We’re looking to rebrand foodie gifts as ‘gifts for everyone’, because frankly it’s a rare person who doesn’t actually like food. While most of the masses might consider themselves foodies, we know that within those crowds there are plenty of nuances. Are you looking for the best gift for foodies who love to cook or just after something special for someone who loves to eat (and hey, there’s no hierarchy here)?
For the foodie in your life who gets their kicks in the kitchen, we’d recommend something a bit special and cheffy. Make them feel like their taking things up a gear with a nice knife or a leather apron, or go all out and buy them a cooking class from one of the world’s best chefs to really help hone their skills. The best bit about furnishing your friends and family with ways to improve their kudos in the kitchen is that you’re sure to reap the rewards at some point. We don’t think it’s right to put conditions on gifts, so we’re not suggesting that you should force the issue, but you know, you could always gently suggest that perhaps you’d be happy to be a tester for any training they wanted to do with said new gift.
If the person you’re buying for is more of an eater than a maker (guilty) then you might prefer to get them an experience. Since the P word we’ve become huge fans of an at-home meal kit which gives you the restaurant experience in the comfort of your own home. Other top picks include postal cocktail kits for the easiest way to create a party in minutes, and letterbox brownies that deliver the goods even when you can’t give a gift in person.
1. A cooking class
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What: Whether you’re buying for a kitchen novice or a seasoned pro, the addictive thing about cooking is that there’s always something new to learn. From pasta masterclasses and bread making workshops through to week-long complete courses, the UK is home to some of the world’s best cookery schools. Giving someone a day, night or few days of pure escapism is the ultimate foodie joy, and something they’ll always remember. While the gift might last only a few hours, it’s something that they’ll get great mileage out of over time, allowing them to continue to use and improve on what they learned for years to come.
Our favourite pick: One Day Masterclass in Michel Roux Jrs Kitchen at Sauce by the Langham
Discover more: The best cooking classes in the UK
2. Bottled cocktails
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What: While good couldn’t be a word attributed to the pandemic in general, there are some clever things that have been born because of businesses needing to pivot during lockdowns that we wouldn’t want to give up now. One such offering is of course bottled cocktails. You can now have pre-mixed cocktails delivered to your door and we can’t imagine having to go back to a time when that wasn’t a possibility. Whether you order one set for a special occasion or treat your foodie friend to a few runs via a subscription, we’re pretty sure this is a winner for most people. For non-drinkers there are plenty of mocktail options too.
Our favourite pick: The Cocktail Society
Discover more: 21 readymade and bottled cocktail sets that can be delivered to your door
3. Some cheffy tools
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What: Who better to advise on gifts for foodies than chefs themselves? We took it upon ourselves to ask some of the UK’s most talented chefs what they’re ideal gift would be, and we can’t help but admit that we were surprised by the results. Not only were chickens and a coop on the list, so were other unusual options like mouldy rice (yep, really). While they might seem left-field suggestions for outsides, for the inner circle they seem to just make sense. We love the leather aprons suggested by the chefs at Fallow, as well as the Japanese knives and outdoor grills that both got a couple of special mentions each.
Our favourite pick: Stalwart Crafts Leather Aprons
Discover more: 15 of the best gifts for chefs as chosen by some of the UK's top chefs
4. A cheese gift pack
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What: There are very few people in this world who don’t like some form of cheese. We’ve also found that those who are passionate about cheese are really, really passionate about cheese, which means giving them the gift of a regular cheese board is pretty much a no-brainer. Most of the top British cheese makers run special subscription services which allow you to tailor the offering to the recipient – from style of cheese and accompaniments through to how often you’d like to bestow brie (or any other cheese) upon them.
Our favourite pick: Pong Cheese French Superieur Selection Box
Discover more: 21 of the best cheese gifts that fromage fans will love
5. Restaurant vouchers
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What: Guys, classics are classics for a reason and if it ain’t broke why fix it, right? Rather than specifying which restaurant they should dine at with one branded gift voucher, you can instead buy SquareMeal vouchers which allow them to pick from a whole host of the top dining destinations across the UK. With options from a tenner this is a great way to control how much you spend too, allowing you to help towards a meal or go all out with a splurge spend for them to enjoy a full night out on the tiles on you. With a full year to use their vouchers, and numerous outlets offering amazing deals, this is our go-to solution for tricky-to-buy-for foodie friends.
Buy them now: SquareMeal Vouchers
6. A recipe box
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What: It’s an acknowledged truth that our lives now are busier than ever, with most of us trying to balance our professional and personal lives with little room left for cooking. If you have a foodie friend who loves to whip up a storm in the kitchen but doesn’t get a minute to unleash their creativity, a recipe box could be the answer. We’re all familiar with the format now – you get the ingredients and recipe cards and just have to cook everything according to the instructions – so while it might not be a new phenomenon it’s a pretty thoughtful way to give a pal a helping hand throughout the week. They might just discover their new favourite recipe while they’re at it.
Our favourite pick: Gusto Meal Kit
Discover more: 23 of the best recipe boxes
7. Some chefs’ knives
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What: Everyone knows that having the right tools is just as important as having the skills to know how to use them. Knives are – we’re pretty certain – the most important foodie tools out there. From being able to carve meat or butcher large joints into smaller ones through to being able to dice veg and finely chop herbs, the right knives can transform your cooking experience from labour intensive to enjoyable. As far as the best foodie gifts go we think knives are pretty up there, earning themselves a podium spot. For something super sharp, try a Japanese knife, or for an affordable option that still packs a real punch, we love Opinel models.
Our favourite pick: Zwilling Diplome Chef’s Knife 8-inch Steel
Discover more: 15 of the best knives and knife sharpeners for home cooks
8. A wine subscription
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What: Oenophiles who enjoy a nice glass of red or a crisp white are sure to love a wine subscription. There are plenty of really good independent wine brands who offer a regular delivery from their stores, and there are big name brands who offer similar services too. Essentially, whether you’re looking for a few recognisable bottles or a case of more specialist stuff, you should be able to find something to suit. Particularly trendy now are natural wines, so if you’re buying for a fashionable pal you might want to show them you’re on top of things by sending them a few bottles on the reg.
Our favourite pick: Berry Bros & Rudd Wine Club
Discover more: 20 of the best wine delivery and wine subscription services in the UK
9. A restaurant meal kit
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What: We’re okay with admitting that we’ve become a little bit obsessed with meal kits over the last couple of years. They’re another thing to have come out of pandemic life that we wouldn’t wish away now. So many top British restaurants offer a taste of their menus from the comfort of your own home, and we love that it means trying food from chefs all over the country without having to travel. There really is something for everyone so you can tailor these to the recipient easily. From learning how to cook the perfect steak through to producing an Indian feast, meal kits range from DIY jobs through to heat and eat spreads and everything in between.
Our favourite pick: Hoppers Sri Lankan Meal Kits
Discover more: DIY restaurant meal Kits: 52 London and UK-wide ways to get chef-created dishes dropped to your door
10. A chocolate subscription
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What: There’s not much of an explanation needed for this one, chocolate is chocolate and it’s universally known that it’s the food of the gods we’re pretty sure? If you know someone who lives for a little sweet treat, then gifting them the indulgence of a chocolate subscription is just about as close to heaven as they’ll get on earth. Each chocolate subscription is different, but usually you can pick between milk, dark and white or plump for something akin to a ‘discovery pack’ where the recipient receives new and interesting flavours to try each month. We love subscription gifts because they keep the magic of occasions alive longer than just one day, and are also a handy reminder of just how great you are month in month out when the package lands on their doorstep.
Our favourite pick: Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club
Discover more: Best chocolate subscription box: 18 indulgent options that chocoholics will love
11. An afternoon tea delivery
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What: Pinkies at the ready, it’s time for afternoon tea. Did you know you could get a box of high tea treats sent directly to some of your favourite people? It’s been a new but important (and also what some might call dangerous) discovery in our life that scones on demand are a thing. Most afternoon tea boxes come with the essentials – sandwiches, scones and cakes, while some add a few extra fancy bits too, to make things even more special. Dietaries are also often catered for, so make sure to check with your chosen supplier to see if they can make things gluten-free or vegan if needed, for instance.
Our favourite pick: Bettys Tea & Scones Gift Selection
Discover more: Afternoon tea delivery near me: Scrumptious options that deliver to London and the UK
12. A high-welfare meat box
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What: Okay, it’s hardly romantic – a box of meat – but stay with us here. Chances are if you have a foodie friend or family member, they’re a bit of a produce snob, because every good cook knows you can only be as good as your ingredients. Some of the UK’s best butchers allow you to buy online, with a selection of premium cuts and styles on offer. Buying a friend or relative a meat box not only provides them with something fun to make a meal out of but also potentially introduces them to a new supplier that they can turn to time and time again. All of our picks of the best meat boxes are high-welfare, and some are organic, so you can choose your price point depending on preference.
Our favourite pick: The Ethical Butcher Meat Boxes
Discover more: High welfare meat boxes UK: 14 of our favourite ethical and organic meat deliveries
13. A restaurant cookbook
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What: For the keen cook there’s nothing quite like getting kitchen inspiration from some of their culinary heroes. We’re biased but we happen to think restaurant chefs produce some of the best cookbooks. They’ve had to develop their recipes to make perfect dishes each and every time, so the testing is fiercely precise, while you know the resulting food will have been taste tested by plenty of patrons to get the seal of approval. Many of London’s best restaurants have their own cookbooks, with favourites of ours being the Dishoom one and the Hawksmoor one, which describe in detail how to make their respective signature dishes perfectly.
Our favourite pick: Hawksmoor at Home Cookbook
Discover more: The best cookbooks: 28 of our favourite restaurant recipe books to buy this year
14. A beer subscription
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What: If wine and cocktails aren’t their thing, why not treat them to a beer subscription? Craft beers aren’t the cheapest thing to buy for yourself, so feel like a real treat if you get them as a gift. Most beer subscriptions are available on either a rolling basis or as a one-off purchase for one, three or six months, for instance. We love that the majority of the offerings are carefully selected by passionate experts in their field who scour the country (or sometimes the world) to find new and exciting brews to try.
Our favourite pick: Beavertown Monthly Subscription
Discover more: The best beer subscription clubs: 12 companies that bring the brew to you
15. A bottle of Champagne
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What: If it’s something worth celebrating we think it’s something worth toasting with a good old-fashioned bottle of fizz. Champagne makes the ultimate indulgent gift and is never not classy. If you want to up your game you could choose a bottle of the best Champagne and accompany it with some special glasses or a wine cooler. When choosing a bottle of Champagne for a loved one we like to think about significant dates and purchase a bottle from that vintage where possible, for a little extra thoughtful touch.
Our favourite pick: A Bottle of Waitrose's Blanc de Noirs Champagne
Discover more: Fantastic fizz: 17 of the best cheap Champagnes
16. A seafood delivery
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What: Show them you care with a package or, er, fish? Jokes aside, we do actually think a box of some of Britain’s best seafood is the dream gift for foodies. While there have been serious concerns raised recently about the sustainability of the fishing industry, buying from small day boats close to home is one way to minimise your environmental impact. Not only are they treading more lightly on the planet, but they’re also bringing home a pretty enviable catch. From Scottish scallops and langoustine through to Cornish hake and mackerel, you can source incredible seafood and shellfish from British online fishmongers that is perfect for whipping up into indulgent dinners.
Our favourite pick: A Mixed Box from Pesky Fish
Discover more: 9 fresh fish delivery boxes from the best online fishmongers
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