Christmas 2018: best gifts for foodies
A selection of the finest culinary gifts for partners, friends or family this Christmas
Whether you are buying for a mustard maestro or caviar connoisseur, there’s a wealth of fantastic food available for the ultimate gastronomic gift.
Green & Black’s Organic Connoisseur Collection
As a recipient of multiple awards at both the Academy of Chocolate and Great Taste Awards, it’s safe to say that this gift box, comprised of 12 organic fair trade chocolate bars in a range of flavours, speaks for itself.
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This is the ultimate chocolate box for cocoa connoisseur, complete with recipes to make the festive season just that extra bit more chocolatey. But even better is the inclusion of a tasting wheel, which helps chocolate obsessives find the perfect food and drink pairing.
Organic Connoisseur Collection, £16.19, greenandblacks.co.uk
Covent Garden Dining Hamper
A woven wicker basket, fine wine, preserves and gorgeous tableware. To the untrained eye, this may look like a hamper – albeit a rather extravagant one – but it is so much more than that.
This year, Covent Garden has compiled a hamper that is not just stuffed full of luxury food items, but also vouchers for all the finest restaurants in the famed district, including Cora Pearl, Frenchie, Sushisamba, The Oysterman, Petersham Nurseries and many more.
The basket itself contains the top culinary picks from shops across Covent Garden, including Petersham Nurseries’ Murano Glass gold champagne flutes and Prosecco, Ladurée macarons, wines from Vini Italiani, a hand blown glass teapot from Mariage Frères French Tea Club, speciality coffee from Abuelo, delicious cocoa spread from Venchi, chocolates from Godiva and recipe books from Balthazar and Frenchie among other exquisite gifts.
With the Covent Garden Dining Hamper, you aren’t so much giving a foodie gift as a culinary experience in the heart of one of London’s most happening districts.
Covent Garden Dining Hamper, £3,000, coventgarden.london
Cheese hamper from Paxton & Whitfield
If you have gluten intolerant family or guests who nevertheless still love cheese, Paxton & Whitfield has you covered with this sumptuous hamper of cheeses, wine and accompaniments, presented in a beautiful branded wooden box.
The package includes two types of crackers (gluten-free obviously), a cheddar pounder, mini waxed stilton, creamy celtic soft, plus a baked fig ball, caramelised onion chutney, Côtes de Duras white and a Côtes de Duras red. Delicious.
Paxton & Whitfield Glorious Gluten Free Hamper, £100, paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk
Moët & Chandon crackers
Moët & Chandon’s popular mini crackers are back with a luxurious new look this year.
Filled with popping confetti and a 20cl mini Moët bottle, these handsome crackers are the ultimate stocking filler or table setting for Christmas 2018.
Moët & Chandon Crackers, £19.99 each, Selfridges.com
Dinner with Truffle Gusto Box
Few items are as synonymous with luxury as the truffle, and the team at Maison del Gusto have fused its sumptuous flavours into an array of butters, oils and sauces for the ultimate “tartufo” taste experience.
Dinner with Truffle Gusto Box, €180 (£160), maisondelgusto.com
Luxury Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil unlike any you’ve ever seen or tasted before, Myst’s Luxury Extra Virgin Olive Oil set matches its impeccable retro-futuristic design with punchy, rich flavours.
Luxury Extra Virgin Olive Oil, £98, elenianna.com
Personalised Lindt Chocolate Teddy
Get up close and personal with this cute personalised Lindt Teddy, crafted using the ultra high-quality chocolate for which Lindt’s master chocolatiers have become famous.
Shoppers at Selfridges & Co in London, Birmingham and Manchester can request a personalised version of the gift, which comes with a limited-edition tin and a loved one’s name on the red ribbon. It even has their initial on the teddy’s neck charm.
Personalised Lindt Chocolate Teddy, £14.99, Selfridges.com
The Ultimate Life of Spice Rub Collection
If you know someone who loves experimenting with flavours, the Ultimate Life Of Spice Rub Collection will keep them occupied until next Christmas.
The Ultimate Life of Spice Rub Collection, £59, notonthehighstreet.com
Raw Manuka Honey
All the way from New Zealand comes this buttery sweet all-natural raw Manuka honey by the True Honey Company.
Raw Manuka Honey, £97.99, selfridges.com
Giusti 100 Year Old Balsamic Vinegar
A century is nothing for Giuseppe Giusti, which has been producing ultra-high-quality Aceto Balsamico since 1605.
Giusti 100 Year Old Balsamic Vinegar, £449, selfridges.com
Mixed Sour Bon Bons
Keep it retro with this old-school sweet jar full of deliciously tart bon-bons from London’s world-famous Harrods store.
Mixed Sour Bon Bons, £60, harrods.com
Box of 18 Macarons
This box of 18 hand-crafted macarons by Mademoiselle Macaron is quite frankly a steal at just £20. Customers can customise their box with a choice of 27 exciting flavours.
Box of 18 Macarons, £20, mademoisellemacaron.co.uk
Ampleforth Hamper
The experts at Cartwright & Butler have perfected the ultimate afternoon tea hamper, complete with preserves, biscuits and a range of British teas.
Ampleforth Hamper, £271, amazon.co.uk
Sensational Caviar Trio
The Sensational Caviar Trio Taster Set by Fine Food Specialists includes ultra-premium Beluga, Golden Almas and Imperial caviars that are sufficiently exquisite to justify their lofty price tag.
Sensational Caviar Trio, £239, finefoodspecialist.co.uk
The Showstopper Cheese Collection
This veritable mountain of Colston Bassett Stilton, Fougerus Cru, Baby Cornish Yarg and Lamb Leer amounts to a total of 4.6kg of pure artisan cheese, from The Fine Cheese Co in Bath.
The Showstopper, £150, finecheese.co.uk
The Signature Chocolate Cabinet
Expert chocolatier Hotel Chocolat offers up another sumptuous box containing more than 100 filled chocolates and “Nano Slabs”.
The Signature Chocolate Cabinet, £160, hotelchocolat.com
Imperial Iberico Ham Set
Be it for a client, partner, parent or friend, this collection of the finest Iberico hams by Juan Pedro Domecq will be cause for a fiesta.
Imperial set, £306, jamonesjuanpedrodomecq.com
Gourmet Collection
For the ultimate mustard gift, try Maille’s immaculately presented Gourmet Mustard Collection with olive oil and balsamic glaze.
Gourmet Collection, £56, uk.maille.com
Under the Tree Hamper
This delicious hamper, with shortbread, mini pandoro and spiced chocolate orange spread, shows Harvey Nichols at its most festive.
Under the Tree, £60, harveynichols.com
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