From a previous life in the corporate world, Nicholas Vanos is now the proprietor of The Deli Erskineville, a family operated establishment that pretty much does what it says on the box: it’s a fine food deli on the main street of quiet but cosmopolitan Erskineville.
But working in food wasn’t something Nicholas expected to do. “I was looking for something to feed my soul,” he says. Not that working in food came completely out of left field; Nicholas’s mother worked in corporate catering, his grandfather’s family opened one of the first seafood restaurants in Manly, before opening a delicatessen in Riley St, Darlinghurst in the 1930s, and another of his grandfather’s owned a milk bar in Pitt Street in the city.
The Deli Erskineville specialises in local and imported cheese, small goods and charcuterie, antipasto, preserves, condiments, artisan breads, free range meats, and pre-prepared meals; stocking brands such as Iggy’s Sourdough, Organic Bread Bar, Quattro Stelle, La Boqueria, La Bastide Saucisson, Vannella Cheese, Maffra Cheddar, Bruny Island Cheese, and Pepe Saya butter. “I’ll either go directly to producers or via several distributors based on who has the best of that product that I am after,” Nicholas says. “You’ve got to get out there and visit producers and distributors and see what people are doing, making sure you’re aware of what’s going on in the market.”
Nicholas’s radar (and tastebuds) must be on point because customers – locals and others – keep coming back; perhaps as much for the friendly service as for the generous portions. “I think generosity is important and I think fairness is important. It’s about being able to provide food for people who feel as though they’re getting good value for money,” he states. “Having those relationships with customers and developing those relationships over the years that I’ve been here – being honest, genuine and generous about who I am and what food I have in my delicatessen – it’s all about making sure the quality is there for myself and for the customer, and I wouldn’t be able to operate any other way.”
For Nicholas, it’s about engagement. “It’s about me and you engaging with each other; that’s who we are as human beings. And I take that personally, and I impart that with people who come into my life. I want them to feel the passion that I have for life and for the food that’s around me.”
And anyone who visits The Deli Erskineville leaves well aware of that passion – and suitably sated.
110 Erskinville Rd, Erskinville NSW 2043
Ph 02- 9557-2685
Instagram thedelierskinevil
