Gosh, March already. There’s so much happening. This morning, a dear friend, Han, came into the shop. For N16 regulars, you will remember that Han owned the lovely Homa Restaurant for a period of time, before moving back to his first love of fashion. Specifically, he now has the beautiful ‘Blackhorse Lane Atelier’, producing and selling fantastic denim from his shops in Kings Cross and the West End. We reminded ourselves that time has flown by, and we haven’t been out for around two years. We set a date! After nearly fifteen years at N16 and twelve years at NW5, we have made loads of contacts and great friends, and it creates a fantastic environment of camaraderie and good spirit for us all to work in. As March arrives with St David’s Day, then moves on to St Patrick’s Day before tailing off the month with Mother’s Day, it’s all pretty full on, and off duty, you might just find us in the local cafes and pubs kicking back and enjoying time with other local traders. It’s what work/life balance is all about.

We had an amazing ‘Burns Night’ interest in, and sales of, Grants of Speyside Haggis. One imagines that Burns is very much a Scottish tradition but, like so many things, we seem to be celebrating for the world, and why not? Readers might remember me mentioning a similar tale at American Thanksgiving. The interest in Haggis set me thinking about what our customers are buying and eating these days, and we have definitely seen a slight shift. Slightly more contentiously, we sold Foie Gras at Christmas. While once a staple at times of celebration, it fell out of favour but appears to be on peoples minds again. The Game Season will finish this weekend, as shoots fall silent from 31st January. However, we have seen a marked uptick in the sales of game through the early part of the winter. Lots of Pheasant and Partridge, and clearly Venison Stew has been on the menu, and why not? Absolutely delicious and easily available. There has also been a shift in thinking regarding healthy eating. We are seeing an increase in people, often younger people, who have been advised to add proteins and iron to their diet, through red meat and offal. Offal, of course, is another product that fell out of favour but can be delicious, different and bring health benefits. It’s also inexpensive. As always, we will be keeping our eyes on our customers eating habits and responding as necessary. If you want something a little different, speak to the butchers, and maybe try something new.