Edinburgh's Valvona & Crolla gave me a little taste of Italy and helped me feel normal again – Hayley Matthews

Whilst the weekly shop is the most exciting thing I do at the moment, having the small choice of the big five supermarkets doesn't really give me a sense of localness.

Mary Contini at Valvona & Crolla (Picture: Ruth Armstrong)

Yes it's convenient but the coldness and lack of chat in the supermarkets leaves me feeling a bit "Handmaid's Tale” about it all.

It depresses me greatly and feels like a total chore, so I was delighted when I passed an old favourite local and saw it was open.

Valvona & Crolla always gives me a nice cosy feeling and when I decided to treat myself to some fresh coffee and bucatini recently, I didn't want to leave.

The staff were so welcoming and I could tell they were smiling behind their masks. As I waited for my coffee to be ground by the lovely wee lass behind the counter, a young man asked if he could make me coffee to take away whilst I waited to pay.

"Absolutely!" I said. I felt very special – doesn't take much these days to be fair but it was such a lovely touch.

He chatted about looking forward to booking a holiday one day soon.

I told him we've cancelled our trip to Italy twice now due to Covid and would love to get away with the kids.

For those ten minutes, I felt like life was normal again. Just speaking to someone who was happy at his work and having the personal touch makes such a difference and especially in these times.

We might not get away this year, but I'll be popping in to V&C for fresh coffee, a bit of normality and a little taste of Italy when I can.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.