Pair relocate deli from Beirut to 'share our passion for food'

THE HIGH LLAMA OPENED IN LEBANON IN 2018 AND IS NOW IN FITZROVIA

- By BEN LYNCH

A NEW Lebanese-inspired deli has opened its doors in Westminster having been relocated from Beirut by the husband-and-wife pairing behind the venture.

Simon Balsom, 59, and his wife Lama Ajjour, 44, originally opened The High Llama Bakery and Deli in the Lebanese capital in 2018 before moving to Fitzrovia in 2023.

Westminster City Council granted the new premises a licence earlier this year, at which point Mr Balsom told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they were hoping to open in April.

Mr Balsom, who met Ms Ajjour in Beirut while working as a journalist, said the couple bonded in-part over their love for coffee and good food.

"We had a shared passion for coffee," Mr Balsom told the LDRS.

"So whenever we travelled we would always have a list of cafés we wanted to try rather than museums or galleries. So this was our shared passion."