Regular attendees of Red Deer’s Public Market might know Inessa Kojlo.
She and her husband Vitali, a German-trained butcher and sausage-maker, regularly sold their products there. And until 2010, they operated a deli in Acme.
Now Kojlo and her business partner Viktoria Keil have a new storefront in Red Deer at No. 5, 4324 54th Ave., the former premises of Eurosport. Operating as Viva-Deli, it carries a variety of German meat products: wieners, deli meats, schnitzels, smokies, among others. Visitors will also find other European selections, like Hungarian sausage and Polish sausage, as well as steaks, pork chops and more.
Viva-Deli processes its meat on site, relying on the skills of Vitali and Keil’s husband Andrei, who learned meat-cutting in Germany.
Kojlo said their products are gluten-free, and made without additives, preservatives, binders or MSG. They use a natural smoker.
She thinks such processing techniques distinguishes Viva-Deli and gives it a local niche market.
The shop will custom-process wild game and livestock, and has a mobile unit that goes to farms.
“We do full service.”
Open since Nov. 9, Viva-Deli operates from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.