HUSBAND AND WIFE EARN A CRUST WITH FRESH DELI!
‘Grab-and-go’ shop opens at site of 1950s bakehouse
A HUSBAND and wife have opened a ‘grab-and-go’ deli after launching a food delivery service during lockdown.
Jessica and Chris Gallagher opened Gallagher’s Deli and Kitchen in Leek last Thursday and it serves a range of fresh, handcrafted sandwiches.
The pair married in 2019, and were set to start new jobs in March but plans were blighted by the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving them stuck for work.
They put their combined 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry to use and launched Gallagher’s Home Kitchen in March, serving restaurant quality food to the doors of the community as part of their ‘supper club’.
Jessica, aged 28, said: “Gallagher’s Home Kitchen served a different menu each night and the community loved it – opening the deli and kitchen just seemed like a natural next step.
“The concept is grab-and-go, with good coffee, local produce and easy food. Peoples’ lives are so fast paced and some don’t feel comfortable in a restaurant setting yet, so this is ideal and something that appeals to our lifestyle.”
The Grade II listed building on St Edward Street was a bakehouse in the 50s, but more recently served as a clothing store, before being taken over by the Gallaghers.
Jessica added: “Chris is a fantastic chef, bringing lots of flavour using local produce. All the retail items are local and the bread is from Live Love Loaf, in Leek, too. It’s so great to be working as a team, and other local independents have been so supportive.”
Gallagher’s Deli and Kitchen will be serving breakfast sandwiches and pastries, as well as hot drinks,including Eccleshall-based small batch coffee roaster Courtyard Coffee.
The lunch menu features three foot-long panini style sandwiches with fillings such as ‘Chicken 53’ and ‘Egg Mayo Royal’. One day a week there is also The Sunday Special
– a roast dinner on a giant Yorkshire pudding wrap.
The couple are supporting other independent brands by stocking their products inhouse, including Lemonaid, Bear Kombucha and Charitea.
Chris, aged 30, added: “Seven months ago this was not something we would have thought of doing. We’re a little army of two – Jessica does front of house and I do all the kitchen stuff.”
On their opening day, the couple sold out of all their breakfast items before noon, and sold all of their lunchtime sandwiches in under two hours.
Chris said: “We are super excited for the future. On day one we’d sold out of all our breakfast menu before we started serving lunch – I can’t make them fast enough!”
Gallagher’s Deli and Kitchen will be open from Thursday to Sunday, hosting their monthly ‘supper club’ on the first Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the month.