Deli delights (From Living Northeast)

Deli delights

12:04pm Monday 29th March 2010 in

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Food and wine store Campbells of Leyburn has been in business since 1868. Ruth Addicott takes a look at what keeps it going.

WHETHER you’re partial to a freshly based croissant, delicious beef casserole or an Italian platter tasty enough to have come straight from the Med, Campbells of Leyburn has it all.

The family-run store has been supplying fine food and wine to locals in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, and the surrounding villages and farms since 1868.

It certainly looks pretty tempting today. The deli counter is a must for food lovers – not only for the impressive range of locally-sourced, home-roasted meats, but also the delicious freshly baked pies, pastries, bread, olives and anti-pasta.

The store is run by Doug and Kath Campbell – the sixth generation of Campbells to carry on the family tradition.

Doug, who left school at 16 to work in the shop with his father, has seen huge changes in the last 34 years, not only in stock, but in size. “It is five times bigger than when I started,” he says. “There were 20 different varieties of wine, today we have nearly 2,000.”

Campbells has also widened its reach and has taken orders from all over the UK since launching a website in November. “Using small independent food manufacturers gives us an edge because they can’t produce enough for the supermarkets,” says Doug. “We’re searching the country for little suppliers, ordering fresh fish from Cornwall, for example.”

There is plenty of inspiration for dinner parties – the Italian platter offers a slice of the Med with prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, sun-blushed tomatoes, Boscaiola olives and Sardinian flat bread. While the Spanish platter is just as appetising with favourites such as Serrano ham, manchego with membrillo (quince paste), marinated piquillo peppers, caperberries and spiced Marcona almonds.

Cheese connoisseurs will love the cheese board with quirky alternatives such as balls of dried figs, medjool dates, fresh crisp apple and Spanish dried moscatel grapes, alongside traditional Yorkshire sheep’s cheese, goat’s cheese, cow’s cheese and blue cheese. A selection of local pastes, pickles and delicious spiced chutneys add an extra zing.

Last, but not least, there is the popular meat counter with good quality locally-sourced beef, lamb, pork and poultry – always ‘rare breeds’ and often from champion stock.

Campbells takes orders for weddings, dinner parties, buffets, shooting parties. Look out, too, for the forthcoming Chilean wine-tasting session on May 11 – the only problem will be deciding which ones to take home.

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Campbells of Leyburn,

4 Commercial Square, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5BP. For further info visit campbellsofleyburn.co.uk, call 01969-622169 or email doug@campbellsofleyburn.co.uk.