BAZAAR

Bestsellers: Top 10 at Neal's Yard Wholefoods

1 Pistachio nuts (500g)...............................pounds 3.19

2 Dried apricots (1kg)..................................pounds 4.19

3 Rich muesli (2kg).....................................pounds 3.29

4 Curried rice crackers (200g)......................pounds 2.69

5 Green & Black Maya Gold chocolate .............39p

6 Trail mix (500g) ......................................pounds 1.99

7 Razzamatazz savoury mix (200g)..............pounds 1.39

8 Vegetable roots.........................................pounds 2.89

9 Lerida figs (500g).....................................pounds 2.69

10 Sesame seeds (250g)................................79p

Prices are reduced from the above till 2 March. As well as Neal's Yard Wholefood Warehouse, Neal's Yard, London WC2, there are Neal's Yard outlets in Oxford; Ware, Kent; Wendover, Bucks; Ferndown, Dorset; Morden Hall, Surrey. Call 01455 251900 for details.

Good thing

Footsie Roller, pounds 2.50

In the film Raise the Red Lantern, the Chinese magnate's young wife has her feet carefully massaged before every connubial visit. Now we know why. Rolled slowly back and forth under the bare sole, this grooved wooden log is an extremely sensual, as well as an ache-relieving experience. Just the thing for recovering from a long trudge through the slush. While you're at it, pep your feet up further with a vigorous Pumice Foot Scrub (pounds 2.65), to remove dry skin, and a blast of Refreshing Foot Spray, with tea tree and rosemary oils (pounds 2.50). Just don't use the latter at the same time as the Peppermint Foot lotion (pounds 2.10): the smells clash horribly. All items from branches of the Body Shop nationwide.

Mad thing

Rolls Relax Massage Chair, pounds 3,500

An electric chair that looks like a cross between a giant liquorice duvet and a black hole, this is the ultimate antidote for executive stress. Simply sink into the Rolls Relax Massage chair, put your feet up, and select one of three modes: kneading, tapping or vibrating. Lie back and be pummelled or undulated back to life. One word of warning: do not use it in public if you don't want people to see you impersonate a wobbling jelly. The Leading Edge gadget shop has branches in the London area only: at Harrods, Whiteley's Bayswater, Selfridges, Liverpool Street Station and Windsor.

For what it's worth ...

Why do shops start selling Easter eggs so early? We asked Richard Frost at Cadbury Schweppes, which supplies more than half of the UK's Easter eggs.

"Easter eggs are bulky. If all the shops wanted to buy them three days before Easter it would be impossible to supply them all in time, so we ship them out some time before. Shops acknowledge that most eggs are bought in the last few days before Easter, but they like early delivery to make sure they have the eggs in stock, reminding customers that Easter is approaching, and showing them what's on offer.

"Easter eggs are actually made all year round, and packaged, then put into cold storage. Chocolate will keep very well at the right temperature and humidity. Our expert taste panels will find very little difference between chocolate that's one month or six months old. I've even eaten chocolate from the turn of the century. However, if eggs don't sell at Easter we don't sell them again next year. They are either discounted or disposed of in other ways.

"The only Easter eggs that people do buy long before Easter are Cadbury's Creme Eggs. They go on sale on 1 January and we stop selling them just after Easter. We could sell them all year, but it would spoil the fun."