Deal Deli

Craig Selby began trading Italian produce from a Saturday market stall in Deal during the pandemic, after his events business had dried up, and opened this permanent shop on the High Street in December 2023. He fits the space out like a garage in Italy, with vintage motoring memorabilia and a 1960s Lambretta scooter standing in the window, reflecting his own hobby of restoring old Italian scooters and converting them into mobile bars for festivals. The shelves carry hand-selected imports gathered on his regular trips to Italy: cured meats, cheeses, olive oils and store-cupboard goods not routinely stocked by British supermarkets. Selby, who lives above the shop, took the leap to full-time trading after a brain haemorrhage left him reluctant to keep putting the idea off.