What are your plans for Valentine’s this year? If you live in the city, why not get away for a romantic weekend in the country? If you already live in the countryside, why not make the most of all it has to offer?
Let’s make Valentine’s Day (and all of the weekend before) the best it can be.
At hampers.com, we’ve come up with 8 romantic ideas for you to do together with your partner, in the countryside, this Valentine’s.
Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year – so you could make plans starting right from the 10th or 11th and enjoy a lovely long weekend. Take as much time as you need to show your boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband or partner how special they are.
Start Valentine’s celebrations with breakfast in bed
Start your romantic weekend in style with a delicious breakfast in bed with one of our Valentine's hampers.
Open the curtains and admire the view, whilst you enjoy delicious pastries and steaming hot coffee. If it’s a nice day, open the window and take a chance to just stop and relax. Listen to the bird song. Breathe in the fresh air and take a moment to be thankful for the simple things.
When was the last time you stayed in bed and read your books or flicked through a newspaper or magazine? Make sure you pick up your perfect reading material, along with your breakfast-in-bed treats.
Don't forget to order a special bottle of Champagne, or Italian Prosecco if you prefer, to enjoy as is or as a refreshing Valentine's morning Bucks Fizz.
Explore Champagne and Prosecco Valentine's Gifts
Have a slow morning bingeing on a box set
There’s no rush to get up and dressed – why not binge watch that box set you’ve seen recommended everywhere on social media? Take a look at what's streaming and you'll soon be inundated with Valentine's ideas. Have you seen Wednesday yet? Or is The Mandalorian more of your thing?
Maybe there’s an old series that you used to love watching together when you first started dating or when you were first married. We love the classics like Gavin & Stacey and Lost. We hope they bring back some special memories.
Snuggle under some blankets, light the wood burner, if you have one (…we’re imagining you’re in a gorgeous countryside thatched cottage, of course) and waste some hours engrossed in your favourite series.
Make sure you have plenty of warm drinks and tasty snacks on hand – why not treat yourselves to one of our Valentine's Couple's Sharing Hamper?
Head out for a nice weekend walk and a ploughman's lunch
We’re hoping for a lovely sunny, crisp Valentine’s weekend this year – wouldn’t that be just perfect? But, don’t let a little rain stop you…"no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes", as the saying goes!
Get your walking boots on, grab your coats and head out, hand-in-hand to make the most of where you are. Choose a countryside walk with great views and perhaps a picture perfect viewpoint – and savour that view. It’ll be a great spot for some photographs… and a romantic selfie or two.
If you are out walking in the woods, why not consider a bit of Forest Therapy – take some time to listen to the sounds of the forest. Touch the bark. Smell the plants and even the ground beneath your feet. All of the extra oxygen from being surrounded by the trees will be so good for you both.
Find a fallen log and take a moment with your partner to savour the open space you are lucky enough to find yourselves in. Perhaps even reminisce about what had led you to this place in the country you now call home.
After all of the exercise and fresh air, we highly recommend heading to a local pub and enjoying a delicious lunch. As it’s Valentine’s weekend, it may be wise to book ahead!
If you’re keen to get home… or didn’t have the energy or inclination to leave in the first place… why not treat yourselves to your very own homemade pub lunch. Consider an easy to cook classic like scampi and chips or pie and mash. Delicious and warming. Or maybe you love a ploughman’s or a door-step steak and onion sandwich? Wash it down with a delicious glass of beer or cider.
See our Valentine's Beer and Cheese Hamper, for delightful craft beers, and our Ploughman's Beer and Cheese Hamper for great-tasting real ales.
Warm up with a bath and relax with a pamper session
If you’re a bit cold after your long walk, and your legs are aching, why not both go back to bed for an afternoon nap? The ultimate weekend afternoon treat!
To really get you warmed back up and completely relaxed, why not run a deep hot bath? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the bath is big enough to share!
Find your favourite bath salts, bubble or toiletries. Use up those gorgeous products you got for Christmas on each other… or why not treat yourselves to our Valentine's Pamper Hamper. This gorgeous gift box includes bath salts and a scented candle to create an atmospheric spa experience, plus there's plenty of sweet treats to indulge in, whilst you take your relaxing bath. See also our Relax and Unwind Valentine's Hamper, alcohol free and featuring a purifying face mask.
Time for some romantic pre-dinner drinks
Is your partner a keen cocktail maker? Is your soulmate a wine connoisseur? Does your special someone know their spirits from their spritzers? Then, have some fun making some delicious pre-dinner cocktails or coming up with an appealing aperitif.
Can you create your very own cocktail? Name it after yourselves or something funny related to you and your unique relationship.
If your husband or boyfriend fancies himself as a budding mixologist, then explore our Valentine's Cocktail Lovers Hamper.
Cook something new together
Food is definitely the way to all of our hearts here at hampers.com… and we love cooking with our loved ones.
If you decide to stay in this Valentine’s weekend, why not plan an extra special series of courses. You can spend an afternoon thumbing through recipe books for inspiration. You could choose to cook one course each. Choose a theme or a region to draw inspiration from.
Being in the countryside, you could be inspired by seasonal ingredients and what you can purchase that is produced locally. It will always taste better when you know where it’s from.
For some great seasonal vegetable recipes, check celebrity chef, Celia Brooks and her SuperVeg cookbook.
Take some time to research the perfect wine to complement the foods you have chosen. The Wine Society's easy guide will help you to choose the right grape for each course. Our secret tip is to take a taste of the wine before tasting your food, then after - discuss and compare how a well paired wine will draw out new flavours. It's a real talking point.
Round off Valentine's evening stargazing by firelight
It may be winter, but spending some time under the stars has to be one of the most romantic Valentine’s experiences.
Get some thick blankets and lay down together to stare at the universe above. Let's hope for a clear night on the 14th February this year.
Make the most of a countryside's clear night skies, away from light pollution. If you are lucky enough to be located in one of the Dark Sky Reserves, then you’ll have a stunning view!
Buy or borrow a telescope. Download a stargazing app on your phone and identify what’s above you.
If it’s too cold for simply a blanket, why not treat yourselves to a roaring fire in a firepit?
Relax on deck chairs and savour the night sky. A rich hot chocolate or a liqueur coffee is a beautiful accompaniment… as well as some gourmet marshmallows to toast, of course.
A Valentine's weekend to remember
We hope we’ve inspired you to make the absolute most of your Valentine’s weekend in the country. It’s not often we take the chance to slow down and enjoy all that nature has to offer.
Make Valentine’s as relaxing, romantic and restful as you can, for you both this year.
Still need a little help with a Valentine’s Gift? Check out our full Valentine’s Day Hampers for Him and Valentine's Day Hampers for her ranges.
If you’re staying in the city this Valentine's, make sure you read our Perfect Valentine’s Weekend in City blog. Full of great ideas for the perfect weekend.
