Every year, before creating our unique Limited Edition we reflect on our surroundings, feelings and experiences of the year. We do not just throw a Christmas sleeve in our box and put Santa’s hat in our logo.
Are we wrong wanting to do something meaningful? You definitely deserve more than that, I am not a piece of machinery. I want to say things to you through my thoughts and my craft. I do not design a Limited Edition one year before to get ahead of the market. How will I as a human connect with something that hasn’t happened yet?
This particular year was a tough because to keep doing what I love I needed to be patient which I was not. I had to remind myself constantly: “See all that has been done, not only: The result on the Balance sheet" (although to be fair, my dad is an accountant so is really hard to change the mind set). So much has been achieved and has happened that because I do not see a full grown tree I cannot unfairly dismiss all the work that has been done.
My friend and neighbour Anna from Watlington once said to me that I have green hands as I love gardening. She would come for tea and we would spend time together talking about flowers, lawn, trees. I was a recent mum and her company and gardening gave me comfort.
The seeds I have planted, nurtured and taken care of are now beautiful. From that small little garden at The Goggs in Watlington to my garden at Millway Furlong in Haddenham where I am writing this lines, life has happened.
I want to homage this year the unseen work and not the balance sheet. I will not talk about the tree but instead of the seeds; all the work that you, I and everyone unfairly overlook when judging how good or bad something is.
I promised myself from now on, not only to create this box with seeds and flavours that are tasty and beautiful, to give you a card that you can plant yourself and grow, but to never think about things in the same way. I will plant my seeds and I will nurture them with all my care and love.
I will give them to nature.
I will learn how to sit and wait (because in winter the garden sleeps)
There are different soils and weathers. Surroundings, opportunities and disadvantages. There is other people. Which seed will be planted, where, when, how? Is up to you and up to me.
There are no trees on seeds that have never been planted. Your family, your ideas, your hopes, your business: plant & nurture.
Will they grow and achieve their full potential? Time and a bit of luck will tell.
Though I believe nature has done a great job so far so I will keep working on my side knowing that she is there with me too.
Hope you have a great end of 2023 season and beginning of 2024 or a great circle that never begins or ends call life. Meet you there.
Maria Romero
Chocolatier @ SUR