There is a new Deli in our Lismore area, in Bexhill, and it’s much more than just shopping, it’s a foodie’s delight and a real experience.

Something that really hits you from the moment you walk in, is the passion, the curation and the variety of incredible food items from all around the world, and artisan products from every growing region in Australia.

Suzanne Dhesi and Bobby Dhesi have opened Dhezi Deli, an initiative Suzanne says was meant to be her retirement, something she is brimming over with passion for, but as it so happens, things have led to them opening the Deli now.

Suzanne and Bobby spent six hours in flood water before getting onto the roof and being rescued by a community Tinny Operator in the February 28 floods. During that time, Suzanne was thinking of her brother Kyle, who had passed over in 2016, and was determined to stay alive, thinking "My Mum doesn't need to have another 2 coffins".

The trauma of that night and the impacts of losing close to $2 million in stock at the Pirlo's Fruit shop on the Bruxner Highway in South Lismore where the family had 80kgs of parmesan wheels, thousands of kilograms of cheeses etc, which was carefully curated from all 4 corners of the globe, it wasn’t a decision taken lightly.

It seems that the encouragement of friend Rose Vernem, and the calls every day from the community asking Suzanne to "come back, we miss you, we want the cheeses" it was enough to ensure Dhezi Deli would be born, and since opening last Wednesday, the community has visited in droves, with hugs and cheers of delight as they encounter the culinary treasure trove of hundreds of varieties of cheeses, pickled vegetables, panettone, snails, truffle products and more.

Suzanne says “I would love to stock more local products, I’ve started with some from Lambruk a Richmond Hill pickler, and welcome any local producers to come in and speak with me.”

Restauranters are also encouraged to make contact, says Suzanne “I love the challenge of finding things for people, anything they want, I will look for. I have only got 85 cheeses but when I have my full set-up here in the shop, I will have over a hundred.

This isn’t the Dhesi’s first rodeo, Suzanne’s parents bought the Bexhill shop in 1993, so they would have a retirement business, and Suzanne would have a place to work. She ran the shop for 10 years, and then she told the Lismore App "Mum and Dad took over, and entered their retirement off the farm, she laughs "working 15 hour days" and 8 years ago, when former owner of the Bexhill Butcher Shop, Scott decided he wanted to sell up, they bought it, which is where the Deli has now been born, after the shop remained empty for a number of those 8 years.

"Mum decided she wanted to renovate the shop, and it all took longer than we thought, but people kept asking when I was going to come back to Bexhill and I kept saying, no, no, I'm happy at Pirlo's" Suzanne chuckles. "Until the flood came and took it all away. 22 years gone in half an hour."

The care factor and passion for the cheeses, hundreds of varieties of the most delicious products imaginable. Next year says Suzanne "when I have my Meat cases and refrigeration set-up, we will not only have all our cheeses here at all times for people to come and taste and learn the history behind, and pairings, but we will also have meats like serrano's, proscuitto's and ham for example, sliced fresh, not pre-done."

Suzanne says "customers can come in, try the cheeses and learn all about them. I want them to take something home that they have fallen in love with and can share the story of with their families."

"We will have caviar from next week, and will be sourcing natures caviar, and more in the coming months".

Dhezi Deli on the Lismore/Bangalow Road in Bexhill will be open every day over Christmas, but for now, they are open Wednesday to Friday 10am - 6pm and Saturday's 8am - 12pm. The hours will expand or stay open if customers have the need but right now Suzanne says, "We are just gauging what our customers need and want."