News: Yorkshireman’s Deli opens in Rotherham town centre

The Yorkshireman's Deli has opened in Rotherham town centre following help and support from the Rotherham Enterprise Project.

Based in the Imperial Buildings, the deli offers a range of homemade produce including cheeses, chutneys, pork pies, sausage rolls, and a selection of sandwiches.

The owners, Lee and Frances Taylor from Greasbrough, are expecting Mayor Shaun Wright and his consort to sample some of their delicacies at the official opening on June 23.

The idea for the new venture came about after Lee was made redundant from a sales position, and decided to take his hobby of growing vegetables and rearing poultry to the next level after spotting a gap in the market for a top quality Deli in the town.

Lee said: "Becoming a business owner in the current economic climate was a daunting step but one we needed to take due to my unfortunate redundancy.

"Frances and I have always enjoyed growing our own fruit and vegetables and tending to our chickens and it seemed to be the perfect solution to take our experience into business.

The Taylors had help and support from The Rotherham Enterprise Project, which is part financed by The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), from day one and right through to opening the premises to the public.

Frances said: "We approached the organisation after hearing they helped start-up businesses like ours flourish in the first few months of trading by offering advice and financial support.

"We spoke to Julia Millea, a business coach from the project, who helped us with our business plan, sourcing a food hygiene course for me to take and securing us a £500 grant which was put towards a food chiller we needed to store ingredients. I would like to thank Julia and her team for their valuable support. We couldn't have done it without them."

Julia, from Rotherham Enterprise added: "Lee and Frances make a great team and I'm sure will go on to provide Rotherham with some of the best delights around. It's great to see them turning a dismal situation into a positive one and a huge success."

Clothing store Caprice will also be officially opened by the mayor. Their latest shop, located on High Street, is set to continue their 30-year tradition of high-quality, well priced fashionable clothing for all ages.

Councillor Gerald Smith, Cabinet Member for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity, said: "It's with open arms that we welcome these two new businesses to our Town Centre family and we wish them the absolute best of luck with their new ventures.

"Thanks to shops like these Rotherham is building a reputation for quality independent retailers and we're standing out because of it."

Rotherham town centre website

Images: RiDO / Big Box Photography