A DELI started in Cumbria during the Covid pandemic by a New Zealand native is expanding its offer - and turning into a pizzeria in the evenings.

Ashleigh Hall moved to the UK in April 2019, and opened her deli called 'Deli Station' on Station Road in Wigton.

She wanted to expand her business following its success and looked into opening another deli, but saw an opportunity to transform the space at night into a pizzeria, she said it was a 'no brainer' as Wigton needed a 'decent takeaway.'

"I have an empty shop from 2.30pm onwards, so I thought why not use that space and build on it," Ashleigh said.

With 15 years of experience under her belt as a chef, Ashleigh had a job lined up in Maryport before Covid-19 disrupted her plans. With lockdown regulations preventing dining out, Ash saw an opportunity to start her business and offer home-cooked take-out options.

"Everyone was sick of cooking their own food," Ashleigh recalled.

She started preparing healthy takeaway meals from a hired kitchen in Aspatria, an initiative well-received by locals.

However, once the 'Eat Out To Help Out' scheme started, Ashleigh noticed her business was slowing down, and looked for other options.

She said: "I needed to find a new premises so I saw the factory was boarded up and found who owned it and nagged them about selling it!"

This is where Deli Station, which will now transform into Deli Pizzeria, was started.

News and Star: Some pizza options available from Deli Pizzeria Some pizza options available from Deli Pizzeria (Image: Ashleigh Hall)

Deli Pizzeria offers classics pizzas, and other quirkier options such as smoked salmon, chicken and blue cheese and Cumberland sausage.

They are all 12-inch pizzas on a homemade sourdough base.

Beyond running the deli-turned-pizzeria, Ashleigh hopes to instil a love for home-cooked food and share her culinary skills with others.

"I make everything myself, but I'd like to teach someone else, ideally so that the pizzeria can operate independently while I manage the deli," she said.

Her goal is also to educate people about the benefits of good food. She said: "Many of our customers were initially surprised, but once they tried our food, they were hooked"

Ashleigh said: "The best part of my job is having my amazing staff who love coming to work, and knowing I have done this myself. It is a big thing coming from another country and doing this.

"Being your own boss can be a lot more work as you don’t just switch off but I love doing it, and we all do it as a team."