strings. It is a palace of tracklements, a church to cheeses and chutneys, wines and cured meats. There are alcoves crammed with freshly baked bread, cloisters stacked with jars and cans – you could spend an hour just admiring the packaging of the sardine tins or the labels on the bottles of locally brewed beer. Just the feat of keeping this much produce neat, organised and displayed so invitingly is impressive in itself. Idle browsing in fact has rarely been so much of a challenge, but if you feel yourself overcome, you can always take a seat at the food bar. A little kitchen out the back puts together slimmed-down breakfast, lunch and evening menus using only ingredients from the deli itself. A breakfast of French toast, homemade granola and yoghurt, washed down with a frothy latte comes highly recommended, though this is the kind of place where recommendations don’t count for much, as you’ll probably want to try everything. AA.