THE opening six months ago of Oh Deli - a store dedicated to fine foods from Australia - is perhaps an indication that there is ample room for family-run neighbourhood stores in the gourmet food industry. For three generations, the Oh family has been in the pork business, first as pig farmers, then as pork traders and importers - at one stage the family company, Oh Tau Tee, was the largest importer of Malaysian pork into Singapore.

In the late 1990s, the business was badly affected by an outbreak of the deadly nipah virus in pig farms on the peninsula, and as a result, it now sources pork from Australia, where two family members are based. At Oh Deli, which is located in a shophouse on East Coast Road, the speciality is its fresh chilled meats.

According to Susie Oh, one of five siblings, all of whom are involved in the business in one way or another, the deli grew from an idea to bring in fresh produce to complement the pork business. Her sister Patsy had wanted to open a butcher shop, so it was only natural to extend the product list a little further.

'It all started because the whole family loves to eat and the shop is simply about sharing our passion for good food - a lot of products are those that we eat ourselves,' says Ms Oh, who shuttles between homes in Melbourne and Singapore. Together with fellow Australia resident and sister Jenny, she handles the sourcing of the products, mainly from small producers throughout the country. It started off with some biscuits, breads and preserves, and has now snowballed into several hundred different products. The family ships in pork daily, so it is easier to consolidate shipments.

'When we jumped into it, we felt that it was a struggle to find good jams and relishes and juices here,' says Ms Oh. 'It was frustrating to come back to Singapore where I just couldn't find anything. If I experienced that, expats and other people living here also experienced it, so our goal is to introduce interesting new foods to Singapore.'

Such items might include extra virgin olive oil from Olio Bello, a top producer of organic products; hand-made chocolates from Monsieur Truffe, a Melbourne-based French chocolate maker; biscuits from Phillippa's, a best-selling brand with UK origins; fine teas from Henry Langdon, a fifth-generation business; and organic jams and juices. Many, such as Passion Ate passion fruit preserve, are single-product suppliers. Given the family business in fresh chilled meats, there is also a selection of meats and home-made sausages.

So far, the response has been positive and while the majority of customers come from nearby, people seeking specific favourites will make the trek from farther afield.