Hugo Pedler, managing director of West Oak Hotel, is fully aware of the sando craze taking over Adelaide cafés.

So much so, that he and his team have taken over what once was the Intersection Traders coffee spot inside West Oak Hotel.

They have revamped it into the West Oak Deli and offer sandos, specialty coffee and sweet Italian treats.

Hugo says he decided to succumb to the sando trend and give people what they want.

“It’s time to change with the times,” Hugo says. “People aren’t coming from uni and drinking a jug of beer. They’re looking for coffee, they’re looking for juice, they’re looking for something different.

“You got to focus the venue on giving back to the community, and on creating value for people. It’s just a way that we can continue the business as is, add value to people and give them something that they actually want.

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“We can’t force people to buy schnitzels, but if people want to eat sandwiches, then absolutely: let’s give them the best bloody sandwich they’ve ever eaten.”

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The hole from Fenn Place in UniSA’s City West campus

The West Oak Deli offers three specialty sandwiches on house-made focaccia. The sandwiches include a prosciutto, truffle and pecorino option, a mortadella, pistachio and stracciatella choice and an eggplant, walnut and artichoke sauce one.

“Keeping it simple and keeping in our kind of like Euro-summer, Euro-niche, which is cool,” Hugo says.

“We’re trying to find the best of each thing we’re selling and trying to make sure the quality of everything is bang on,” head chef Thomas Maclean adds.

West Oak Deli also offers Italian treats such as cannoli from The Cannoli Box and ricotta with pistachio and vanilla and chocolate custard zeppoles.

While the window to the outdoor service is key, indoor seating is available on the ground level of the West Oak with old-school touches to nod to the building’s history.

A prosciutto truffle moment

Since taking over the West Oak pub in 2017, Hugo has noticed foot traffic is key in the neighbourhood so the hole-in-the-wall opening onto Fenn Place in UniSA’s City West campus is a major bonus.

“A lot of the pub is focused on what’s around us, what’s in the community, who are the stakeholders? So the hospital, the uni lecturers and uni students. Thursdays is uni student night, but the rest of the pub’s definitely more of a food-focused crowd,” Hugo says.

“So we wanted to offer coffee and food to those people and just be open all the time for the West Oak as well.”

But this positive locale also comes with competition. Rather than trying to compete with what’s around, Hugo says he wants to bring a brand-new offering.

“A big thing for what we wanted to do here is focus on quality over quantity and not trying to compete with other people,” Hugo says.

“Abbots & Kinney — fantastic products. Peter Rabbit — they’re doing a fantastic job over there. So for us to cover the market with Tom’s experience and expertise… but it’s more about finding the niche.”

West Oak Deli is located inside West Oak Hotel at 208 Hindley Street, Adelaide and is open from Monday to Friday from 7am until 3pm.

Connect with the business on Instagram for more.