Here we go, then - my inaugural dose of new year cogitations, fresh off the press (well, my keyboard, technically!)

Let’s start with the essentials: I hope your Christmas was a delightful mess of family, friends, loved-ones and at least one relative who accidentally got wrecked on sherry trifle. Oh, and plenty of Christmas pud. Did everyone behave themselves? No? Good.

And I trust your New Year started well too - although it is already almost mid-January! MID-JANUARY! How did this happen? I haven’t finished my mince pies yet. At this rate, blink and it’ll be July, and then back to untangling the fairy lights again. Time’s relentless march is just showing off now.

And speaking of showing off, how’s everyone doing with their New Year’s resolutions? Anyone still clinging to those grand plans to overhaul their entire personality? You know the drill: eat less, drink less, move more, read books, do more, be nice! If you’re still sticking with it - congratulations! You’ve officially made the rest of us look like we spent January lying on the sofa, eating leftover cheese and re-watching Die Hard. (Spoiler alert: this may have happened!)

I’ve got a foolproof way of keeping my resolutions, by the way. They’re tucked safely in the back of my last year’s diary. So safe, in fact, they’ll stay there forever, untouched and unbothered, like the gym membership I signed up for in 2017. Genius, really.

But let’s get serious for a moment (don’t worry - it won’t last long) I do have one proper resolution this year, and it’s to keep the shop going throughout 2025. That’s no small feat when rent, rates, and the cost of absolutely everything is skyrocketing like some overachieving fireworks display. Still, I’ll give it my best shot. Maybe some tweaks here, a bit more online magic there, and hopefully we’ll make it through.

Online magic? Oh yes, I’ll be sprucing up the website over the next few weeks - a proper digital makeover. So, not only will you be able to grab ready-made hampers for Birthdays, Celebrations, and all those “Oops, I forgot the gift!” moments, but you’ll also be able to build your own bespoke hampers from scratch.

Fancy curating the perfect combo of chutneys, cheese, crackers and wine? Or, want to pair chutneys with chocolates? Cheese with marshmallows? Wine with, well, more wine? You’ll be able to craft the perfect combination for any occasion (or, let’s be honest, for yourself).

 You’ll be able to do just that! We had so many lovely responses to the hampers we sent out over Christmas that we’ve decided to double down and make hampers our big thing all year round. Prepare for a full-on hamper extravaganza. The possibilities are endless - and delicious.

So, here’s to another year of trying. Trying to stay afloat, trying to be better, and trying not to throttle the next person who posts overly smug, too smiley ‘New Year, New Me’ selfies from the gym.

Cheers to 2025! May it be slightly less mad than 2024. But let’s be honest - it probably won’t.

Have a great week and a great year!

Cheers!

Phil

Phil’s Good Food in Wokingham, 2-4 Broad Street, offers a range of high-quality, ethically sourced products, from local honey to world-class cheeses, indie beers, wines, chocolates and much more. Our beautifully curated hampers make the perfect gift, or you can handpick your favourites, and we’ll create a bespoke hamper just for you!

We don’t deal in mass-produced plastic nonsense!

www.philsgoodfood.co.uk

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