Still Great!

One of our customers is currently working on a project which involves reading more than four hundred letters written by a single solider during World War I. He brought one of these fascinating letters in to show me. And I'm sharing it with you! On the 4th May 1915, Major Robert Hermon's letter to his wife, Ethel, included the following request:

"I want you to arrange with Harrods or some one like that to send us a £1 box of stores every week......The jam is essential and must come without fail.....Cherry jam occasionally but the main jam supply to be Little Scarlets."

That will be the Tiptree Little Scarlet jam we sell here at Tastes, nearly 100 years after that letter was written. Some preserves really are that good!

The perpetual pound

The flat above Tastes Deli has been renovated this summer. Since early July the building has been covered in scaffolding. We've managed to keep the shop open most of the time. But it is summer (and a very nice one at that) and while many of our regulars are on holiday we rely on the tourists. Sadly, this year they don't know we are here, and certainly don't know we are worth walking under ladders for.

A few weeks ago our suppliers started to notice I was ordering less. Last week I heard that a supplier's supplier also noticed! Which I think sort of proves how money spent in small shops is spent again and again within the community. When money isn't spent the reverse applies. I guess that's economics. Surprisingly interesting really!

Fortunately, this is only a temporary blip and business should return to usual very soon. I promise to order lots of lovely things as soon as it does, so my suppliers can order more of what they need, and their suppliers can order more of what they need etc etc.