Speciality Food Magazine - April 2026

53 People will often ask what they can buy here to recreate their sandwich at home, and they’ll go away with our bread, a chutney, maybe some curedmeat and olives. That really works for us what they can buy here to recreate their sandwich at home, and they’ll go awaywith our bread, a chutney, maybe some curedmeat and olives. That reallyworks for us.” Torres crisps sell verywell for Idle Hands too. As do Perello olives, and Edinburgh’s COCO chocolate. The couple onlywish they could access some of their favourite products as freely as they once used to. Rules and prices since Brexit havemade it harder and harder, they say, to import small value goods,withmargins decimated. “We love Café-Tasse fromBelgium, but the numbers don’t add up for us to buy their products anymore sowe’ve had to let that brand go,”Morven continues. “It’s a shame, because we lovewhat they do.” A newway of life It’s clear bothMorven and Piero have genuine passion for their shop. Morven puts that down, largely, to people. “Everyone is really nice. Our staff, and our cheese and largely European – Italian and Spanish – charcuterie. We knowyou can get thinks like Mozzarella in the UKnow, butwe’re focusing on productswith DOP and PDO, buying the very best. So, Burrata fromPuglia, and Prosciutto di Parma.” On the cheese side of things Pitchfork Cheddar has been brilliant for the shop,with other top sellers being Cashel Blue and Alp Blossom. Thesemust-haves are always in stock. As forwhat’s on the shelves, Morven says they don’t buy local just for the sake of it. Being a relatively small outfit, space is limited, sowhatever they choose, has to be really really good. “Blackthorn Sea Salt is local to us and is brilliant. Andwemet someone fromBlowin’ Free Gin, not realising shewas so local – just a fewmiles down the road fromus. They distill their own gin with botanicals and fruits grown on their own farm. That’s quite special, and did reallywell for us at Christmas!” Morven has a thing for Poon’s Chilli Vinegar Dressing, and chutneys and pickles from the Tracklements range,which are smeared and slathered into their sandwiches. “Peoplewill often ask customers. That does make it an enjoyable job becausewe can see people appreciatewhatwe do. It’s nice to hear howcomplimentary they are.When you’ve been on your feet for eight hours, it keeps you going!” The future of speciality retail, she adds,will come down to constantly striving to create the best customer experience. But you’ll also only succeed, she believes, if your heart is in the right place. It’s a vocation, not a job, and it’s something that should excite you andmake youwant to get out of bed every day. “There are long hours, and it can bementally draining. You’ve got to get into it because you enjoy food and community and people. If you do that, you’ll be successful. You also need to have a strong instinct forwhat suits you and the customers in your area, to stand out and bring something special to your neighbourhood, and I think that’s justwhatwe’ve been able to do.”