Gifting a foodie? The go-to option for most people would be a dinner reservation at their favourite restaurant. A gift that is easy and accessible, but also thoughtful. Foodies are an amazing set of people to gift. The options are a lot broader than you think. From a personalised item to one that will make them laugh out loud. The variety is endless.
Here are 10 gift ideas perfect for the foodies in your life:
Recipe Journal
The hobby of journalling has seen a great rise in popularity in the last couple of years. Many of us are noting down our thoughts, but journalling doesn’t only have to be limited to thoughts and feelings. For those who enjoy being in the kitchen, a journal to make a note of their favourite recipes is not only a gift of practicality. It is a thoughtful one too. Why get the generic recipe book from another famous chef? Journals give them the gift to create their own.
What I love the most about gifting a recipe journal is its broadness. You can purchase any journal, even go as far as to get the journal personalised. A perfect way to add your individual touch to an already mindful gift.
Cooking Class
Cooking classes are amazing gifts! Over the last couple of years, I have appreciated intangible gifts like an experience. Classes are a good way to learn new skills and potentially trial cuisines. It can also be a way to focus on one of their favourite foods. For example, if you have a loved one who loves pasta, why not take them to a pasta-making class?
The beautiful thing about classes is you can participate in a larger group or make it an intimate affair. You can go down different routes. Whether you fancy savoury or sweet, or even want to travel to a different part of the world for an evening, there’s a class for anyone and everyone.
Food Subscription Service
When you hear the phrase, ‘the gift that keeps on giving’ gifting a food subscription service is that gift. With food subscriptions, you can pay to have a food package delivered straight to your loved one’s door. I believe that most people don’t think about food subscription services because they don’t want to deal with the hassle of cancelling a subscription. Or even more annoyingly, forgetting that you were paying for the subscription and forgetting to cancel it altogether.
Many of these subscription services are made with the principle of gifting in mind. They have thought of all the niggles that may stop somebody from utilising their service. Some services allow you to only pay for a certain timeframe, whether a one-time purchase or a subscription to last a couple of months. With that in mind, you can give a gift with longevity, a quality you won’t find with many food-related gifts.
In similar nature to many of the suggestions in this article, it is easy to make food subscriptions personalised and thoughtful. For example, my best friend and I have a tradition on holidays where we love to go to the local supermarket and buy a range of snacks and try them. With this in mind, I wanted to gift something that reminds her of our tradition despite being at home. This is where SnackVerse came to me!
SnackVerse is a subscription service for those who love to try snacks from around the world. Each month they deliver a box of snacks to your door from a different country. There is an element of surprise with not knowing the country your snacks originate from until you receive the box. In the box, the snacks range from sweets to crisps to biscuits to chocolates and more. SnackVerse even allows you to get a sneak peek at the type of items to expect in your box by looking at the previous month’s box. SnackVerse is a great gift for someone looking to gift a short-term subscription service with gifting plans of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or a year.
Click here to read more about SnackVerse gifting plans!
Wall Art for Foodies
Wall art is generally considered a good gift. Not only is it thoughtful, but it is an amazing way to add character to someone’s home. Is there a better way to add a personal touch to a foodie’s home than gifting them with a statement piece that celebrates their foodie trait?
One trend you will see with most of my gifting recommendations is I gravitate towards gifts that have long-lasting value. I don’t like the idea of gifts only serving their purpose short term. Unlike many other gifts, wall art is something that can be enjoyed for years. Also, wall art doubles up as a perfect housewarming gift.
Wall art is personable, and it allows the choice of a piece that aligns with the recipients’ style, memories, or favourite foods. However, it is important to note that not everyone appreciates you ‘decorating’ their home. This is important if they have a particular style that resonates through the interior design of their home. Essentially you don’t want to gift them something that will disrupt their styling.
As much as wall art can be a thoughtful gift, I would say only gift to those you are very close with where you know their style and what they would appreciate. Or put it out there as an idea and maybe take them along with you to pick it out, that way they have their input into the art that will have to blend seamlessly into their home.
Personalised Items
Personalised items are always a go-to. Not only does it have a personal touch and meaning, but it is a keepsake with long-term value. A recipient is less likely to throw away a gift that is personalised. Also, in keeping with the foodie/culinary theme, how often do you see someone with a personalised kitchen accessory? A personalised apron with an inside joke that will make them laugh. A chopping board which is useful and practical, but sentimental with personalised words of your choice. Personalised kitchen items are a great way to remind the ones you love how much you mean to them through everyday items.
Click here to get some inspiration for personalised kitchen gifts.
A Foodie’s Obsession
Have you ever had a food item that you were completely obsessed about? At some point, even at many points everyone goes through a phase of being obsessed with a certain food, condiment, or spread. At one point I was gravitating towards anything lotus biscoff. Biscoff spread to biscuits to biscoff-flavoured ice cream to biscoff doughnuts. One gift that I would have loved, and what your foodie recipients may appreciate is a gift that celebrates their love for a type of food.
When gifting a collection of gifts I opt for a hamper. They are easy to make yourself or to buy a hamper kit online or even in stores like Card Factory. With most hamper kits coming with ribbon, cellophane wrap, and shredded tissue paper, making your hamper look professional and aesthetically pleasing is easy. Filling a hamper with all the different variations of the food products they love shows that you know them well whilst also being a novelty gift.
Food Scented Candles
This subtle gift for foodies may be small, but still one they will love. Candles, but not just any candle but one that smells like their favourite food, or baked goods. Candles are a great gift, they offer a sensory experience that makes a house feel like a home. Moreover, candles have so much versatility with the ability to find a candle that fits the taste of any recipient.
The candle doesn’t have to smell like their favourite food, it can be a reminder of a good memory you both share. I have always loved the smell of walking past a bakery, smelling the freshly made bread, it always brought me warmth and comfort. One candle I love is Yankee Candles’ Freshly Tapped Maple. Particularly, I love lighting this candle in the Christmas period. I have had people come over after lighting this candle, and the first thing they ask is ‘Have you been baking?’. Still very much one of my favourite Yankee Candle scents.
Restaurant Gift Card
Gifting foodies a restaurant gift card is self-explanatory. What more will a foodie love to be gifted than free food? Furthermore, a gift card is a versatile gift giving them the option to utilise it with anyone they fancy from their significant other to yourself. Additionally, I love that as much as it is a physical gift, it is also intangible in the experience and memory that can be created by trying a new restaurant or returning to a treasured favourite.
Recipe Book
Recipe books are a great way to broaden a foodie’s culinary skills. Whether they have always wanted to venture out into new cuisines from other parts of the world or just want to perfect everyday favourites. A nice gift for a foodie who wants to get into cooking and build on their culinary skills.
They don’t only have to be the standard, they can also be a novelty gift tailored to your recipient. A good example of how you can gift recipe books with a twist is ‘The Unofficial Sims Cookbook’. The author of the cookbook, Taylor O’Halloran is a fan of the Sims franchise and a self-proclaimed foodie. Being an avid player of the Sims franchise from the early 2000s, she was inspired to create an unofficial cooking book of all the meals that have been featured in the game over the years.
Personally having been an avid Sims player for many years, this would be an amazing gift for myself. This is a great example of how gifting a recipe book doesn’t have to be boring and mundane but can have both a thoughtful and novelty twist to it.
DIY Cooking Kits
DIY cooking kits have great versatility with the options being endless. From a bubble tea kit to a churros baking kit, DIY kits are perfect gifts for birthdays, Christmas, or simply just showing them that you’re thinking of them. Kits are a great way to explore different avenues, from baking to different cuisines to learning new skills like making your own Gin.
Moreover, it offers convenience by eliminating the need to plan meals, shop for groceries and measure ingredients. Therefore, saving both time and effort. With everything already included in the kit, it offers a seamless and stress-free way to learn a new skill in the comfort of their home.
