EAT APRIL 14 DOG DELIThere were two things about 2020 that shocked and surprised Eilir Rogers. The first – lockdown, which forced her and husband Charles’ award-winning Suffolk pub The Grundisburgh Dog to close its doors.
The second? That her new business venture, opening the front room of the pub as a deli, would convert Eilir from a staunch vegan into a devout cheese-lover who can’t imagine life without melted camembert studded with rosemary and garlic.
“I like cheese too much now,” she laughs.
Eilir is currently in the process of moving the deli from The Dog to new premises at Grundisburgh’s former Post Office, which she’s converting into a gourmet food store and micro café, selling over 50 types of cheese, giant sausage rolls, tempting Italian and French pastries and more.
It’s hoped the business, due to open at the end of April, will breathe new life into a building which has been closed for some time, with Eilir envisaging customers popping in for cake and a coffee, or to grab one of her popular hampers or picnic boxes to share on the idyllic village green.
“Ever since I set up the veg stand at the pub I had one eye on the old Post Office,” she says. “I had an inkling the deli could be moved eventually, and I kept walking past and peeking in the windows. I think if you imagine something you can make it happen...and I have.
“We had such a fantastic reception with the deli at The Dog and people have been so excited to hear we’re going to move. The Post Office is only a few minutes’ walk from the pub and villagers can’t wait for it to open because it’s been empty for a few years now. The landlord is delighted to have us in there too. We're taking a disused space and turning it into a new local business where I’ll be employing local people and offering something different.”
The new deli will, to Eilir’s delight, have a proper counter (there wasn’t space at the pub), brimming with cheese and baked goods made by The Dog’s kitchen team – including Scotch eggs and Charles’ “incredible” brownies.
“One of the most popular things we sell is Baron Bigod, and that’s lovely because it’s local. Suffolk Blue also sells really well. And I absolutely love the organic Godminster Smoked Vintage Cheddar. Oh, and St Jude’s - that’s gorgeous!”
As at The Dog, the shelves of Eilir’s new deli will be filled with a mixture of premium Suffolk and East Anglian produce, alongside a few quirkier and continental finds, from gins and fancy canned wine, to artisanal pasta and sauces.
“And I’m so happy we’ve got a coffee machine coming in as well. We’ll have some seating inside so people can come in and buy a cake and coffee, or something from our expanding range of Italian pastries, like cannoli, or freshly baked French croissants or pain au chocolat.
“We’ll carry on offering our hampers and picnic boxes too. I’ve actually been blown away by how many hampers have been ordered. They’re packed with lots of yummy things.”
Keep an eye on the Grundisburgh Dog Deli social media channels for details of the official opening date.
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