12 August 2008, 12:56 PM
  • It took only ten months for Iain Hemming to take West Street Deli in Wilton from opening to the top of The Independent's 50 Best Delicatessens list. He is the living proof that business acumen can help you reap ample rewards.

When Mr Hemming decided to open his delicatessen last year, it was a bit of a gamble. In fact, for the man who also runs The Food Forager, advising independent retailers on how to improve their shops, a bad start could have really backfired.

“Obviously, I was lucky to have some previous experience of the food trade,” he says. “But, as all I did was to apply what I ask other delis to do, as well as bringing some fresh ideas of mine, it would have looked rather bad if the shop didn’t work.”

Thankfully, things did work out and the dedication and hard work put in by Mr Hemming and his wife, Sally, paid off. In less than a year this little 144 ft2 shop went from its first customer to weekly takings of around £3,000. Most importantly, the deli received the top spot at this year’s The Independent’s Best 50 Delicatessens. “It’s incredible to receive such a boost after only a few months in business,” Mr Hemming continues. “The business is still young and we are over the moon.”

This top spot rewards Mr Hemming’s hard work and dedication to make the business work. He has tried to develop the shop so it can best serve the community. “We moved in the town only one month before the opening so we didn’t have enough time to do some proper market research. To be sure we didn’t make any mistake, we only started with £4,000 worth of stock and as we began to understand the needs of the locals we sourced more items – our stock is now worth £11,000,” he explains.

“We looked at what’s not available locally and offered it to our customers. In the past, the town had three butchers, but when we opened their were none left. So, we decided to offer fresh, locally sourced meat and it was very popular,” he adds.

Mr Hemming also buys vegetables from local people and sells them in store. “We have fresh produce brought in daily by residents so we can supply those who are not lucky enough to be able to grow their own,” he says. “Now people ask us what we need so they can cultivate it.”

The owner of West Street Deli reveals that success doesn’t come without its lot of hard work. “My wife and I are very proactive in promoting the business and there always something to do. In a few weeks we have a cheese and wine masterclass, for example. It will be a great opportunity for our customers to learn more on the subject and we will also introduce our new Christmas range.”