Tom Foot finds a little corner of Poland in South End Green – and
a deli with a difference

Bartek Fabianski in Beetroot

NO prizes for guessing what the main ingredient is. Readers may remember the dreaded beetroot from school dinners – a cynical garnish to the culinary delights of spam, reformed chicken, or corned beef.
But Bartek Fabianski has taken the gamble that the local palate is not permanently scarred from childhood by opening his deli, Beetroot, in Fleet Road, South End Green.
In direct competition with the throng of French and Italian deli’s on each and every high street, the beetroot-aficionado hopes to cash in on what he sees as a niche in the market.
He says: “My idea was a deli that’s like the French and Italian deli’s – just the same but with Polish food. I think people are always interested in trying something new – maybe they are getting tired of mozzarella and tomato ciabatta.”
And hold the health pages! Beetroot is a great source of fibre, it has no fat, and it increases the oxygen intake by up to 400 per cent. The dark red colouring is linked to nutrients believed to fight cancer.
Along with the many variations on serving the vegetable – pickled or marinated, red soups and in sandwiches – are a range of Polish beetroot complementing delicacies: chocolates, sausages, cured meats, horseradish, organically grown vegetables, herring, and freshly baked bread.
Saturday is cake day – with Mr Fabianski collecting his cakes from a traditional Polish supplier.
He said: “Most of the ingredients come from Polish suppliers over here, but because of the new EU regulations it is much easier to get things from home as well.”
In 1988, Mr Fabianski fled conscription and the communist regime to the safety of South End Green. His grandmother lived here for most of her life and from an early age he knew he wanted to set up in England.
“Having my own little deli had always been a dream of mine,” he says. “But because of the regime in Poland there was no hope of doing anything like that. I am so happy to have this shop and I am confident that people here enjoy exploring the tastes of other cultures.”
After leaving the seaside city of Gdansk, Mr Fabianski took sailed to England. He took some GCSEs and never looked back.
He began work with top chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in the classy French-Thai restaurant, Knightsbridge. Building on that experience, he worked in Hong Kong and America as a chef himself.
Mr Fabianski brings his gastronomic knowledge into his deli.
“Although I haven’t got a cooking license, I will always be innovative and flexible with the food I prepare,” he says. “All the sandwiches on offer use the ingredients you can buy here. So when people taste something they like they can buy it and start experimenting themselves.”
Having lived for a long time in the area, Mr Fabianski is well aware of the threat to his fledgling business.
He says: “I know about the parking tickets and the high rates and rents, but I must stay positive. Maybe I’ll be crying into my shoulder in three months, but I really believe this will work.”
With the Polish restaurant long established up the road and a large Polish community frequenting St Dominic’s church in Malden Road, Mr Fabianksi already has some customers.
“Thirty per cent of my customers are Polish. I think we already have a little Polish end of Hampstead,” he jokes.
“But I do not want this to be a shop just for Polish people. I am hoping people from all cultures will come and give my food a go.”

• Beetroot Deli, 92 Fleet Road, Hampstead Heath, NW3. Tel 020 7424 8544.