Balula’s Delicatessen

The first couple of times I stopped in, it was just to have a peek at the merchandise. lots of jams, sauces, meats… specialty items that you wouldn’t find at your regular grocery store. The front area never seems to be that busy, but the café at the back always seems to be buzzing. On one occasion I stopped in to grab an Americano on the way back to the hotel.
It seemed a bit manic as it seemed as though the three ladies behind the counter were new or maybe not as well acquainted with the appliances and till. As I was ordering my Americano, I spotted some lovely looking sweet treats and decided to get some brownies. It took a bit long to get the Americano, but it did allow me time to nose about and take a look at the sandwich board. As I was waiting, a fourth lady appeared with a delicious looking cake! It looked freshly baked and decorated. Not sure what kind of cake it was, but I may have been drooling. I bought two (yup, one for me and one for Mr. Snarky). I thought that the white bits inside the brownie were nuts, but to our, pleasant, surprise, they were actually chunks of white chocolate. Mr. Snarky and I agreed that it really enhanced the brownie. The brownie itself wasn’t too sweet, so when you bit into a piece of the white chocolate, it was really quite lovely. The brownie was also a great balance between fudgy and cakey… not always an easy feat to achieve. It is definitely one of our favourite brownies now.
On my second visit, it was a bit quieter… still busy, but the three staff behind the counter this time seemed to have everything under control. I decided to have a cream tea. The selection of tea is quite nice, but a bit overwhelming as you are staring at the glass jars on the wall. The lady said she would bring my order to me when it was ready. While it looks like there is outdoor seating, I chose to sit inside, at a table along the wall facing the counter where the sandwiches are made.
As I waited, I watched one of the staff lovingly putting together a sandwich. She was quick, but graceful. Not sure that I have seen a sandwich put together so lovingly! On one of the sandwiches, she carefully made sure that the meat (not sure what it was… maybe tuna, maybe pieces of chicken?) was in every bite, rather than clumped in the middle. On another sandwich, after putting the greens and other piece of bread, she carefully tucked in some of the greens that were sticking out. It really was lovely process to watch.
I posted a picture of my cream tea… The scones are huge! And they are lovely as well. Having tasted the strawberry jam, I am tempted to buy a jar from the deli area as I really enjoyed it. As I was finishing my scone, I noticed a man and another woman walked in, they walked behind the counter and began asking how things were going. Presumably the owner??? Immediately they began helping out, tidying things up and the man stopped at my table and asked how my scone was. Really friendly service and they really take pride in the quality of the food they serve.

Quite possibly the best deli in Swindon. Great staff, luxurious range of products from all over the world. Try the Napoli sandwich and an Illy coffee.