It’s been a dodgy year for romance.

While couples have been cooped up for months with only each other for company, singles have struggled with being detached from the in-person dating scene for an inhumane amount of time.

By February 14th, 2021, we’ll all be ready for some Valentine’s Day celebrating, even if you’ll be raising a toast to the patron saint of cutesy cards with your flatmate or on the weekly Zoom call.

Here are five treats for sharing with whoever’s nearest:

1. Raise a glass (of cider)

Who needs pink Champagne when you could be toasting your Valentine with a pink Stonewell Cider?

The Cork cider makers’ limited edition apple and rhubarb cider Stonewell Rós won the prestigious Supreme Champion, Best in Ireland Award at the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards in 2016.

Rós is made from a blend of rhubarb wine and juice which gives the cider a unique balance of fruit and acidity with just the right amount of apple and rhubarb.

Stonewell Rós is €42 for a case of 12 and they deliver to Cork City and North Cork on Thursdays. There’s a list of stockists here.

If you’d like your home to be cider scented too, they’re also doing a limited edition Stonewell Rose candle (€30 including shipping, orders via Facebook DM).

2. Sweets for your sweet

Nothing says I love you like a beautiful box of fresh cupcakes and nobody does them better than Ms Cupcake Cork.

Ramune’s stunning designs are stunning to look at, but they taste even more exquisite. Flavours on offer range from vanilla raspberry with white chocolate chips to caramel, chocolate ganache, lemon coconut and apple cinnamon.

For orders email pamariofeja@icloud.com.

3. Blooming beautiful 

The Flowersmith Studio is making their Special Edition Valentine Bundle available in four sizes: Mini, Midi, Luxe and Ultra-Luxe, so they’re ideal for impressing a date (Ultra-Luxe), reminding your sister/neighbour/bestie that you’re thinking of them (Luxe), or spoiling yourself for the day that’s in it (Midi).

Place an order and your amour will open the door to a gorgeous bouquet of premium blooms, wrapped in crisp brown recyclable paper.

All bouquets are available for local Cork delivery from February 10th-14th, 2021 and the website allows shoppers to add optional extras like Bean and Goose Chocolate and dried lavender too. Check it out here.

4. Box of wine

Ordering wine by the box is trendy again. In fact, Ireland’s first “tailored to your taste” wine subscription company has spent the last 12 months sending boxes all over Ireland and they make a top-notch gift.

Box of Wine want to make the world of wine a less intimidating place, to expand your palate and to introduce fantastic, great value wine you won’t find in your local supermarket.

Their €48 monthly subscription box will see three bottles of wine with tasting cards delivered to your door every month. There’s a special Valentine’s Box available too.

5. Try mead tasting 

You’ve done wine tasting, but have you ever tried mead?

If you fancy doing something a little offbeat with the person that you fancy this lockdown Valentine’s, Kinsale Mead Co. is hosting a virtual mead tasting on Valentine’s Eve, Saturday, February 14th, 2021 at 7pm. Book in and your tasting kits, each containing four of Kinsale Mead Co.’s multi-award winning meads and four Kokos Chocolates, will be posted to your door ahead of the event.

“We’re calling it our ‘Bee Mine’ talk,” explains Denis Dempsey, co-founder and mead-maker. “We have lots of fun stories of mead and honey to share and some great ideas for food and mead pairing. Even some mead cocktails.”

The kit is a very reasonable €27.50 and you can order here.