Our co-editor Will Holmes interviewed the cofounder of Papadeli, Catrin Macdonnell. A foodie’s sanctuary tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Whiteladies Road, the deli radiates a great passion for all things European. Catrin studied French and Italian at university and lived in Barcelona, where she met her partner, Simon. With their extensive knowledge and combined experiences of Western Europe, the duo decided to bring the rich foods and flavours they had fallen in love with back to Bristol.
Papadeli opened on Alma Road 15 years ago, when Catrin and Simon found a gap in the market, seeing as there was only one other deli in Bristol at the time. Since then, it has expanded from a deli to also having a catering kitchen for exclusive events and a cooking school with classes that sell out months in advance (the winter cookery classes sold out in August). There are even a few spaces for those who want to eat lunch or drink espresso in the deli’s vibrant atmosphere.
Italian cuisine is becoming more engrained into British culture than ever before, so why not celebrate this food with good quality products? ‘You can’t get better than a good pecorino’ claims Catrin, and Papadeli’s cheese counter does not disappoint, nor does the articulate selection of olives for that matter. Other specialities include aromatic Incanto olive oils and tomato-based products, or if it’s something sweet you’re after, Papadeli sells panettone for the festive season: a luxuriously moreish sweetened bread loaf with candied fruits. As well as this, Catrin recommends pairing cantuccini – biscotti-style crunchy almond biscuits – with a sweet wine like the traditional Vin Santo for a genuine taste of Italy. As the saying goes, due dita di vino e una pedata al medico (a sip of wine a day keeps the doctor away…); with Papadeli’s range of European wines handled with such expertise, there is something for every customer who comes to the store.
Papadeli has really encapsulated the sentimental feelings of nostalgia associated with travelling to a Spain, France or Italy. Many of the deli’s clients come back from a holiday in, say, Rome, and are truly delighted to be able to find the particular authentic foods from their travels stocked in Bristol’s little Mediterranean haven.
Maria Shevchenko King
CUCINA