Valentine's Day: M&S 'Love Sausage' the most popular romantic item on the menu

What Valentine's delights will you be enjoying this evening?

Marks and Spencer launched their heart-shaped Love Sausage in 2019. The truffle-infused sausage hit the headlines around the world. It was so popular, more than £33,000 packs were sold last year.

Eyes have also been drawn to the new Colin the caterpillar romantic re-work. Customers can now buy a Valentine's pair of caterpillar's - Colin and Connie, Colin and Connie, and Connie and Connie, are all available this year.

2021 saw Colin and Connie Love Cocoons sales sky-rocket with more than 46,000 purchased last year.

If charcuterie is more to your taste, customers can purchase the Date Night Share-cuterie Grazing Box. The meat and cheese platter is furnished with a chorizo rose centre.

However, this year may be more difficult than in previous years, by to get all the romantic gifts couples desire.

Florists, wine-sellers and gift companies have said they are struggling to import key Valentine’s Day products due to post-Brexit customs rules.

New customers rules came into force on January 1 and supply chain experts have described Valentine’s Day as the “first proper test” of post-Brexit supply chains.

HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) now requires a new code to clear goods at customs but some importers have said they were not told and UK firms have faced disruption as a result.

Wine wholesaler Daniel Lambert Wines said it experienced problems landing a major shipment from the EU this week despite being a trusted importer registered with HMRC.

Daniel Lambert said: “We’ve had problems this week.

“HMRC rule changes that kicked in at the start of this year, plus new import codes coming online without sufficient notice, were the cause.

“HMRC is not sharing information well enough and if we, as a relatively big importer who gets their paperwork in order weeks in advance, are getting caught out like this, I’m sure the problems are magnified for smaller importers and any importer that relies on ‘just in time’ delivery.”

Elsewhere, Julie Pearson, owner of Cloudberry Gifts in Edinburgh, said some retailers are now relying on left-over stock from last year.

“Gift companies based in the UK, small independents and larger suppliers use components based in the Far East and have had huge problems receiving stock and have seen container costs rocketing,” she said.

“Other suppliers based in Europe have added freight costs on to their pricing which have added to prices in the shops in the UK.

“We were all in lockdown during Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter last year so we were all wary of ordering additional stock for Spring this year, most stores had stock they had to receive and keep again to sell this year.”