How fortunate that, this year, Valentine's Day falls on a Friday! You get all this week to fire up your imagination, stoke the fires of passion and then ignite a weekend of loving bliss with a Friday night tête-à-tête/coeur-à-coeur.... if that's your thing.

Honestly, it's one of those holidays that makes us a little bit uncomfortable because it imposes a) an idea of how you express your love and, b) what the nature of that love is. Because in spite of all the emphasis on red and pink it really is a rainbow of feeling that the day is meant to celebrate.

So forgive us our nod to cliché but we do at least imagine that we've got a broad enough array of tools for you to build exactly the kind of tribute to whatever degree of fondness or affection or tenderness or passion that you have in mind to mark.

Special chocolate confections from Odile, Denman Island and Roger's to go the classic route; hibiscus flowers in syrup to drop into a glass of bubbly for a certain flair, heart shaped ravioli from Queen's Pasta in a dinner-for-two size for the home cook, candy hearts for the kid (or the kid in you), the best Valentine's cards on the strip and a whole lot more.

Last weekend was busy with those thinking ahead but there's still time to add just the right accent to your expression of love, so come on in before Friday!

The Mercantile Christmas Gift Boxes are back - and they're the perfect solution for so many of those hard-to-decide people on your list...

For the home chef in your life, the Chef Essentials box features Maldon Flaked Salt with matching pinch bowl, a classic local mustard, some fine Sicilian olive oil and a little Mercantile chocolate bar;

For the fan of the YouTube show, HotOnes? Get them the HotOnes sampler set featuring a variety of our most popular spicy condiments;

For someone into elegant entertaining? The Spanish Sardines set includes Conservas de Cambados sardines in olive oil, deluxe crackers and a preciously themed serving plate and fork;

For someone who skates outdoors or is getting a new toboggan, the Keep Warm box will be waiting for them with gourmet hot chocolate, two double-walled glass mugs, shortbread cookies and, of course, marshmallows;

For the Yoatam Ottolenghi fan, the Ottolenghi Simple Essentials box features a selection of some of the great chef's most commonly called for spices and ingredients. And if they're not an Ottolenghi fan yet, bundle the box with a copy of the book also available in store;

And finally, for the person on the verge of a New Year's resolution, the Mocktails set includes Seedlip distilled alcohol-free spirits, Partake near-beer, dried orange garnish, FeverTree tonic and a stainless steel jigger.

Our Christmas boxes take the guess-work out of buying for that hard-to-buy-for person. 
Each box includes a flour sack tea towel to cushion the contents and they're so elegantly wrapped you can put them under the tree as is!

Find them across from the cash desk in the middle of the store.