I don't normally buy from the deli but when I do I often find the quality questionable. Especially the seafood section where "fresh" salmon fillets always feel slimey with lots of scales and bones.
Any tips on what is good to get from the deli and what should be avoided?
how do the prices compare to the branded ones in the supermarkets? for olives or cheese?
Most your fish from the deli comes in frozen, ask em to get a frozen peice
Good Advice! What do you do with the thawed one that didn't sell at the end of the day?
I work in a commercial kitchen not the deli, but they buy it in the same way as us. They would sell out the counter to 99% of the people so it shouldn't make a difference if that's what you decided to do.
As for the close to date fish they would reduce it, and of they didn't sell write it off as waste. Each department has % they are allowed.
As for slimey feel, depending on brand if it's thawed in the plastic things like salmon come in it sometimes feels that way, a rinse under a tap will fix it but ya know…
:) Freeze them maybe
They are fresh, from freezer.
I buy fish from a fish store in the shopping centre. They are super busy and the fish is FRESH.
Cold cuts / Cheeses from the deli are fine. Ask to have things freshly sliced. They will do it for you with a bit of a frown.
The deli is usually cheaper, i thought ozbargainers would be all over that. I've never had an issue with quality and it helps support local jobs.
I'd normally buy from local shops which I find them cheaper than deli (and better service)
When purchasing from the deli I like to make sure the store I buy from is busy. Some IGA's have pitiful sales and so stock is slow-moving, both in fruit/veg & deli… so I like to go to a bustling busy store for those things. I find most cut fresh now and have very little pre-sliced meats. I do avoid seafood from smaller delis as well.