Delilah Fine Foods opens Leicester branch in former bank
Nottingham’s award-winning Delilah Fine Foods has opened a second outlet in the centre of Leicester, in a Grade II listed former bank close to the Cathedral and the new King Richard III centre.
At nearly 5,000 sq ft, the new unit is around 25% bigger than the existing Nottingham store. However, owner Sangita Tryner said it shared “remarkable similarities”, with a large atrium providing retail space, seating for 32 diners and a food bar, and an L-shaped mezzanine floor catering for 38 covers.
Space is currently split 50:50 between retail and foodservice, but a further 40 covers could be added outside if demand is strong.
The shop will stock the same range as Nottingham, but Tryner is considering adding a handful of new local suppliers.
Nottingham’s general manager Nik Tooley will oversee both units in the new role of operations manager, with colleague Sam Skinner-Watts moving over to run Leicester on a day-to-day basis as general manager, supported by a largely new team.
The new store is employing 17 new staff in total – four less than in its Nottingham site – but Tryner admitted this was “a massive worry” given the impending rise in the National Living Wage.
“If the next stage happens and it goes to £9, we will have some serious decision making about whether we change the way we work,” she told FFD. “We might not be able to offer the same level of service.”
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