A NEW deli has officially opened its doors on Dunfermline's High Street. 

Must Be Crackers, a deli and larder that is bringing "great food, thoughtfully sourced"' to the city, welcomed customers for the first time on Saturday. 

Aileen, Kirstie, Tristan, Mike and Fern Wright transformed the old Dunfermline Sewing Machines store into the luxury larder of their dreams and have worked hard to get the shop into shape for the opening. 

Aileen, who also owns and runs Sew Yarn Crafty, told the Press: "Saturday was just beyond any expectations I had, it was just so great.

"People were coming in just to have a nosey; people were coming in to buy things that they would normally have to drive a distance for, and then people were just putting their heads around the door to wish us luck.

"It was busy, from one end of the day to the other - it was just fantastic."

Offering fresh bread, British, Irish and continental cheeses, pastries and biscuits, teas and hot chocolate from The Wee Tea Company, chocolate from Gleneagles and even fizzy lemonade, Must Be Crackers say they are focusing on providing an artisanal shopping experience and luxury goods that people previously couldn't get here. 

Dunfermline Press: They opened their doors last Saturday.

Aileen continued: "We're providing a product and a shopping experience that you would normally have to go to a bigger city to get.

“People enjoy speciality shops but prior to this, people have had to go to Edinburgh or Glasgow to get them. 

“I realise it’s not for absolutely everybody but we are trying to make sure that we’re conscious of the pricing and that we are conscious of people’s dietary needs, we have some really nice vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options.

“We’re not just trying to sell to the wealthy cheese lover. We’ve got some great local produce and more to come.”

Throughout this experience of renovating and opening the deli, the Must Be Crackers team has found tremendous support from customers and suppliers. 

She said: “Honestly, people have just been so supportive. They all want to help us, both the customers and suppliers, they all want to do anything they can to keep us here now. It’s great.”

With any new venture comes nerves but Aileen and the rest of the team are committed to being a new staple for Dunfermline’s shoppers. 

“We’ve invested so much of our hearts, souls and our money,” she added.

“We’ve invested so much in it. We have to be here for the long run, we’re not here to try something for six months. We’ve gone all-in.

“I think people will realise that and will know that they can rely on our weekly bread deliveries and our weekly cakes and bakes.

“People say to me ‘Oh you’re doing great, where do you find the time?’ but I’m basically creating the place that I want to shop in.”