LOOKING for the ultimate love gift for Valentine's Day?

Enterprising Joanne Wilson, of the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, reckons she's got just the thing a heart-shaped Sarah Nelson original celebrated Grasmere Gingerbread the Valentine gift with aphrodisiac properties.

The heart-biscuits are packed with ginger which has been regarded as a love potion for hundreds of years.

"Knights would have shield-shaped pieces of gingerbread painted with egg white and studded with cloves and would present them to their favoured ladies before jousting tournaments," said Joanne, who really went to town with her research.

"Gingerbread was used as a love token because of its warming, aromatic quality. Throughout history, in fact, ginger has been celebrated because it heats the blood and induces passion. In Hong Kong it is used to boost fertility, in the North of England gingerbread sellers used to be called husbands' and in the 18th century gingerbread was sold alongside oysters."

Its love-inducing qualities are celebrated in The Arabian Nights and Shakespeare champions its qualities in his romantic comedy Love's Labour's Lost when Costard declares: "And had I but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy gingerbread."

Mini gingerbreads (also used as wedding favours) cost £1. However, the special boxed gingerbreads are available plain or inscribed in chocolate with I love you' or half dipped in chocolate and personalised.

Visit the gingerbread shop in Grasmere, see it on the web at http://www.grasmeregingerbread.co.uk or call 015394-35428.

February 13, 2003 10:00