A delicatessen which tempted food-lovers with rare treats such as ostrich pate and orchid ice cream has closed down – just four months after opening in a Black Country town.
A notice on the door of Elizabeth’s Delicatessen & Cafe in Walsall’s Bridge Street, announces that bailiffs Blue City Properties have been called into the business to claim ownership of its equipment.
It also reveals that Birmingham-based agents Sohl Property Services is now the legal owner of both the building and its contents.
Owner Elizabeth Boyd opened the shop amid much fanfare in August and only last month announced she had been “overwhelmed” by the response from customers.
The shop, described as “indulgent luxury at a very small price” on its website, had seating inside for around 20 people and specialised in unusual fare such as gluten-free cakes and octopus.
Shoppers could also pick up marinated pickles and sausages, ostrich pate, venison pate, stuffed cabbage leaves, ice-creams including orchid and rose, lardo – which is Italian dripping, and salmon in raspberry and champagne.
Unusual teas such as Russian Caravan, Gunpowder, or Rooibosh were also popular.
The Express & Star has been unable to contact Mrs Boyd, who lives in Shelfield, via her telephone numbers or email address, despite repeated attempts.
When she first opened Mrs Boyd admitted she was taking “a gamble” setting up such an ambitious project on her own. In September a restaurant which attempted to bring more unusual food to the borough also shut its doors, after just 12 months.
Afrikana, also in Bridge Street, offered wild boar sausage and African-style potato as well as beers from Namibia, Mauritius and Kenya, wines from South Africa and Fair Trade coffee from Ethiopia.
9 Comments
Wonderful premises, wrong location. Sad but inevitable to see the demise of Elizabeth’s Deli. These specialist premises never last in Walsall. Afrikana and Elizabeth’s Deli served lovely food but people want burgers kebabs and and chips: Look at the profusion of hot food takeaways in Walsall town centre along Bridge Street and Ablewell Street. When the Wharf bar first opened they served Lobster Salad for £5 (less than cost price!) but people came in asking for burger and chips so Kevin Cryan took his trade where is was appreciated: Cornwall. Walsall has no appreciation of culture, and I can say that as I’m born, bred and I lived in Walsall for 33 years. Before I get shot down in flames here are a few examples to back up my statement: The Jerome K Jerome Birthplace museum is falling apart, the wonderful aniumated clock in The Saddlers Centre has vanished and nobody will explain where it’s gone. The Art Gallery is underused, the Arboretum illuminations is losing money hand over fist, we have demolished scores of heritage buildings, we have a half-finished ringroad that nobody believes will do anything to improve town centre congestion and we have a town centre fountain that hasn’t worked in decades. The town centre is full of chain stores, pubs and takeaways. anything unusual or cultural is doomed. The Christmas market was laughable: Compare it to Birmingham or Worcester’s Christmas Market. Where was the Christmas theme at Walsall market; some tinsel on the stalls? Don’t make me laugh!
It was always empty - Walsall people only Mr. Sizzle £1.00 meal deals
I agree with Neil… The people of Walsall are not renowed for there gastronomic delights unless its a deep fried mars bar!
Lovely idea but far too cultured for the likes of Walsall… Try London next time!
My apologies for the mis-spelling of animated. As Walsall Mad Man points out, it is a shame that Walsall’s culinary forte is Mr Sizzle.
I agree. I love the Art Gallery, but I dread the moment they say it’s closing due to falling numbers of visitors….
Totally agree Neil. I too was born, raised and dragged up in Walsall. The working class of Walsall do not ‘eat out’ especially in restaurants. Its a mind set…30 years ago there was no money and lots of unemployment so the chip shop or Mr Sizzle was an easy and cheap option for Mom & Dad’s - there kids have just carried on the grand tradition. Sadly Liz’s deli etc is ‘foreign muck’ and ‘pricey’ therefore no deal. The middle classes however wouldn’t been seen dead in Walsall town centre eating/buying lunch. No they would be in the new Birmingham Bull Ring drinking real Italian coffee and eating bruschetta or a ciabatta sandwich.
Sad fact of life, if it can be a sad fact of life… but Walsall is and always will be working class… you cant dress it up otherwise. The people make a town what it is.
Im from Darlaston originally so i cant complain moan about Walsall… Darlo is 10 times worse!!!!!!
Hence me moving to london (Sell out):-)
Walsall is a classic example of brain drain: Children grow up, leave for University and don’t return. There are no cultural facilities: There is no cinema or theatre in the town centre. There used to be both but they’re long demolished. You can go out for a meal (limited choice of restaurants) so long as you avoid the vomit, litter and broken glass on the footpath but there’s nothing to do afterwards, unless you want to go to a town centre pub with a cheap drinks promotion and stand up all night listening to extremely loud music. There’s evidently nothing wrong with that as hundreds of people do it every weekend but for those looking for something more cultural there’s not a lot on offer
Walsall is a predominantly working class community. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Promotions from such as “Mr Sizzle” to provide “Lunch for a Pound” are a godsend to ordinary people trying to raise a young family on low incomes.
When the town becomes more affluent it might support an operation like Elizabeth’s Deli. That’s just the way it is. It doesn’t mean that there’s something innately “wrong” with Walsall.