Remembering how amazing the traditional local corner deli was

If you grew up in Australia, the mere mention of the words ‘corner deli’ should bring back a flood of wonderful memories. It was the local shop found in just about every suburb, and on the shelves was an array of stock — everything from milk and bread to more exotic flavours from around the globe.

As a kid in the 1950s, I loved going up the street to my local corner deli at Bondi. It was full of meats and sausages with unfamiliar, strange names. Hams and other things would hang on a hook from a rail above the counter. The counter itself was stacked with so many products the person serving me was almost hidden behind them. There were interesting cakes and breads, packets and tins with labels in a foreign language… What the heck was paprika or sauerkraut? I remember fondly the aromas of that place.

I was served by happy ladies and gentlemen, all had strange accents. I recall being offered a slice or a bit of ‘something’ to try for the first time in my life. A hand-operated slicer was used. I remember going to country stores that had an Australian deli, (Devon, ham, Frankfurt’s etc.) they were always enclosed by fly screens with a small opening that was only opened to hand you your purchases.

We were a less mobile society back then. The deli was the heart of the community, as people did their shopping close to home. I’ve no doubt a trip to the local corner deli was one way to catch up on all the local gossip.

Funnily enough, I worked for a Sydney small goods company as its representative for a number of years. I find today’s supermarkets’ offering bland, uninteresting, and lacking atmosphere.

Do you remember your local delicatessen? How do you feel about shopping today?

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