I tried lunch at the longstanding Dawn’s Deli on Grimsby Road – my …

In the wake of a global pandemic and in the height of the cost of living crisis, it often comes as no surprise when businesses are sadly forced to shut up shop for good due to financial pressures.

The area has bid farewell to many popular shops, cafés and restaurants over the last few years - but some local businesses^[1] continue to beat the odds and thrive and flourish, despite the difficult climate.

One of these is Dawn's Deli on Grimsby Road in Cleethorpes^[2], which has been open for 14 years - originally opening as Dawn Till Dusk in 2009 - and overcome hurdle after hurdle over the years.

The deli employs four members of staff and offers an array of tasty lunch options, from main homemade meals including the Beef Yorkshire Pudding Wrap and the Gammon, Egg, Chips and Beans to buns, baguettes and paninis with a range of fillings.

Diners can also enjoy All Day Breakfasts and breakfast buns, along with pastries and old school puddings.

Dawn's Deli remained open throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and through each lockdown, initially serving key workers as a takeaway service when the first lockdown was announced in March 2020.

Dawn told Grimsby Live: "We stayed open all the way through the lockdowns. We served key workers as a takeaway and stayed open all the way through [the pandemic].

"By midday we'd be completely sold out. There'd be rows of orders all along the sides. We had the shutter halfway down to start with and people used to stand at the door, then we were allowed two in at a time. It's been really hard."

Dawn said she has been forced to increase her prices in response to the cost of living crisis - but only by "5p or 10p" - to ensure her food is still affordable for customers who have been visiting for years.

Having lived in the area on and off for most of my life, I was surprised to realise that I'd never actually tried anything from Dawn's Deli before - despite the fact it's stood there for all these years.

So, on a sunny Friday afternoon at around midday, I went down there to give it a try for myself.

After chatting to Dawn and longstanding member of staff, Ingrid, I finally decided what to eat for lunch from the array of options on the menu.

I went for the ham, cheese and red onion panini alongside a side order of coleslaw. I don't know about you, but I can't eat a toastie or panini without a generous dollop of the stuff served alongside it.

To finish off with something sweet, I opted for a good old fashioned cornflake tart - and a Fanta Lemon to wash it all down on one of the hottest days of the year so far.

Waiting for my order, I couldn't help but notice how lovely the chips looked. For me personally when it comes to chips, there's nothing worse than oven chips. I find them dry, tasteless and stodgy. So I loved the fact that all the chips at Dawn's Deli are fresh and homemade, and I added a portion onto my order.

Altogether, it came to £9.15. Considering how filling the lunch was and the size of the panini, I thought this was very good value.

Heading home, I was eager to dig in. The panini was piping hot and the fillings of ham, cheese and red onion complemented one another perfectly.

As for the chips, these might just be the best chips I've been served in a long time. If, like me, you're not a fan of oven chips and prefer the "chippy chips" variety, I guarantee you'll be a fan, too.

The coleslaw was the perfect side dish - and I polished it all off within about five minutes.

The cornflake tart was filled with golden syrup and strawberry jam and enclosed in a round pastry dish. It was nice enough, but I think I prefer the square cornflake tarts. You get more cornflakes in them! In future, I'd probably opt for the coconut tart for pud.

Dawn's Deli is open from 10am to 2pm, Monday to Friday.

My verdict:

It's fantastic to see businesses still thriving after all this time, and Dawn's Deli is certainly a staple local business that has overcome many challenges over the years.

It's straight-to-the-point, classic comfort food for those looking for a tasty, homemade lunch that's filling and affordable - and I'd definitely order from there again.

References

1. ^{^} businesses (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Cleethorpes (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Little Bun Shop offering affordable lunch options big on taste opens in Cleethorpes (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)