There are a handful of gourmet shops in Metro Manila, but nothing does it quite like Säntis Delicatessen. Säntis Deli is synonymous with top quality produce. It offers the same products you will most likely find in fine dining restaurants in Alabang and first-rate hotels.
Its mantra is offering: “world-class gourmet products from all over the world available in your favorite neighborhood deli.”
Satisfying cravings
Säntis Deli started as Säntis Specialties, which became a brand that offers “excellent quality, taste, and good value.” The name Säntis was taken from the name of a beautiful mountain found in north Switzerland.
Säntis Specialties carried and sold Euro-Swiss Food Inc. and Werdenberg International Corporation products in the same store where the deli shop is located today in Yakal Street. It was a relatively small factory.
It is true what they say that positive words spread like wildfire. Soon enough, more and more consumers craved an actual dining place where they could taste the same consistent quality of Säntis Specialties products. The first customers of Säntis Specialities were hotels and restaurants where products can be sampled. Gratifying their taste buds would mean buying such products whenever the customers want to.
Interestingly, these customers were the housewives of expatriates who lived in the metropolis suburbs then. Bombarded with inquiries and requests, Werner Berger, the Swiss-born chef and current president of Säntis Deli, decided to open a small section of the factory. It was equipped with a chiller display where the housewives may peruse the available products for sale. It was open once a week.
Sooner than expected, the customers came in droves every day. They want to taste more and try different Säntis Specialties products. Berger finally decided to open a delicatessen shop to help homemakers prepare their own food at home in September 1987.
Widest selection
Säntis Deli is a deli store that offers premium products from tapas to fine wines. Its main categories are meat and fish, processed meat, dairy products, dry products, fruits and vegetables, wines and beverages, and equipment.
You’ll find the most diverse selection of meat and fish products at Säntis Deli. These include prime meats like Angus beef, lamb, veal, and game and poultry such as turkey and foie gras and seafood.
The deli store has a wide selection of European sausages and hams such as Jamon Iberico Bellota Ham and Jamon Serrano Bodega in both bone-in and boneless. Säntis Deli also sells cold cuts and other meat specialties.
For its dairy products, Säntis Deli offers Australian, Dutch, English, French, Italian, Swiss, and other dairies. The deli shop offers hundreds of different kinds of cheese, such as Bel Paese, Taleggio, sage Derby, Jarlsberg, Ubriaco d’Amore, and more.
The dry products that Säntis Deli are wide-ranging as well. These include bakery and pastry products; beans, flours, grains, and rice; candies and chocolates; coffee and tea; crackers, cookies, and wafers; dried fruits and nuts; fillings and flavorings; jams, glazing and preserves; mustard and mayo; oil and vinegar; olives; and pates.
If you are preparing for a special occasion or the holidays, make Säntis Deli your only stop. It has several pasta selections, like their organic and flavored varieties. The same goes for the sauces and spices, including the hard to find ones such as marjoram, saffron thread, and Texas Jack seasoning. There are also bottled and canned items like peeled whole tomatoes, Spanish paprika, elderflower syrup, and more.
There is an entire shelf dedicated to fresh fruits and veggies. Nevertheless, the deli shop offers frozen berries, apricots, plums, and frozen fruit purees, and even guacamole.
Säntis Deli is also prominent for its wide range of traditional fine wines, sourced from well-known wine producers. Wine connoisseurs will definitely appreciate the array of quality wines from Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Italy, and New Zealand.
Säntis Deli Café offers Spanish and European cuisine and includes fresh meats, vegetables, chocolates, cheese, bread, and other products. When you crave for ambrosia, this café is the place to be.
Unprecedented expansion
Säntis Deli primarily caters to the expatriates residing in Metro Manila and nearby towns and provinces. Today, Säntis Deli has a total of 12 branches in and out of Metro Manila.
Säntis Deli’s main branch is located in Yakal Street in San Antonio Village. However, the deli shop and café were able to expand to various locations such as in San Antonio Plaza Arcade Forbes Park; The Promenade Bldg. in Wilson St. San Juan; El Molito Commercial Complex in Alabang; TOMA Bldg. in Timog Avenue; Aguinaldo Highway in Silang, Cavite; Plaza Drive, Rockwell Center; Capitol Commons, Pasig City; Corinthian Hills Clubhouse in Ugong Norte, Quezon City; Bonifacio High Street Central in BGC, Taguig; Paseo de Sta. Rosa in Sta. Rosa Laguna, and Twin Lakes Shopping Village in Laurel, Batangas.
Branches abound, but Säntis Deli eventually required a bigger space for its factory. The place in Yakal Street has no room for expansion, so it acquired a property in Carmona, Cavite, in 2014. Construction started in February 2015 and was launched in November 2019.
The Carmona factory is state-of-the-art and LEED-certified. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certification is only given to structures with a green building certification program. The US Green Building Council maintains the LEED rating system. The CEO firmly believes that a green factory entails extra cost, but the long-term benefits can offset these.
The factory has two floors and 16 rooms equipped with chillers and freezers. Other features are dedicated rooms for quality checking, chilled meat cooling down, meat trimmings, sausage filling, drying, ham packing, curing, and packing. The total daily output is up to six tons of hams and sausages.
Loyalty rewarded
In pursuit of making their products more accessible to more people while also empowering loyal patrons, Säntis Deli now offers its own Gourmet Card. Clients may earn points from each purchase; you may receive one point for every Php200 worth of purchase from Säntis Deli and other participating restaurants. Points are redeemable through getting special treats on the cardholder’s birthday.
Birthday bonuses include twice the points on birth month and five times the points earned when purchases are made on the actual birthday. Gourmet Card also offers Merry Mondays and Foodie Fridays for three times the points and twice the points when dining at I’m Angus Steakhouse and Chesa Bianca, respectively.
Gourmet Cardholders are also entitled to exclusive promos of both Säntis Deli and its affiliated companies. As such, the Gourmet Card can also be used when dining in select restaurants such as Cave Werdenberg, Carpaccio Ristorante Italiano, Chesa Bianca, and I’m Angus Steakhouse.
Cave Werdenberg, which is also located in Yakal Street, is the perfect place for wine epicures. Carpaccio Ristorante Italiano mainly offers Italian food, and pasta is its specialty. It is one of the best Italian restaurants located in San Antonio Village. Chesa Bianca delights patrons with authentic Swiss offerings while I’m Angus Steakhouse serves savory steaks.
Launched in 2018, this is the first time Säntis Deli went out of its way to show how it values its loyal customers. The deli shop has been in operation for more than 30 years.
Säntis Deli Silang, Cavite branch is specifically located in Km. 52, Emilio Aguinaldo Highway. The nearest Crown Asia properties are Augustine Grove and Caribe and Amalfi at The Island Park. Residents will get to explore the deli shop in 30 to 34 minutes of drive since it is only 20 to 24 kilometers.
The branch is one hour’s drive away from Vivace, Citta Italia, Ponticelli, Vita Toscana, and Amici, from 32 to 40 kilometers.
If you are going from Carmel or Vittoria, allot at least 1 hour and 30 minutes.
