The East of England Co-op is responding to the growing demand for deli food by rolling out Deli To Go sections in 16 of its Food store locations.
The regional retailer is targeting shoppers looking to purchase high-quality produce, experiment with flavours and try new foods. The ‘grab and go’ Deli To Go section will open on 27th November in Food stores across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Deli To Go will showcase 46 products, including Wild Venison Beer Sticks from The Real Cure, fresh custard and rice pudding from Clotton Creamery and a selection of artisan cheeses from The Cheshire Cheese, Croome Cheese and Godsell’s.
The deli category is increasing in value and is now up 5.6% according to research by Kantar in February 2025. This places its value at £1.2 billion when mezze, pickles, Mediterranean items and dips are taken into consideration. The East of England Co-op want to take advantage of this growing market by enriching their customers shopping experience and drawing in new customers that want to enjoy restaurant quality food at home.
The Deli To Go products available at launch have been chosen with the festive season in mind and will change with the seasons. To meet the consumer demand for local produce with low food miles, the deli section will also feature East Anglian produce from a variety of brands including Lane Farm, Taste of Suffolk, Hamish Johnston, The Greek Olive Company and Purely Pesto and Wicks Manor.
Simon Dryell, chief commercial officer at East of England Co-op, said: “We are proud to offer a range of delicious products from carefully selected producers on our Deli To Go shelves. It’s an exciting time for our co-operative and the addition of Deli To Go is another step towards shaking up our Food stores to exceed our customers’ expectations.
“We hope that our customers enjoy the benefits of having high-quality fresh produce available in these stores that change with the seasons. It is important that we evolve in a fast-changing market and our Deli To Go offering reflects our drive to improve the shopping experience within our stores.”
