The best food gifts for getting them full and/or tipsy

Sushi Kit

The tools to make your own sushi at home are far more affordable than you might think. Thanks to Kelly Loves’ kits, everything you need is accounted for, with essentials (bamboo rolling matt, sushi rice, nori sheets) brushing up against nice-to-haves (crispy fried onions, roasted sesame seeds, bento lunch box). Sounds like it’s time to invite yourself over to your giftee's house for dinner.

Papier Personalised Recipe Journal

As we move ever deeper into the mire of digital existence, we must make sure that the tradition of handwritten recipe books does not disappear completely. Encourage the cook in your life to keep a record of their musings with this pretty gold foil journal from Papier, which has sections for breakfast, lunch, dinner and treat recipes as well as dietary requirement and ingredient demarcations to each page.

Our Place Always Pan

Our Place continues to smash all of our technical and aesthetic expectations with its Always pan. Though there’s a choice of colours available, there’s no choosing how long your giftee will be loving this multi-way kitchen essential: it will just be forever.

Tom Hixson Steak Club

Regular steak club in swing at their household? Time to boost the monthly get-together into the stratosphere with Tom Hixson's steak subscription, which delivers premium, hand-picked steaks to their door at a snip of the RRP. They need only add chips and spinach.

Menu Design in Europe (Taschen)

A large proportion of our food gift guide is, of course, edible, but some of our absolute favourite crowd pleasers are of the decidedly inedible kind. One is this magnificent coffee table book of European menu design by the MVP of affordable luxury gifts, Taschen.

Hot Sauce Challenge Set

What's a hot sauce or five between friends? We've given it a trial run and the answers vary. If you're willing to risk your tastebuds and bragging rights to the person you gift this to, it's well worth the challenge.

Personalised Veuve Clicquot Champagne

Classic, chic, under £100: in some ways, a bottle of champagne is still one of the best gifts you can give to a loved one who partakes in the drink. Paranoid it's a little tired? Add a personalised tin with your Veuve Clicquot to make this timeless offering fresh again.

Ross & Ross Roast Dinner Seasoning

Whether you're a beef, chicken or lamb household, this stack of seasonings by Ross & Ross will let the cook of the establishment level up your Sunday dinners. The sort of secret ingredient that'll make your roasts those of legend.

Blondies Happy Birthday Cookie

Sugar cookie takes on a new meaning with Covent Garden's own Blondie's Kitchen and its icing-smothered classic piped with “Happy Birthday” finisher. One of the best cookies you'll ever eat.

Gluggle Jug

“What is a Gluggle Jug?” we hear your cry, a question we were asking ourselves mere days ago. Since then, we have seen the light and we hope you do, too. As you can see: a Gluggle Jug is a tool, and ornament and above all, a friend. Gift accordingly.

Happily Puzzles Tinned Fish Jigsaw

You may find it curious, but tinned fish trumps chocolate for plenty more people than you might expect. For those people — or for the giftee who blasts through puzzles like they're tomato sardines — may we present this Happily Puzzles 1,000 piece jigsaw.

Katto Japanese Knife Set

We know what you’re thinking, “these must be the best-looking knives I’ve ever seen,” – and you’d be correct, but what you can’t see on your screen is the way that these Japanese utensils slice through ingredients like they’re melted butter. Brains and braun: even knives can have both.

Groovy Food Hot Agave Nectar

Sweet, spicy and deliciously messy, Groovy Food's hot agave nectar is the vegan alternative to the hot honey trend — and just as gorgeous on scrambled eggs and pizza crusts.

Whittard Coffee Hamper

Their favourite Nespresso pods takes a hard beating, but when coffee lovers and special occasions meet, it pays to head to Whittard. In this hamper, they'll get two ground coffees to try (House blend and San Agustin Columbia) plus a French press to brew them in, a pack of biccies to enjoy alongside and a spare pack of beans for the extra dedicated coffee drinker.

Horse With No Name Habanero-Infused Bourbon

Two great traditions from either side of the American border come together in this so-weird-it-works tipple from Horse With No Name. Bourbon from the USA meets habanero peppers to form a stylish dram with a serious kick.

Alessi Milk Frother

Whether it’s old-fashioned dairy or a barista oat drink they’ll be adding to their morning coffee, no cappuccino is complete without a generous helping of frothy milk. Alessi’s frother is the professional way of going about such things, and in a pleasing, smooth-to-the-touch design too.

Nata Concept Store Emmental Wax Candle

Nata Concept Store has a unique USP: it makes wax candles that look like foodstuffs so that your food-loving friend can set a culinary ambience whilst they cook. Available in olive, cracker, butter, pasta, egg, tinned fish and Emmental varieties.

MasterClass Subscription

For those who are always looking to improve their culinary skills, a subscription to MasterClass could be the difference between mediocre and Michelin-starred. The popular online streaming service boasts myriad pro tutors, but an area it really excels in is the food front. Chefs from Gordon Ramsay to Massimo Bottura to Yotam Ottolenghi are all on hand to share their tools of the trade and guide you through some of their signature dishes, all in a far more interactive way than any cookbook could offer.

Saicho Jasmine Sparkling Green Tea

Lime and soda water has long been a saviour for the teetotal, kombucha a more recent addition and Diet Coke a happy middle ground, too. But for those wanting something with a little more sophistication, trust us and get them to give Saicho's jasmine sparkling green tea a try.

Personalised Crisps Bowl

A Great White Shark and a colony of seals is nothing on your giftee and their mistakenly-named “sharer” bag of crisps. This bowl is for the friend of family member who will stand for grabbing hands no more.

Lobster Bottle Opener

A heavy and helpful barware boss, Fortnum & Mason's dancing lobster is all party in the front with a neat top hat and business in the back with a bottle opening tail.

Nio Cocktails Experience Box

A first glance of Nio Cocktail's boxed goods might throw you off, but take it from us: these squares filled with your favourite tipples are absolutely smashing. For a perfect gift, the brand's experience box gives you the chance to give 6 cocktails of your choice alongside 2 cut glass tumblers and an ice cube tray.

Orange and Whisky Marmalade

What do you reckon the most popular thing on our gifts for dads guide is? No, it's not slippers. It's actually any kind of conserve that uses whisky as part of its makeup. That makes this £6 Harvey Nicks marmalade a winner on all fronts.

Embroidered Cocktail Napkins

Delicately embroidered 100 per cent linen napkins for the kitsch host(esses), coming in several different twee duos: two skiers, croissant and bacon, a carrot and a radish, and our favourite: a martini and an old fashioned.

Flapjackery Box

Bored of giving a box of chocolates as a sweet treat? Try a selection of posh flapjacks instead. Flapjackery is the Willy Wonka of the baking discipline, producing 25 different kinds and even offering them as a repeating subscription.

Adopt an Olive Tree

First things first: there's no such thing as a bad olive oil. Having said that, there are certainly ones more worth your money than others, and few can stand up to the kind taken from a specific well-loved tree in Italy. With this programme, you can ‘adopt' one, and receive extra virgin olive oil gleaned from it specifically.

Cartwright & Butler Brew & Biscuit Hamper

Simple pleasures are the ones that make up a lifetime: a brew and a biscuit among the most treasured. Make it an even better elevenses with Cartwright & Butler's brew (breakfast tea, York blend coffee) and biscuit (triple chocolate chunk, cranberry crumbles, flaked almond shortbreads demerara shortbread) hamper.

Personalised Marmite Jar

Chaos merchant James Blunt loves it so much he keeps a bottle on stage with him, and if your guy also thinks the polarising condiment is “Beautiful” then it’s about time for a jar of Marmite with customised label.

Imp & Maker Italian Food Hamper

Imp & Maker's Italian food compilation is so fancy that the featured spaghetti has been made in collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana. Alongside these opulent carbs come a smorgasbord of charcuterie and cheese favourites plus a few sweet treats. Included within: sliced prosciutto, picante olives, anchovies and salted caramel cannoli. Next stop: full on pasta-making.

Personalised Chopping Board

Something for the foodies whose love language is cooking, this is a special gift that taps into their caring side. Choose between cherry, oak and walnut wood for their new chopping board before adding an engraving of a handwritten recipe to its front. Voila! You've made their happy place ten times happier.

Maison Balzac Martini Gift Set

Maison Balzac's selection of everlasting fruit glassware has us in a gifting-related chokehold. Just look at this set of martini glasses complete with permanent little olives! The set of two even comes with a matching glass plate for serving 'tinis alongside some IRL edible olives. Irresistible.

Allday Goods Butter Knife

It’s always always always better to have one very well made version of something than ten cheap ones, and if you want to fill their butter knife quota in one gorgeous swoop then we say head straight to All Day Goods and its recycled plastic masterpieces.

Fish, Chips & Champagne at Tom Kerridge's

Fish, chips and a glass of champagne each: sometimes it's nice to take the decadent feasting ritual from out of your own living room and into the real world. That's where Tom Kerridge's restaurant at Harrods comes in, offering the holy trinity of indulgent munching for £120 for 2.

Biscuiteers Iced Biscuits

Everything from the lunar New Year to Mother's Day to a new baby are all fair game for Biscuiteers and its hundred icers. Expect collectible illustrated boxes filled with impeccable biccies for all occasions.

Silicone Crab Spoon Rest

Every now and again, a little fella comes along and changes the course of our lives. That little fella of 2024 is this crab, who not only holds your spoon for you as you potter about the kitchen, but can also hold a pot lid open to let the steam escape. At under 20 quid, this is a blinder of a workmate pressie and also a fabulous mascot with whom to furnish your foodie friend.

Coravin

The restrained wine drinker will often be faced with the dilemma: drink another glass now or risk it spoiling in the opened bottle? Rejoice, for that is no longer an issue…not if you’re in possession of a Coravin, anyway. This nifty gadget not only delivers a superior, aerated pour, but preserves the remaining liquid for up to four weeks too.

Grind Coffee Machine

Nespresso compatible and raring to cut your coffee outgoings in half, Grind’s coffee machine is a shimmering ode to fifties homeware idealism. Your giftee will receive 30 free compostable pods alongside their new toy, a pick that will swiftly convert them to the Grind way of life.

Kew Gardens & Cream Tea Experience for Two

Kew Gardens isn't just a culinary trip for plant-munching goats: the botanical wonderland also caters to humans with its Pavilion Bar and Grill, Victoria Plaza Café and Orangery Servery. This voucher gets you an afternoon tea with your giftee at any of these eateries as a pleasant interlude to a day at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Fortnum & Mason Hamper

Did you know that the English word “hamper” comes from the Latin hanaparium, meaning a case that contained a large goblet? God knows what such a handsomely packaged cup could mean, but nowadays, the case is wicker and the contents usually edible. The home of the modern hamper, Fortnum & Mason has your back for all of your generous yet easily selected gifting needs.

Katto Walnut Chopping Board

Katto, creator of some of the most beautiful and effective knives on the market, has followed suit with a chopping board in its popular walnut wood finish. A thick slab of chopping board, the Katto block comes with a flat cutting surface on one side and a grooved bread slicing platform on the other. Even more premium? A built-in stand for placing iPads or cookbooks as they slice and dice.

Hotel Chocolat Classic Cabinet

There’s a reason why this Hotel Chocolat selection has been christened a ‘cabinet’ rather than simply a ‘box’. Comprising of two drawers, this is an enormous take on the classic gifting go-to, with 27 different choices totalling 61 separate pieces of chocolate. Find milk, white and dark chocolate batons, plus an array of the brand’s Wonkian creations born of its Inventing Room: Eton Mess, Mojito Truffles and Carrot Cake bites among them.

Ember Smart Espresso Cup

While AI becomes ever-more eerily sentient, coffee cups prove to be not far behind. This Ember cup is smart in several ways, the most amazing of which is its ability to monitor and maintain your drink’s preferred temperature. In chic black and flashy copper, it’s best if you don’t let them leave this one on the Overground.

The British Hamper Company Breakfast in Bed Collection

If you're being very British about your breakfast in bed (and what else could you be with The British Hamper Company?), a cup of tea and some carefully be-jammed toast is all that you need for a perfect morning in. Strawberry jam, marmalade and breakfast tea are all included in this set, so all they need add is bread.

Bordallo Cabbage Bowl

The cabbage bowl — a kitsch ‘n’ chic kitchen accessory that also comes in plate and platter iterations — is an ideal addition to the crockery collection of maximalists and minimalists alike. If the former, it’ll be a new addition to a blindingly colourful party; if the latter, a flash of cabbage will set off an all-white collection.

Bokksu Japanese Snack Subscription Box

Snackers are too often excluded from conversations taking place in the foodie sphere. We say: enough. Loving an extra afternoon snack counts people as gourmands in our book. This Bokksu subscription box acknowledges the art of extraneous eating with a monthly package of Japanese treats crafted by independent artisans in Japan itself. Snacking just got elevated.

Spaghetti Framed Wall Art

Even hardcore foodies are not immune to the societal pressures of looking buff at all times, but if you ask us (or this framed wall art), a plate of spaghetti will always taste better than having a six pack feels.

Wine Thermometer

A thermometer for wine. What more do we need to say – a present for the wannabe sommelier in your life.

Whittard Famous Tea Collection

Black “Chelsea Breakfast”, “Darjeeling”, “English Rose”, “Darling Grey”, “Spice Imperial” and “Darjeeling” live alongside green “Jasmine”, “Mango & Bergamot" and “Marrakech Mint” teas in this Best Of compilation from Whittard. Tea pots at the ready.

Cutter & Squidge Afternoon Tea Hamper

There's never a bad moment for a picnic, and this afternoon tea-themed hamper promises one of the best of all time. Everything is veggie in this sweet and savoury selection, from the mini lemon drizzle cakes and brownies to the veggie sausage roll and herb and cheese swirls. Home-baked scones with all of the trimmings finish off a selection that takes afternoon tea out of the city and into the great outdoors.

Mon Dessert 3-Month Subscription

Anyone who's watched even once episode of the Great British Bake Off will know how inaccessible baking can be. All those ingredients; all that equipment! That's where Mon Dessert's subscription comes in, delivering the requisite things needed for baking at home, from the muscovado sugar to the pudding moulds.

Fortnum & Mason Potted Stilton

What could be posher than stilton cheese flogged by Fortnum & Mason? Why, stilton cheese that’s been potted in special Fortnum & Mason ceramic jars, of course. A black and a white container come in this gift set, which plants traditional and truffle honey-infused cheeses in their respective jars. And coming from the last family-owned stilton producer in the UK, they’re guaranteed to taste as good as they look.

Personalised Prescription Ginger Whisky

It's been a minute since whisky was a real solution that medical professionals would prescribe for ailments, but it's still something you as a generous giftee can bestow, personalised olde worlde prescription label included.

Ooni Pizza Oven

Gas-fuelled and compact, Ooni’s pizza ovens are an inconspicuous backyard addition for those who want to elevate their social gatherings. Hooking her up with a set will mean she’s all ready to set up her own pizzeria in the garden straight away. We’ve heard tell that some are building little huts (with chimneys) to house their Oonis. If you’re committing that much, may we also suggest a gingham-cloth table and a neon ‘Pizza’ sign?

Abel & Cole Veg Subscription

If a meal kit delivery service would prove insulting to their cooking prowess, that doesn’t mean a subscription gift is off the table. Abel & Cole is the farm bringing organic fruit and veg to doorsteps across the nation, with its seasonal edits and naturally exquisite produce making even more spectacular chefs of the lot of us.

Fortnum & Mason Musical Biscuit Tin

A biscuit tin that sings to you might not be everyone's cup of tea to go with their cup of tea, but for the right person this musical receptacle is unrivalled in charm. Filled with Shrewsbury shortcake, tripe chocolate and dark chocolate lemon biscuits.

Smeg Blender

Long recognised as a bastion of mid-century style fridges, Smeg also makes a plethora of other kitchen appliances. Our favourite among a plum bunch is this blender, which looks iconic in the brand’s '50s silhouette. Whether your kitchen antics live up to the elegance displayed here, your white goods have never looked so aspirational.