18/09/2026
AM I STUPID? PROBABLY. AM I OPENING SATURDAY? ALSO PROBABLY. 🤣🚨
This week has kicked The Village Deli’s backside a little bit. 🙈
You might look through the window, see us absolutely manic and think, “They must be doing alright in there!” — but unfortunately, busy doesn’t always mean profitable.
Food prices have absolutely shot up again these last few weeks.
Just THREE examples from this week…
🥔 A sack of potatoes — up £4 a sack (and we go through A LOT of potatoes!)
🥔 A box of jacket potatoes — up £10 a box
🧀 Our big blocks of cheese — £10 more than LAST WEEK.
That’s in ONE WEEK. And that’s just three things we buy. 😢
And that’s before we even get started on baking ingredients. Chocolate, cocoa, butter, cream and everything else have all increased considerably. Our cakes cost much more to produce than they did even a short time ago, yet we haven’t increased our cake prices.
You practically need a small mortgage to bake a brownie these days. 🤣🙈
We haven’t suddenly whacked our prices up to cover all these increases. We’ve tried our hardest to keep things affordable and, until now, the shop has simply swallowed a lot of those extra costs.
But there comes a point where we have to admit we simply can’t keep absorbing them.
Despite working around 60 hours this week, and although you’ve seen us absolutely rushed off our feet, the truth is the numbers simply aren’t adding up.
We’re busy. We’re grafting. And we’re incredibly grateful for every single customer who comes through our door. But right now, the cost of keeping the shop running is rising faster than what’s coming in.
That’s not a sob story and it’s certainly not us asking anyone to feel sorry for us. It’s just an honest look at the reality of running a small food business at the minute. ❤️
SO… rather than sitting at home worrying about it tomorrow, apparently I’ve decided the sensible thing to do is…
OPEN THE BLOODY SHOP. 🤣
And because I’ve clearly lost the plot…
🥓 EVERY BACON OR SAUSAGE SARNIE — £3
🥪 EVERY COLD SARNIE & PANINI — £3
🍰 EVERY PIECE OF CAKE — £2
☕️ EVERY COFFEE OR HOT CHOC £2.50
I’d rather clear the counters, get some money back in the till and see our food eaten than have stock sitting here — or, even worse, ending up in the bin. 😥
So come and take advantage of my questionable business decisions. 🤣
🚨 SATURDAY — WE’RE OPEN! 🚨
Once it’s gone, it’s gone! ❤️
And one last thing…
We genuinely couldn’t ask any more of our customers. We couldn’t ask to be any busier or any better supported than we already are. You lot are doing your bit and then some. ❤️
Please don’t read this as us asking you to spend more or support us more — you already do, and we’re incredibly grateful for it.
I think I’ll be with the majority when I say I’m just sick to the back teeth of how things are at the minute. Everything seems to cost more, yet everyone has less.
We’re working longer hours, grafting harder than ever and doing everything we possibly can — yet somehow there’s less left at the end of it.
And I know it isn’t just us. Customers are feeling it. Families are feeling it. Small businesses everywhere are feeling it.
There’s only so much you can cut back, absorb and work harder before you start wondering where it ends. ❤️
