Fresh Basil

the best deli for miles great food in a relaxed atmosphere i need to visit every week to chill out with excellent food to delight all my senses

pies, meats, cheeses, olives, bread sauces, baskets, plus operates as small cafe for brunches

Fresh Basil is the reason why shopping locally is a truly enjoyable experience. A Saturday shop is not complete without filling your fresh basil reusable bag full of fantastic cheeses, pies, cakes (the chocolate brownies and clementine cake are to die for) vegetarian haggis and I could go on. The food available on the menu is full of quality ingredients and all taste superb. The staff are incredible where else in this day and age do you get to know the staff to the point where I embarassingly found myself short of money to pay and they simply said I could give it them on my next visit - (which I did I hasten to add!) Sam particulary is full of friendly banter and is gaining a certain notoriety in the town especially since introducing this year for the first time an annual food festival to Belper. It makes me proud to live in here. Good luck in the final you deserve to win. God help Belper if we together as a town helped by BATS (Belper Against Tesco Superstore) don't suceed our fight to stop the invasion of the superstore we must all pledge to continue to shop local especially in Fresh Basil.

Glad to see you got a much deserved place in the final. The best selection of local, regional and international produce of the highest quality that I've seen anywhere. With friendly and helpful staff it is an epicurean shopping experience without equal. Keep up the good work.

Fresh Local & Continental Food Served With Fresh Ground Coffee. Friendly Deli & Cafe Staff. Who Needs Anything More! To Put It Simply: Just Taste The Difference! You'll Never Need To Go Anywhere Else!

Friendly, welcoming, and the products served are top quality, I call in every week and I am always greeted as I enter. It makes you feel special, they always have time to chat even tho' they are always very busy. It,s a pleasure to shop at Fresh Basil. What did we do before they came to Belper!!

What makes this special - delicious tasty food, very friendly helpful staff full of advice, comfy seating, clean light sunny interior, french style exterior seating, the atmosphere, the smell - fresh coffee, fresh food being cooked, the sound of cool music and all sorts of very cool people chatting and laughing.

Great friendly service, superb food and exceptionally reasonable prices. Our takeaway lunches are always really tasty, and freshly prepared. Nothing is too much trouble, even some of our weirder choices! The pies are to die for, and after a long day, in the depths of winter, we look forward to going home to some fresh veg and a Fresh Basil pie. The cheese pie is delicious in the summer served with salad. A great shop, and well worth making a trip for!

Everything about it is amazing - I only wish it opened on sundays mornings for brunch and the papers!!

every time i visit with my children we are made to feel welcome, they make exactly what my children want in terms of pannini's and their fillings, and if i am not sure what i want they are always prepare to offer a small sample to help with my choice, they always offer high quality food,(my fav is the soupand of course the cakes!!) with a very friendly atmosphere, it is just a shame there aren't more places like this.

Warm friendly proprietors and staff are always ready to advise on their wonderful ranges of fresh foods and readily offer a 'sample' to taste. The seating is cosy - there just needs to be more of it as at peak times you cannot always find a space, which sings of how good the food is! If Joanne Harris were to write a novel about a delicattessan Fresh Basils would be the perfect subject, where she could invoke the smell sensations of superb cheeses, pies, pastries, coffee and cakes and all the other unusual gems that make such a Deli Bistro so special to the local community. The proprietors promote local produce and take an active part in the community by running a column in the local newspaper and helping/sponsoring/organising street events (we will be there on July 15th). A special thank you to them for the Xmas hamper they put together for my parents. I look forward to my daily latte - long may it continue X

The staff are really nice and helpful and they always seem to have a smile on their faces. The range of meats and cheeses is second to none. If they don't have what you are looking for, they will endeavour to find it for you. Top class place. Keep up the good work!!

We travel 5 miles at least 3 times per week for breakfast with the newspapers. Excellent service and produce, all food obtained locally where possible, well worthy winners of this competition I believe. Great to find a little gem like this in such a small community. Keep up the great work and the best of luck for the near future. Jeanne and Ron

If only it were possible to eat there on a Saturday lunch ! So busy! So we bought a bag full of your goodies and sat in the Belper River gardens and enjoyed every mouthful.. The Derbyshire sourdough bread is fabulous we normally have it sent up from Poillane bakery in London. To find bread like this made without yeast in the sticks of Derbyshire is amazing. Well done.

Fabulous, Amazing, Friendly, A breath of fresh air in the Derbyshire Desert ! We had the 'Best of British Platter' and a slice of heaven in the way of the best coffee cake for years.The coffee itself was excellent too . P. S. this is the first time I have been moved to write up anything on a computer. Long may you continue..

I have only called in a couple of times so far, but am always made to feel very welcome. This outlet is a credit to Belper and well worth a visit if you are in the area.

A fantastic selection, plus exceptional customer service makes this space worth finding. Whether I want a superb panini for lunch, a pork pie for the weekend, or cheese and meats for Christmas, the staff are knowledgable, friendly and take the time to remember what I liked last time!

I live 20 miles away from Belper and only discovered this fabulous deli this year whist visiting Belper’s monthly farmers’ market but now I make a point of shopping here regularly. The store excites the tastebuds the moment you walk in. They have a fantastic range of quality cheeses, meats, pies, breads, cakes and baskets of the plumpest, juiciest olives. The staff are always friendly and very helpful. It is a joy to find a store like this that strives to supply its customers with quality foods and a pleasure to be able to nominate them for the ‘Local Food Hero 2006’ award.

i may only be nine years old but i love food making it is the best bit but in fresh basil it is the best place for food in england i think. i have bin there many times and it hasnt let me down once

amazing food,we had ham salad cob and the cob was full with lots of gorgeous real ham not wafer thin rubbish and loads of salad,the staff were very polite and the place was spotless,we have yet to eat in but cant wait...outstanding

Fresh Basil....Great atmosphere. Staff lovely. Fabulous food. And all just round the corner from me.

GOOD FOOD GOOD PRICE GOOD SERVICE GOOD PEOPLE

tony from lancs. lived here two years. saw fresh basil arrive. it immediately had items i was unable to obtain anywhere else, eg olives stuffed with sun dried tomatoes - heaven - . the deli selection is tremendous. even the background music is tasty { swing, jazz and nostalgic}. my only criticism is that the premises are on the small side.

Fantastic fresh food, which really tastes of home cooking and a touch of the continent.

Not a lot to say about the place except that it's MAGIC!!! Going for a bite to eat or popping in for some delicasies is always a pleasure as you are made to feel like part of a big family. Coming from Belgium I'm brought back to my the local chacuteries and bakeries that were available to us, the range of products is so varied it just makes it difficult to choose. Well done to the team and long may they carry on!

On the closing day of voting for 'Local Hero 2006' may I say a huge Thank You to everyone who has taken time to log a vote for us all here.I do mean ALL because a store is only as good as its weakest member and I am proud of all who work here. Tim and Sam often instore before 6a.m. and never leaving before 6 p.m. Tim took his first Saturday off a few weeks ago after working 17 months and I must congratulate him . His food husbandry is second to none, he lives and breaths every inch of this shop and eaterie, spending his few days off, visiting other food outlets and contacting food producers . He and I are in the process of perfecting, together with a local,traditional bakery a Sourdough Bread. So once again Thank You and watch out for 'Derbyshire Sourdough'

A hot pork pie on saturday morning at 6.45am . The only shop that opens with the lark. Whilst walking the dog I can sit outside with a tasty dry cured bacon sarni and a great cup of coffee Thanks for being in Belper.

This place is amazing. Everything you could want is here, friendly staff, good food, good service its a must visit if you are in town.

The layout of the eatery makes for a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. The staff are very attentive and efficient as well as friendly and the food is amazing! There's a fantastic choice and the food is presented well and tastes heavenly! A deserving nominee!

A great place for a lazy breakfast on my day off, followed by shopping for cooked meats, cheeses, and everything else you could wish for from a delicatessen. Also a very commendable adaptation of an existing building to provide a split level delicatessen/cafe. The best thing that has happened to shopping in Belper for years.

This is the place that I take all my friends who come to stay from the city to. It is the best place ever and the food is out of this world.

Lots of lovely cheese, cooked meats bread local cooked pies ect.

For Brie there's no coimparison, The meat is tasty especially Ham, The pies and pate's beyond compare, A shop that really has a flare, To please all custom one by one, For me you are the only one!

the quality and range of produce available - friendly, helpful and polite staff both at the counter and at the table.

Very relaxed atmosphere, supportive of breastfeeding and small children nothing is a problem and stockists of local tasty foods.

We visited Fresh Basil after seeing the purchase and renovation of this building from start to finish on TV. The atmosphere, ambience, quality of food, service, friendliness and efficiency of staff is beyond reproach (it was unique that the proprietors were in their establishment working alongside staff, cleaning tables, chatting to customers etc.) The quality and variety of food was superb. We will certainly be recommending 'Fresh Basil' to our familiy, friends and neighbours.

What can you say about this shop, the food, staff and atmosphere is amazing. I have totaly changed my way of shopping and Saturday is not complete without my trip to Fresh Basil. There is always something new to try so come on and visit Fresh Basil in Belper.

I discovered fresh basil through a friend who lives opposite the shop, and since then i have become a big fan of the shop. Its friendly staff whom seem to know everything about their produce. Their sandwiches are outstanding and their choice of pies and cheeses are easily the best i have come accross. Keep up GREAT work!

Fantastic food, friendly service nothing is too much trouble. As a regular customer there is nowhere else I would rather go for lunch or for delicious food to take home from the deli.

Fresh Basil is a small but thriving cafe in the heart of Belper which sells fantasic, quality food. The staff are deightful and offer excellent service.

I am now 15 years of age and I have been working at fresh basil for over a year now. There is a friendly working environment and we provide the best service for the general public. We have people visting our premisses travelling from outside the derbyshire area; simply on hearing about our exceptional reputation. I would recommend fresh basil for any age, any occasion inside and out. Hope to see you soon!

We moved to Belper a little over a year ago and upon discovering Fresh Basil, we immediately thought it was fantastic! The deli is incredible, Hams, Meats ,Pies, Olives, Bread and Cakes to name just a few of the fresh produce available. The knowledgeable staff are always welcoming, no matter how busy they are, and are always on hand to offer advice on their wide and ever changing selection of Cheeses and other produce. They threw a brilliant Tapas and Wine Tasting evening last Christmas. Forget Harrods hampers Fresh Basil is THE place to go! You may just pop in for a coffee but, you will always leave with a bag full of fabulous food.

We have visited Fresh Basil every Saturday morning for the last ten months, drinking cappuchino and enjoying their magnificant breakfasts, this morning we had the best Eggs Bendict ever. The staff are warm and friendly and the produce is extensive and of top quality. It supplies the very best of english and continental cheeses and cooked meats I have seen. We only wish we were retired, because we would be there every day, a must for food lovers.

Fresh Basil's broke fresh grounds coming to Belper, great food, great people (especially the accident-prone one)and great atmosphere. I love it! Diasy 5/8/06

Whatever did I do before Fresh Basil??? Amidst the humdrum day to day goings on in an old mill town, this shop provides a personal shopping experience vastly superior to the usual retail therapy!! I HAVE to go every week for a regular fix of wonderful quality cheese, meats, pies, bread, tappas, kippers, local ice cream or whatever is new in to sample! I've lived in Belper for nearly 30 years and this shop has given Belper a new lease of life. Not only is the food of the highest qhality but the service is always friendly, helpful and second to none. Add to this the fact that you can also eat here or take out a superb lunchtime treat consisting of food sold in the shop then this must surely rate as the best new enterprise this area has seen.

On entering Fresh Basil not only the bread, but the banter bowled me over. A fresh food oasis, away from the capital, in the beautiful Derbyshire dales. The eaterie too was excellent value with real style.

Whilst visiting friends, I offered as a form of thank you for their hospitality, to prepare a meal for the entire family on my final night. But rather foolishly, I forgot that some form of cooking skill would be needed in order to survive the evening. I then realised I possessed neither the skill nor the patience required to learn, never mind learn alone. However, my knights in shining armour came to the rescue and saved the day (and my friends' kitchen!). The knowledge the refreshingly approachable staff of Fresh Basil possess and demonstrate is really rather impressive, and every last one of the questions I had (admittedly I realise now that the answers to a few were ridiculously obvious!) were answered in a clear and informative way, and most importantly, with a smile. The service really is second to none at Fresh Basil. The staff are always polite, friendly and make shopping for food an enjoyable experience, rather than the chore it seems to become in large supermarkets. I was really quite surprised to go in for the first time and to leave not only with armfuls of top quality produce, but with a real sense of contentment, something which I had lost long ago in London. It is clear that the opinion and the satisfaction of the customers it is something that truly matters to the staff of Fresh Basil. Not only this, but it is also obvious that the staff love their jobs, and are truly passionate about their products and dedicated to providing amazing produce and remarkable service to all who visit, and take it from me, there are a lot of visitors. But regardless of quesue length, each and every customer is treated in the same spectacular way. The warm atmosphere and charming service were a shock to a London girl who was so used to being met with rudeness and a visible lack of job satisfaction, but it was a change that was very welcome indeed. I would recommend this deli to anybody, regardless of their location, as I would more than willingly make the trip back up to Belper in order to shop here again.

Fresh Basil has been a breath of fresh air to Belper's generally moribund retail outlets - too many charity shops, opticians and estate agents! That being said I feel that they are setting an example that is pushing other local food retailers (and some other non-food shops too) that extra mile - which can't be a bad thing! Sam and the other staff do a great job - just the right amount of banter coupled with an obvious love of food and a thorough knowledge of their stock and their suppliers. Despite an almost permanent queue for service, they always have time for a chat; pointing out a new range of fois gras, why the kippers have changed and how the home made and utterly experimental turkey pastrami worked out (with appropriate and unstingy sample to boot). Other delis may be smarter, slicker, bigger, grander and have the right connections (i.e. London-based, celeb chef or luvvie clientele) but these guys and gals make living in Belper worthwhile!

I was in town for a weekend visiting friends, the welcome that was offered in this lovely little shop was out of this world. It is the small attention to details that they should receive the most credit for, the place was spotless and service was very quick and hassle free. You could smell, see and taste how fresh all of the produce was. I wanted to buy some cheese and meats for a get together later that evening and was unsure of what would be nice and go together, I was offered several tasters to help me decide by the manager, who was very helpful, friendly and knowledgable. about what was what. I wouldnt hesistate to head straight for a bit more fresh basil when I am next in Belper!

Fresh Basil is tho most amazing deli in the country. With a superb range of the best cheeses, meats, olives, oils, balsamics and many more, it really is the best place to go for fresh, quality local produce that you would be hard pushed to find anywhere else with the high standards they work to acheive. The staff are easy to approach, friendly. extremly helpful and have a very vast knowledge of the products they are selling and are very dedicated and passionate towards food. The atmosphere is very warm and comforting and their eaterie menu is of a high standard with fantastic selection of hot and cold breakfasts, lunches, and beautiful cakes that are all hand made. Their own blends of coffee taste exceedingly smooth and has to be the best coffee i have ever tasted. If you ever need specialist ingredients, or just want some good quality meats and cheeses i recomend you try this place because they will have pretty much anything you will ever need in those departments in stock and ready for you to buy. If you live no where near the midlands, travel up there to go there, because beleive me, its worth every effort.

What a great choice of food quality service and great value for money all rolled into a this amazing place.

The Delicatessen and Eaterie provides an atmosphere not usually found in a small town store. This shop combines old fashioned care and attention to detail with the modern hunger for new and exiting food experiences. The attitude of the staff is that of constant joy and an eagerness to make the customers visit a memorable one. With hams and various other meats being cooked on the premises and over 20 deliveries a week, you can expect all the stock, fresh and dry, to always be fresh and ever-changing. This shop really does provide an unrivalled food experience on each visit. Having spotted this nomination on the UKTV food website we feel humbled that someone has nominated us for Local Food Hero 2006 even though we have only been trading for less than 18 months. We feel privileged and humbled that our customers think so highly of us. Our most sincere thanks go to the nominator and also to anyone who votes for us in the future. All our thanks, Fresh Basil.

Fresh Basil sells, among other things, superlative cheeses and the best ham in the county. Anything you eat in the coffee shop can be bought from the deli: Parma Ham, Chorizo, Bacon, a range of salami, Olives, Provisions and Home made cakes to name just a few. Fresh Basil is always busy but the staff never fail to make you feel welcome. As a regular customer, I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather go.