Retailers who fail to stock chilled ox and lunch tongues on the deli counter are missing out on an excellent sales opportunity, according to Richard Burdekin, managing director of Rea Valley which specialises in these products with its First Grade brand. "Both products are traditional with a very loyal customer base. Because of this, they are an ideal choice for retailers seeking to base their deli strategies on the pulling affect of traditional deli cooked meats. They should be positioned in heavy traffic areas of the counter to capture traditional sales," says Burdekin. A range of pack sizes has been introduced to meet the needs of smaller retailers and reduce the likelihood of wastage. Burdekin says that unlike many cooked meats, the vast majority of tongue sales come from the deli counter. "It means there's considerable scope to develop pre-pack and open up the market to younger consumers, adds Burdekin. In contrast, sister company Puredrive Fine Foods specialises in pre-pack cooked cocktail sausages. With sales growing 20% year on year, Burdekin says there's an opportunity here to develop deli counter sales. - The roasted Sunblush tomatoes which Jamie Oliver loves so much in Sainsbury's Try Before You Buy TV campaign are proving fast sellers on the deli counter ­ sales are growing 250% year on year, according to Merchant Gourmet, which has been supplying them exclusively to the multiple for over three years. With demand established, Tesco and Safeway are getting in on the act and are now both offering them on their deli counters. Merchant Gourmet has just added Sunblush peppers to the range, with an rsp of £1.99 for 100g at Sainsbury. - Offering hand-carved, genuine wild smoked Scottish salmon on the deli counter is beyond the reach of most retailers. "Only top end retailers can afford to do it because of the cost and the traditional carving skills needed," says managing director Lance Forman of H.Forman & Son which supplies its mild London cure smoked fish to the likes of Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason. Bowing to the commercial realities of multiple trading, Forman has come up with a pre-pack smoked fish range, and is now supplying selected Sainsbury stores with pre-pack wild smoked Scottish salmon all year round. - To make its Somerset farmhouse cheese easier for deli staff to handle, Wyke Farms supplies Village Oak premium cheddar in rindless form and in small sizes so it only needs cutting into quarter wedges for counter display. Its cheddars come in eight shapes and different coatings to bring colour and interest to the counter. Its latest development is Old Bombay Spiced, a curry flavoured cheese. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}