50 years of Favell: Deli co-owner ‘proud’ to be part of Weston Favell Shopping Centre at this historic time
The co-owner of a deli, which is one of the latest additions, says he is proud to be part of Weston Favell Shopping Centre as it celebrates its historic 50th anniversary.
Olive and Baker, which was opened in September last year by mother and son duo Gurjeet and Charlie Sapal, hoped to become a premium grab and go for customers.
The pair offer meal solutions with options to visit at breakfast, lunch and dinner – as well as homemade bread, olives, pastries, pies, chilled sweet treats and essential items, including milk and eggs.
The deli is home to 10 metres of fridges containing food for all meals of the day. This spans across fresh bread and pastries in the morning and deep filled baguettes at lunchtime, to Indian, Italian, Thai and Chinese cuisine in the evenings.
The final addition is a small retail space, which houses Olive and Baker branded marmalades, chutneys, jams and sauces.
Gurjeet was asked what it was about Weston Favell Shopping Centre that made him and his mother Charlie want to open their new venture there.
“There are lots of fast food places for convenience, but there wasn’t necessarily somewhere you could get premium items,” he said. “We thought it was a really good location, and we’re local to Northampton as a family. We’ve shopped at Weston Favell for a very long time.
“We knew we would use something like this and thought maybe others would as well. The massive Tesco is a hub for the locals and we thought we’d be a nice add on to that. People can do their main shop and save some space for nice things.”
The team has had a “really positive” response since opening, and they are now well-supported by a diverse range of regular customers.
Gurjeet said the centre itself has been a pleasure to work with, and it has helped them develop new aspects of the business. This includes the addition of a seating area, which was installed around two months ago, and offering a variety of their products hot.
The hope is that the hot food will make the seating area even busier and encourage people to use Olive and Baker as a hub – as the team enjoys speaking to customers and building on community spirit.
When asked how it feels to be part of the shopping centre at such a historic time, Gurjeet said: “We’re really proud. I’ve been going there since I was a kid and I’m 37 now. Weston Favell has gone from strength to strength and it’s nice to be a small part of that.
“Times are not easy and the fact the centre is allowing businesses to have the confidence to give it a go is testament to how it’s doing and how it’s run.
“There’s businesses of all types and if people can support the local vibe, it’s going to make Northampton and Weston Favell stronger.”
Talking about the future of Olive and Baker in the shopping centre, the co-owner said there is “so much potential” as they continue to find their feet.
The hope is to offer home deliveries and a buffet service, for corporate events and parties for example – and they have an exciting collaboration with the centre’s Pure Gym in January, to provide fresh and healthy meal prep for members.
The Chronicle & Echo is working with Weston Favell Shopping Centre until the end of October to mark the celebration. If you would like to share your memories and pictures, email [email protected].