Surrounded by takeaways and convenience stores, Elizabeth Boyd isn’t surprised by the interest people are showing in her new shop.

Because it offers something a little bit different from your usual fare, with foods including ostrich pate, snails and even octopus. 

“A lot of people want to visit a nice cafe with white table cloths where they can enjoy freshly made sandwiches, tea and cakes,” says Elizabeth, who lives in Shelfield.

“But my shop also attracts the serious cooks who have to hunt around for special ingredients such as duck fat, squid and Biltong meat.

“Over the years I have been to so many places around the world where I have enjoyed the local cuisine and wished I could buy it back home.

“I decided to combine a cafe with a delicatessen because I wanted to stand out from the crowd and encourage people to eat more healthily.”

Elizabeth’s Delicatessen and Cafe in Bridge Street, opened its doors yesterday and welcomed crowds of curious people.

While diners can enjoy traditional afternoon teas, scones, jacket potatoes, salads, cheesecakes and ice-creams, shoppers can also buy a range of unusual items including marinated pickles and sausages, ostrich pate, venison pate, octopus, stuffed cabbage leaves, ice-creams including orchid and rose, lardo – which is Italian dripping, and salmon in raspberry and champagne.

Visitors to the store can start their day with some teas such as Russian Caravan, Gunpowder, or Rooibosh. 

There are also 35 varieties of cheese including Shrophire Blue, Scrumpy, Harlech and Hereford Hop and chocolates from Belgium and Staffordshire.

“We are open from 7.30am so I can catch people who want a healthy breakfast such as fruit salads and greek yogurt,” says Elizabeth. 

“In Walsall there are lots of chain stores and businesses serving fried food but I wanted something that was original to the town. 

“I used to work for a recruitment company where two of my colleagues couldn’t eat foods with gluten in them.

“I saw how they struggled to find food they could eat so I started making cakes and bread for them. 

“When they said they would pay me to cook for them I thought it sounded like a good idea.”

Elizabeth’s sells a range of gluten-free foods and products which appeal to Polish and ethnic communities. 

As for the customers, they seem impressed.

Amy Taylor, 22, from Pendeford and Carrie Smythenan, 26, from Lichfield who both work for a law firm in Walsall were equally enthusiastic.

Carrie said: “We both enjoy cooking and it can be frustrating when you can’t find the ingredients you need at your local supermarket.”

Perry Buck, 35, from Birmingham, said: “Everyone likes to treat themselves. The food is fresh and there are healthy options.”

By Cathy Spencer.