The gentle art of corner shopping

This is not a tirade about supermarkets: their price fixing, the spies they send out into nearby small shops, the often miserable and unhelpful staff and the general absence of anything remotely philanthropic in their mission statements. We won’t mention any of these. This is, rather, a paean to all things small and corner-shaped.

It goes without saying that a small shop where the owner is very hands-on is likely to be more carefully and caringly run. The product range may not be as large, but goods are lovingly sourced and merchandized, and the shopkeeper will usually happily engage in discussions as to the merits of this, or how to prepare that. If you are a regular, and ask nicely enough, the shopkeeper will also go to great lengths to find and stock particular products for you.