Celebrating quality goods at La Deli this Christmas

With the festive season approaching, La Deli is Queen Victoria Market’s (QVM) one-stop shop for Christmas goods; from cheeses and antipasto, to dips and cold cuts.

The family-owned and operated business has been a part of the QVM community for 15 years, offering a range of Eastern European and Australian produce, much of which is manufactured in La Deli’s own facility in West Melbourne.

“Before owning the current shop, I worked at Dianne’s Delight for 10 years, which was my parents’ business that they operated for close to 30 years,” owner Luke Louca said.

“I’d go there during school holidays and help out, then I bought La Deli with my wife in 2008 and have been operating it ever since.”

Mr Louca describes La Deli as a business that does “a little bit of everything”, focusing on manufacturing raw ingredients at their facility into the finished products that are brought into the shop every week.

“We’re pretty big on our prosciutto range and the different types that we offer, that’s our biggest seller,” he said.

It’s been something that I’ve built up over the past 15 years as the local palettes have changed and people have appreciated better quality small goods.

Jamón ibérico, prosciutto di San Daniele, pork belly and grandma ham are just some of the high-quality meats on offer at La Deli, with around 80 per cent of their meat products from local butchers around Melbourne.

Shoppers can also find an extensive range of Christmas table favourites at La Deli, including smoked salmon, pickled octopus and calamari, and their much-loved dolmades.

“That’s the difference between us and other delis around Melbourne, we offer different types of produce that a lot of places don’t have,” Mr Louca told CBD News.

Being involved at QVM for most of his life, Mr Louca admits that the early market mornings can be difficult at times, but the “great community” around him makes the job worthwhile.

“We’re always looking out and helping each other if we need something, which is very uncommon in similar businesses to have such an understanding – I think that’s what makes QVM so special.”

For Mr Louca and his family, La Deli is more than just a business, “it’s a part of me”.

“I sort of give my life to it – I’m very grateful for everything that I’ve accomplished through this place, it’s given me good values and work ethic, and that’s something that I want to pass onto my children,” he said.

“When Mum and Dad began in 1982, they were new migrants in Australia – we’ve established ourselves in this state and in this country because of what QVM has given us.”

La Deli is located in the Dairy Produce Hall at Shop 21 to 24, and is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6am to 3pm, Saturday from 6am to 4pm, and Sunday from 7.30am to 3.30pm. For more information:

qvm.com.au/store/la-deli •