My Working Valentine

My Working Valentine

07 February, 2013
by: Emma

We hit the streets to find out what Valentine's Day entails for several London shops and salons.

Valentine's Day can be hard work and not just for the guy who's left it till the last minute to book a restaurant. We visited several shops and salons that get busiest around February 14^th – from fishmongers to wax bars, florists and erotic boutiques – to find out what goes into making your Valentine’s Day special. 

Fishmonger

Steve Marslin at Steve Hatt Fishmongers, Essex Road 

We normally sell top quality fish on Valentine’s Day. Stuff like oysters, lobsters and sea bass for people cooking special dinners for their other halves. We probably get about 500 oysters and between 50-100 lobsters in on the day. We try and get everything boxed up in the morning and keep all the orders in the back. Some people leave it to the last minute and we have to let them down – we always tell people to try and order in advance, as it makes life easier for us and for them.

Best Valentine’s date? I did spoil my last girlfriend properly. I bought her a teddy bear with a Tiffany necklace round its neck, took her out for dinner, then brought her back to my house where I’d put rose petals all over the bed – she loved it! We’ve split up since then though and I’ve moved on. There’s plenty more fish in the sea, as they say!

Florist

Marco at Angel Flowers, Upper Street

Valentine’s Day is our busiest day of the year so we open two hours early at 7am and we’re here most of the night beforehand getting the flowers ready. It can be quite chaotic – people are queuing outside and shouting to each other. We have to ignore half the people in the shop because we can’t talk to them. Roses are still the most popular flowers we sell on the day, particularly red roses and mixed bouquets. Most people spend about £50 a bunch and 80% of customers are men. The next day we sometimes get men who have forgotten about it and are in trouble!

What's the best Valentine's gift you've received? I never celebrate Valentine's. I’ve been a florist for 20 years so I’m always on this side of the counter. Somebody bought me a pineapple plant 20 years ago – it’s the only Valentine I’ve ever had and it lasted for many years.

Card shop

Sean Stannard – Scribbler, Wardour Street

Valentine’s Day is one of our busiest days of the year, along with Christmas Eve. We’ll have queues going right to the back of the shop and we’ll probably stay open till 9pm on the day. Some people buy several (normally men) and then you get the odd American who sends everyone a Valentine’s card. Two is the most popular number; people usually buy a dirty one and a serious one. Our bestsellers this year say: ‘I simply adore you’ and ‘I love you so much my bum fell off’. We have some pretty rude ones too – ‘I would so take it up the bum for you’ and ‘suck my dick’ get straight to the point!

What’s your ideal Valentine's date? I always like to spend Valentine’s Day watching horror films.

Wax bar

Sophie – Strip, Berwick Street

We definitely start to get busier around Valentine’s Day – usually with women coming in for Brazilian and Hollywood style waxes. We also offer a ‘Bollywood’ which is a customised bikini wax including dyeing, shaping and gemstone application. We prefer to call it a ‘Bollywood’ rather than a ‘Vajazzle’ as it’s a bit classier! We’re doing a special promo package for Valentine’s Day which includes the Bollywood, cluster lash extensions and a full body spray tan, so you’re properly prepped for the day. We also sell some underwear – if men come in we help them with cup sizes as they usually have no idea!

Best Valentine’s gift? I once got 40 red roses delivered to work. At the time I was working in the middle of a shopping centre in a kiosk so I was extremely embarrassed but also really smug! That was my ex; hopefully my new boyfriend will do something even better this year. Maybe he’ll come in here and get a wax – that would be good!

Chocolate shop

Paul Young - Paul A Young, Camden Passage

Valentine’s tends to be feminine-orientated and frilly and we don’t go in for that at all. We have chocolate roses for the very romantic but everything we do is quite discreet. We have a Valentine’s brownie which is chipotle chilli, with a salted sugar crust and a billionaire caramel shortbread which is raspberry salted caramel with a rose chocolate sheet on the top. They’re small ‘grab and go’s’ and not too garish. Next week we’ll launch a collection of Valentine’s truffles, including some special ones for men, like ‘The London Gent’ which is treacle and black pepper and ‘The Hipster’ which is a tobacco bourbon sour. People always think that it’s just men buying chocolate for women on Valentine’s but it’s not true. Men love chocolate they just don’t talk about it as much!

Has anyone ever bought you chocolates for Valentine's? No one would dare. Even if they were mine I’d give them back because I’d have had to make them!

Erotic boutique

Roisin – Coco de Mer, Monmouth Street

The usual things people look for on Valentine’s Day are red lingerie, fun candy and experience kits. We sell them all year round and then for Valentine’s, we’ll put a display in the front of the shop to give people ideas that are a bit different. We’re starting to sell a lot of novelty rulers, feather ticklers and blindfolds right now. The spanking knickers have also been flying off the shelves. We introduced some candy pink and berry coloured ones for Valentine’s which have a flap on the bottom you can undo and expose the sweet spot! The women tend to come in and go for the really sexy lingerie, whereas the men go for what they can immediately see – but they are getting better. Last week we had a man who bought latex gloves, restraints and a spanker for Valentine’s Day so it really varies. We try to offer something for every taste.

Best Valentine’s gift? I’ve never had any. No flowers, chocolates, nothing! I personally don’t adhere to it but if some people need a designated day to spice things up a bit then I’m all for it. And if you’re buying something to make someone happy – I’m happy!

  
More on Spoonfed:
Valentine's Day ideas: cheap, creative and curbing expectations
Stuff to do on Valentine's Day 2013
February Food and Drink events
Pancake Day Party: three flippin' good recipes

Emma