Initial Research

I'm not entirely sure how to start with my deli branding brief so I figured the best place to start would looking into what delis actually are and the kind of foods they sell:

Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". In English, delicatessen originally meant only this specially-prepared food. In time, the delicatessen store where this food was sold came to be called a delicatessen, and the new meaning for the word was eventually shortened to deli.

Delicatessen is a German loanword that first appeared in English in 1889; it is the plural form of Delicatesse. In German, it was originally a French loanword,délicatesse, meaning "delicious things (to eat)". The root word is the Latin adjective delicatus, meaning "giving pleasure, delightful, pleasing".

The modern German version is spelled Delikatessen, which may have helped support the alternate popular etymology that the -essen part of the word derives from the German verb essen (English: to eat), or the noun das Essen (English: the food). This would imply that the word is a portmanteau of the German words delikat(English: delicious; nominative case) and Essen.

Delicatessens in many parts of the world often sell their foods by weight such as cured meats, head cheese, sausages, ham, liverwurst, salami and other cold cuts, fried chicken, spare ribs, cold salads, pickled vegetables, dips, breads and olives. A supermarket may provide its own "deli" food, or even operate a delicatessen on-site. Like a supermarket, a delicatessen may also offer a selection of shelved food, often of the type that is not likely to be kept for more than a day.

Large Delicatessen stores or Deli shops sell cold cuts and meats, but the luxury food division includes confectionery, fine spirits, wines, exclusive cheeses, truffled pâté, caviar, foie gras, high quality coffee beans, fruit, spices, herbs, specialty breads, exclusive sweets, cookies, honey, tea and luxury handmade chocolate.

What foods do delis sell?

Delis typically sell cuts of meat, cheeses, preserves, breads, salads, olives

- Cheese (brie, wensleydale, mozzarella, red leicester, goats cheese,   

- Pate (brandy and herb, pepper and white wine, chilli and lemongrass, 

- Olives (tomato stuffed olives, garlic stuffed olives, jalapeno olives)

- Antipasti (feta stuffed red peppers, balsamic onions, sundried tomatoes, mediterranean mixed vegetables)

- Oils

- Vinegars

- Meat (ham, bacon, salami, chorizo, parma ham, pancetta, 

- Chutney and Preserves (marmelade, strawberry/raspberry preserve,)

- Caramelised onion relish

- Apple cider chutney

- Feta stuffed red peppers

I've had a look at some existing menus to look at the foods which delis would serve and selected some things which I could use for my menu:

Breakfasts:

Sandwiches:

- Roast chicken salad

- Bacon, brie and caramelised onion

- Brie, rocket and cranberry

- Chorizo, red onion, roasted pepper and goats cheese

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Paninis: 

- Mozzarella, tomato and pesto

Salads:

- Tomato and mozzarella salad with olives and pesto

- Tomato, rocket and blue cheese salad

- Mixed leaf salad with Buffalo mozzarella, sun blushed tomatoes, black olives and a balsamic dressing 
- Warm Goats Cheese salad with mixed leaves, walnuts, drizzled with a herb dressing