Speciality Food Jan/Feb 2026

specialityfoodmagazine.com 35 One of her favourite parts of running the deli is sourcing, speaking to producers about why and how they make things. “When customers come in, I can talk confidently about everything we have, and if I know them, I’ll know which products they’ll like so I can make recommendations.” Laura muses that she was “much more well off and had more free time” in the past, “but I’m happy I made the change”. She calls running the shop a performance, but “it’s also lovely because we’re humans and need that interaction. It’s really nice to be part of the community.” Moving with the times Laura gets a huge amount of satisfaction out of meeting producers and introducing to Laura’s Larder products she knows the multiples won’t have. Trends she’s picked up on recently include a steering from younger customers towards natural wines. “They’re also embracing things like Korean cooking in the same way. Yes you can go online and buy kimchi, but you haven’t got someone there talking about how it was made, how to use it, and how it made them feel. Our customers appreciate the personal touch.” Something else Laura is noticing, again, with younger shoppers, is howmuch attention they’re paying to labels. “They’re really studying them before they buy something, and I don’t think I’ve seen that from young people as much as recently. I love it because we always fare so much better than the supermarkets in this area. We care about what we sell, and these people care about what they eat.” What makes a great deli? Curating lots of things from lots of different places, rather than going to one or two wholesalers is key so you don’t become an ‘identikit’ shop, says Laura. “I go to multiple sources. I have a tiny shop, but there’s 1,800 lines in my till from over 300 suppliers!” Being personable without being intrusive goes a long way as well. “I hate walking into sports shops where everyone’s staring at their phones and doesn’t want to help. It pays to say, ‘hi, how are you?’ and, ‘can I help you?’, asking questions and following up with the ‘performance’.” relishes the chance to bring in new food trends alongside staunchly classic deli offerings. “We have a sign outside saying, ‘good vibes and food supplies’, that’s so ‘us’.” Something Laura’s Larder’s become renowned for is its lunchtime offering. The counter boasts homemade cakes that change daily – from lavender and honey cheesecake to oat, date and nut bars or apple and cinnamon cake. There are homemade quiches, soups and salads. And social followers wait with bated breath every morning to find out what Laura’s special sandwich of the day (all made to order) will be. “People say it’s their appointment to view the post on Instagram! At 11am I’ll have people calling up saying, ‘I’m trying to plan my day and I haven’t seen what your special is yet’, and friends say they look at it to get advice for making things themselves at home.” LAURA’S FAVOURITE PRODUCERS ● MAKAN MALAYSIA Run by two girls in Reading who make Malaysian sauces. They’re so fun and engaging. I love people like that! ● CHILI MAVEN She’s also so much fun, and I really love the depth of flavour in her products. ● BARON BIGOD It’s something we’re synonymous with – a really fantastic British product. ● HOMEMADE Our ‘made at Laura’s Larder’ range is popular. People make a beeline for the homemade cake, fresh salads, quiches and more. Having this element alongside the artisan British producers really sets us apart from the crowd.” A vocation, not a job Running any business is a lifestyle, not a job, and Laura adores it. “Everyone says it’s going to be so much work, and they were right, obviously, but luckily I had run my own businesses before, so I was aware of some of the behind-the-scenes – it’s the bricks and mortar side of things that brought a whole new level of things I wasn’t aware of.”