So then, did you get a visit from Cupid?

Did a beautiful stranger sweep you off your feet, wine and dine and you, before arranging a private viewing of one of the most romantic films of all time?

Or did this Valentine’s Day pass without even a flicker of love?

Perhaps there was somebody who you really wanted to surprise, but the opportunity didn’t arise. Maybe nerves got the better of you. Or worse still, you forgot.

So that’s why this week we’re offering you the chance to show your affection to somebody special – and make up for any mishaps, missed chances or plain forgetfulness on your part.

And what better way than to say it with biscuits?

The lovely people at Biscuiteers hand-make delightful biscuits. Their creations are so impressive, you almost don’t want to eat them. One little nibble, though, and you’ll be in love. Which is why they’re the perfect gift for any sweet-toothed sweetheart.

If you’re one of our three winners this month, we’ll arrange for a box of Biscuiteers’ finest creations to be sent your loved one along with three bottles of our ever-romantic Raspberry & Rose Cordial.

How to enter

Remember acrostics? Well, we want your romantic odes in this almost-forgotten format. To refresh your memory, we’ve composed one for the ever-delectable Mr Clooney.

Grey but improving
Even my husband’s approving
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
Revealed you as a knockout
Gosh! Films, I’ve seen too many
Except of yours – they’re worth every penny

We think you can do better. So let’s have your odes, please. Pop them in the comments once they’re composed and perfected.

Good luck!

P.S. If reading competition terms and conditions is your thing, you can find them here.

P.P.S. If you cannot wait to get your hands on some delicious Bicuiteers biscuits, simply use the special code BLV15OFF to get 15% off your website order. You’ll have to be quick, though – it’s only available until the end of March.

The last time dear Blightly was in a recession, ITV decided to cheer everyone up by screening The Darling Buds of May. The show, based on the novels of Herbert Ernest Bates (a name to which we doff our bottle caps), follows the shenanigans of the loveable Larkin family on their farm in Kent. It starred the much-loved David Jason as Pop Larkin and launched the career of a little known Welsh lass called Catherine Zeta-Jones (who, as Mariette, ended up marrying a taxman – the poor thing). Re-run it, we say.

The larger than life Larkin family would no doubt approve of British Sandwich Week, which is currently in full swing. And as farmers, they’d probably opt for a classic ploughman’s. But according to The British Sandwich Association (who else?), a ploughman’s only ranks at eight in the top ten sarnie fillings favoured by us Brits. And, perhaps shockingly, there’s no place for cheese and pickle in the list. Here it is in full:

1. Chicken Salad
2. Mixed Selection
3. Chicken & Bacon
4. Bacon/Lettuce/Tomato
5. Prawn Mayonnaise
6. Chicken & Stuffing
7. Egg & Cress
8. Ploughman’s
9. Cheese & Onion
10. Chicken Caesar

We’re guessing a ‘mixed selection’ is one of those three-sandwich packets found in petrol stations across the country where you get two fillings you like and one that you don’t. But as Meat Loaf once bellowed, Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad.

One filling that rarely graces the Esso forecourts is Strawberry, Clotted Cream and Rose Petal. What a delightful sandwich! And we think we’ve got the perfect accompaniment….

Belvoir’s Raspberry and Rose Cordial

Belvoir’s Raspberry & Rose Cordial is a sweet, sensuous drink, packed with raspberries grown on UK farms and hand pressed by us. It’s perfect to quaff on long summer days as ripe raspberries help combat heat and thirst. Alternatively, use it as a base for cocktails: Try mixing 50ml gin, 75ml of lychee juice and 15ml of Raspberry & Rose cordial for a delicious Raspberry Blush.

Mythology says that raspberries used to be white. Things changed when a clumsy nymph,  furiously picking the fruit to appease a particular god’s rage, pricked her finger on a thorn. Blood spilled from her digit, forever turning the raspberries red. But don’t let that put you off. Roses are believed to make potent love potions, so Belvoir’s cordial balances not only taste perfectly, but also the anger of the gods.

In days gone by, raspberry juice was used to calm fever and gargling it would ease a sore throat. Raspberry syrup was said to dissolve tartar on teeth, too. So as well as making you feel better, your smile would be a couple of notches brighter.

Raspberries are high in querticin (whatever that is) and antioxidants which can provide a natural cure for hay fever.  Raspberry juice has reputed benefits for eye problems, mouth ulcers, toning the uterine muscles in pregnancy and is great for detox.

(Please note: Belvoir Fruit Farms is neither a doctor nor dentist; we are merely reporting herbal lore for the fruits and flowers in our products. We recommend you consult a medical specialist before declaring never to buy Lemsip, spectacles, Bonjela or toothpaste ever again.)

As for the rose petals, their scent is said to have an uplifting, restoring effect on the nervous system, and can relieve insomnia, lift depression, dispel fatigue and soothe irritability.

Of course, you don’t have to feel under the weather to buy our Raspberry and Rose cordial, it’s just as tasty even if you’re feeling right as rain. Speaking of which, where did those first signs up summer go?