Christmas Gift Guide – Ideas for Foodies

Discover the perfect gift for an enthusiastic cook with this hand-picked selection of great ideas, chosen by our Deputy Home Design Editor, Alaina Binks

01. Simple style

A stylish linen napkin or teatowel gently pushed inside a Kilner jar, with a wooden utensil such as a spoon or small rolling pin tied to the side with a sprig of fragrant rosemary makes a unique and special gift. This simple yet effective idea is easy to achieve and can be specially made with individual recipients in mind. The washed linen shown above, includes french-inspired linen napkins, £11 each and a rustic blue apron, £58, which have a beautiful and relaxed quality and are available from The Linen Works. Find a selection of jars at Lakeland and a wide range of vintage cooking utensils at RE.

02. Festive traditions

Made with candied peel and sultanas and beautifully wrapped in printed paper, this light, fruity and traditional Italian cake makes the perfect post-Christmas dinner pudding or a delicious gift, £29/1kg, The Conran Shop.

03. Christmas hamper

Inside this reusable tin trunk you’ll find a selection of treats mostly made by artisans in Wales and Ireland. It includes: Lime and Seville orange marmalades made by Wendy Brandon; Nom Nom chocolate; Coal Town’s lightly roasted Arabica coffee and hot chocolate; Wild flower honey from Coedcanlas; Organic olive oil, sourced by Coedcanlas, harvested and pressed in North West Sicily from the Nocellara del Belice olive; Wright’s Food Emporium’s crunchy granola with maple syrup, lemon juice, honey and nuts and their traditional, quite boozy, Christmas pudding in its own enamel basin, along with a TOAST tea towel, woven in Ireland from a linen cotton mix, £125, Toast. 

04. Iconic design

Durable, long-lasting and dish-washer safe, Falcon‘s timeless range of enamelware includes dishes, plates, cups, bakeware and more, all with a utilitarian style. Available in a considered choice of colours such as pigeon grey, their classic blue and white, along with a new colourway, coal black and this pillarbox red, seen above. Serving tray, £19.99; bowl, £39/set four.

05. Smartly dressed

Stylish and practical this soft cotton apron features an attractive nature-inspired block-print effect pattern, adjustable neck strap and large front pocket, £25, Hinchcliffe & Barber, available at the Country Living General Store.

06. Wonderful words

Beggars’ Velvet, a new small London-based company, sells a carefully curated collection of interesting, modest and practical pieces of kitchenware using the skills of local artisans. The playful wording on this beech spoon, above, has been rendered using antique bookbinding tools and then laser etched. There are four wooden spoons each with different quotes and old proverbs that relate to food or cooking, £15 each. There is also a collection of bone spoons with the likes of Jam, Marmalade, Chutney and Egg etched onto the handles. To order or to find out more, call 07757 535647 or email, queries@beggarsvelvet.london, and speak to Ros or Kate.

07. Collect and display

This charmingly festive painted stoneware dinner plate (25.4 cm) has been designed by Nathalie Lete exclusively for Anthropologie, £24. Use it to add colour and cheer to the tabletop over Christmas, and place on display on the wall or in a plate rack as a piece of art to admire for the remainder of the year.

08. Natural beauty

Unusually shaped yet elegant chopping and serve-boards handcrafted from ash, elm, sycamore, London plane and other responsibly sourced timbers by British company Hampson Woods. Find a refined collection at John Lewis.

09. Woodland-inspired

This individual hand-thrown ceramic creamer (7 cm tall, 8.5 cm diameter) with a hand-drawn pine trees print is perfect for serving milk, cream and sauces, £16. Potter Julia Smith creates her earthy everyday pieces in her Inverness studio.

10. Made for you

Whether the recipient bakes homemade bread, makes jam or home-brews beer, this 7.5 cm x 5 cm stamp, £24, can be personalised to best suit their favourite culinary creation. Decide on the most effective wording, from their name, type of produce and other specifications, including weight, bottle size, flavour etc. There is also an option to see a preview of the complete design online before committing to buy. Along with a variety of stamps, you’ll find a wide range of ink pads at The English Stamp Company.

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