Staff at award-winning Clifton food shop Papadeli struggle to find enough space for the hundreds of delicious items it stocks these days but that wasn’t always the case, according to owner Catrin MacDonnell. The shop on Alma Road celebrates its 20th anniversary next month but when Catrin and chef husband Simon first opened its doors in June 2002, the shelves and fridges were a lot emptier.
Prior to opening their first business, Catrin had a job in marketing and Simon was a chef at Whiteladies Road restaurant Quartier Vert. The original idea was to open a gastropub but when they spotted an empty shop on Alma Road, they spotted an opportunity to open the sort of delicatessen they had seen on their travels on the continent.
“We didn’t really have an idea what we were doing,” laughs Catrin. “The day before opening when all the stock arrived, it barely filled two shelves.
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“Simon made the food for the counter and I ran the deli. We had one full time member of staff and a brilliant 14-year-old working on Saturdays - we learnt a lot very quickly.”
Nowadays, Bristol has a national reputation for its food and drink. The city has countless restaurants and shops serving a wide range of high quality food but when Papadeli opened in 2002 it was quite different.
Catrin says: “There were hardly any cafes around us and not that many restaurants in Bristol. There were some amazing places like Bell’s Diner and Quartier Vert that were doing great things with food, but you could count them on one hand.
“It's hard to believe how all that has changed. Food knowledge has definitely changed, too – we have students who are truffle crisps addicts and so many more people know their way round the cheese counter than when we first opened.
“Now most customers have a much wider knowledge of ingredients from all over. They really care about provenance and sustainability and nearly everyone knows their coffee compared to 20 years ago.”
As well as selling locally made products, Papadeli has always championed producers in Italy and Spain. In the past 20 years, keeping customers supplied with the very best ingredients hasn’t been straightforward and Simon and Catrin have often had to deal with challenges.
“Running a food business is not easy at the best of times as your product has such a short shelf life, which is why you need an absolute love for food and want to see others enjoy it, over anything else really. Seeing prices go up, supply chain issues, recession, a pandemic and, perhaps worst of all Brexit, there’s always something going on.
“We’ve been lucky over the years to have been able to recruit brilliant people who’ve taught us lots and stayed. They all come with an amazing enthusiasm which keeps it all going – they are the reason we are still here, along with incredibly loyal customers.”
Catrin also says that husband Simon - known by staff and regulars as ‘Papa’ - is one of the key ingredients of their success. As well working in the shop and running the catering side of the business, Simon also runs cookery classes, which always sell out.
“Simon is a brilliant chef in his own right and still absolutely loves finding new foods and sharing them. His enthusiasm is contagious - you only have to see him teach a cookery class to see that.”
The chef-quality food to takeaway has always been one of reasons why people flock to Papadeli. The seasonal dishes change most days and they are especially popular with locals who want to entertain friends at home.
Catrin says: “The takeaway food counter is one of our best features – I’m constantly astounded by the creative, delicious dishes that the chefs come up with. I think so many people are bored of sandwiches or pasta and love trying new flavours as well as being conscious of the need for more varied nutrition.
“We get lots of lunch trade as well as people wanting supper or to entertain. But the cakes are always a huge attraction as they are visually stunning and delicious – they don’t last long on the counter!”
The success of the food counter also resulted in Papadeli starting a successful catering business. In recent years, the food created by Simon and his chefs often end up being enjoyed at weddings and parties.
“In the beginning, Simon cooked all the tortillas, lasagnes, salads and casseroles to put in the counter for takeaway but then people started asking if he’d make some for a party or wedding, so we took it from there. It’s a big part of the business now and a natural progression, I guess, as we were already making the food.
“We now make enormous feasts for weddings and parties. We have a reputation for big flavours and letting the ingredients speak for themselves, as opposed to more fine dining.”
So, what have been the highlights over the past 20 years? Catrin says one of the best things has been seeing Papadeli staff moving on and opening their own places.
“We’ve had some amazing staff and it’s great to see many of them go on to start their own businesses which have become successful in their own right. Over the 20 years, we’ve also seen quite a few staff marriages and babies too, which has been lovely.”
As for the future, Welsh-born Catrin says the pandemic taught her and Simon a lot about the business and how to move forward. The good news for Papadeli customers is that they have no plans to retire quite yet.
“Covid was interesting to say the least. Good Sixty, a local company that delivers food from independents by bike, delivered huge amounts of orders for us. When we reopened after the restrictions, we couldn’t have café tables in the deli but sales remained high on deli items and takeaway chefs meals.
“This made us realise that keeping the deli as a deli only might be the best plan. So that’s staying, as are catering events and the cookery school.
“We’ve never been huge planners and have always said we’d keep doing it as long as we enjoy it. Although retiring to Wales one day does sound nice!”
Papadeli, 84 Alma Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2DJ. Tel: 0117 9736569.
