Food shopping can be stressful at the best of times, but it can become really overwhelming for those with autism. The noise and in-store music, even the till sounds can make the event more stressful than necessary.

From 2 April, which is World Autism Day, Tuesday nights will become Autism Aware Quiet Nights at Lidl. In its 194 stores across the country, Lidl will be implementing a variety of elements to make the shopping experience more enjoyable for its customers with autism.

So no music and forget about in-store announcements. Till scan sounds will be lowered and there will also be reduced lighting. Priority queueing will also be given to customers dealing with autism and extra assistance will be provided if needed.

While autism awareness dogs are always welcome, there may well be a few more furry friends on the shop floor that evening.

An in-store map will also be available for children with autism to plan and organise their shopping trips, which will add structure and routine to help them deal with an otherwise chaotic experiences.

We think it’s a great idea and really allows people to spend the time they need focusing on their food shop. The initiative is being rolled out on the back of an initial trial last year.

Salmon-chanted evening at La Côte seafood restaurant

Its going to be a Good Friday with a real difference this year, as pubs and bars open for the first time in nearly a century. However, while the doors will be open, tradition won’t be forgotten in some parts of the country.

La Côte Seafood Restaurant, recently awarded best restaurant and best chef for Co Wexford at the Irish Restaurant Awards, is to abandon meat from its menu for the day, with a €60 six-course tasting menu of fresh seafood. It includes brill, celeriac and wild mushroom; salmon gravadlax, orange purée and dill crème fresh; Kilmore hake, mousseline and sea lettuce crumb, as well as curry spiced monkfish.

And for those who don’t want to stay ‘dry’ on Good Friday, there’s also the option of ordering matching wines for €25 extra.

Crossogue Preserves wins internationally

Marmalade lovers, listen up. Did you know that there is a World’s Original Marmalade Awards? Yes, it’s been running since 2005 and this year it had over 20,000 entries from across the world, with the finals taking place in Cumbria in the UK.

While marmalade is known to be quite a British product, the Irish scored well at this year’s awards, specifically Crossogue Preserves which took home seven prizes this year, bringing its total number of accolades to 32 over the last five years. What we love about this Tipperary-based artisan preserve producer Veronica Molloy and her team is that they are making small batches using the open-pan method.

Flavours that scored the best include mixed citrus, Seville orange, tangerine, lemon and limoncello, as well as the jars of orange, damson and cardamon marmalade. With such a variety of victorious pots, Paddington Bear could have a different one in his sandwiches for every day of the week. CL