You know that we love our customers. And we know that our customers know that the Mercantile is the perfect place to provision for LoveDay - that's why they've already put a serious dent in our selection of Valentine's Day cards!

But don't worry, there are still treats galore - whether it's cinnamon hearts to pass out at school, luxurious chocolates from Roger's and Laura Slack, a sweet/tart combo for your sweetheart from Tout de Sweet or heart-shaped spinach and cheese ravioli from Queen's Pasta for a romantic dinner at home. Or all of the above wrapped neatly in a CandyHearts Tea Towel!

That's just a fraction of our Valentine's selection but February 14th is a day that tends to creep up on people so we thought we'd let you know before the rush.

XOXOXOXO from all of us to all of you!

Alcohol seems to go hand in hand with the holidays - from cheer to "cheers!" - for better or worse.

For some that presents a personal challenge. For others it creates a conundrum about what to serve the non-drinkers at the gathering. And for many of us a New Year's Resolution to cut back our alcohol consumption is just around the corner. That means a spike in soft-drink sales but, honestly, what non-alcoholic beverage offers the complexities, subtleties and sensations of a finely crafted spirit? Are we doomed to drinking syrupy-sweet "mocktails" on a night out?

Ben Branson, the founder of Seedlip - the world's first non-alcoholic spirits distiller - found the answer to those questions and more in a book of medicinal distillation recipes dating back to 1651 and the company now offers three distinctive flavour profiles in gorgeously evocative packaging. Sip them straight, mix with tonic or apply your best mixology skills to creating the next breed of non-alcoholic cocktails. There's nothing "mock" about them. This truly is the solution of what to drink when you're not drinking.

Just because you choose to drink less, doesn't mean you can't drink well.