Valentines - Food for Thought

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us. If you are an unwilling single, it’s not as bad as Christmas for highlighting loneliness, but if your headspace is just getting over the festive period, then the last thing you need is a Valentine’s reminder!
 
So, why not turn a negative into a positive? If you’ve never been on a date with someone you know and you’re planning to ask, before you do ask yourself: what kind of person do I want to date? It’s not a bad call to start with food. We all need to eat and shared meals play a key part in any ongoing relationship. With this in mind, a vegan looking to date a meat-eater is almost bound to end in tears. 
 
Has he/she got a good appetite and enjoys a glass of wine or does he/she pick at salads and drink their own weight in water at a sitting? Does he/she like gastronomic surprises? Has he/she got an adored pet? (dog friendly restaurants). Lots of considerations and the more you take these into account, the better. Food is an increasingly emotive subject and increasingly indicative of life choices. Are we what we eat? One thing for sure, couples with similar tastes are much more likely to succeed in relationships than those who do not, so it makes sense to go for someone with similar tastes -relationships are hard enough without stacking unnecessary odds against you. 
 
Then, should the meal be a surprise? Thoughtful behaviour is key here and, statistically, it’s considered more thoughtful to let the other half know what is going on. A restaurant is an OK option but let’s face it, a lot of them will be geared toward Valentines over the weekend and on the night and looking around a packed house to see which pairing is taking the best selfies might not be the most inspiring choice. And if one couple decides to pop the question, then you run the risk of causing disappointment. 
 
If you can, cooking at home is absolutely the way to go. Cooking together at home even better. Split the labour with two in the kitchen and, like life, meet at the end. Better still why not cook one course each and one dessert each?  It’s all about quality time. If cooking at home is not on the cards, you’re unlikely to lose ground with a candlelight dinner with thoughtful touches off a Non-Valentine’s Day orientated menu.
 
Another simple but effective way to differentiate yourself from the crowd is to give a handwritten card rather than going online. 
 
If you’re planning a big question, check out the link on the Berkeley International site [https://www.berkeley-international.com/blog/ennell-jewellers-partner-with-berkeley-international-for-valentines-day] for our partnership with Ennell Jewellery [https://www.facebook.com/TheEnnellJewellers/]. If not, then Valentine’s falls on a Monday this year so go early for the weekend coming. It’s not too late to sort something out so take a leap of faith and make a call.