Fathers’ Day Gift Suggestions – Here are some foodie-focused gift suggestions for fathers in your life – be it your own papa, or the father of your offspring:
For the chocolate lover I have a couple of suggestions: He can have fun experimenting and making his own chocolate recipes with this kit from Just Spices. For £26,99 you have everything needed to make delicious chocolate bars at home. The spice blends included are enough to make more than five different creations. Full instructions and recipes and silicon moulds are included – just add your choice of chocolate. Available online from justspices.co.uk.
If you’d rather give a box of chocolates, Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini has launched ‘Destination Vanilla’ for the summer with two exceptional Grand Cru vanillas: bourbon vanilla from Madagascar and vanilla from Papua New Guinea. A box of nine (vanilla caramel, vanilla praline and vanilla ganache) £12.50 or 18 for £23. Available from the various Pierre Marcolini outlets in London or online: marcolini.co.uk/en/chocolates/summer-collection
Special teas are always popular, and Bird & Blend’s alco-free tea tipples are packed with notes of Bourbon, caramel & smoke, or perhaps a tea take on the Mojito, with a refreshing mint & lime infusion? If he needs or deserves a rest, Deckchair Dreaming tea with chamomile & apple might hit the spot. Lots of teas with a difference, and over 100 flavours to choose from are available online at www.birdandblendtea.com.
Bring forward those summer hols with a genuine taste of Greece and the wonderfully smooth taste of Metaxa 12 Stars. This incredibly agreeable brandy is the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys unique dark spirits. Metaxa’s elegant bottle makes a stylish addition to the home drinks trolley, and its unique taste of Samos Muscat wines, aged distillates and Mediterranean botanicals offers a great twist to cocktail creations. Or just relax and enjoy it neat, or on the rocks. Available from Waitrose at £37 for a 70cl bottle.
Perhaps he enjoys a dram or two and a good whisky is more to his taste? And does he like a peaty one? If so, here’s a great gift: produced at the oldest distillery on the Isle of Skye, Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky has been made beside the sea since 1830. This malt whisky is aged for a minimum of 10 years in wooden casks that previously held bourbon whisky – a choice of cask that gives the final liquid a solid backbone on which to build its flavours. This is a fabulous whisky for anyone wanting to dive into the world of peated scotch whisky with a coastal influence. £37.95 for 70cl from houseofmalt.co.uk
A bottle of a nice, gusty red wine is also a very acceptable, and inexpensive gift, especially if the weather allows us to have a barbecue! I’d suggest a bottle of Carnivor Zinfandel (£10.50 rrp) widely available from most retailers. It has layered notes of dark cherry, blackberry jam and perfectly toasted oak. And it’s a winner with steak or burgers.
Does he have strong views about restaurants? Then this newly published guide is perfect. It’s an unashamedly biased guide to places in London worth the hype. It’s not just a list of Michelin-starred eateries (although there are a few); it’s a round-up of bright, innovative, deliciously multicultural cooking in our capital, from fresh pasta to fiery curries, BYOB grills to life-affirming bagels. An Opinionated Guide to London Food, published by Hoxton Mini Press, is a short, to-the-point, tasteful guide on where to eat, scoff, munch, slurp and dine your way around town.
Author David Paw, a writer and editor based in east London, as well as launching The Infatuation and Resy guides in London, writes for titles including Wallpaper*, Eater, Monocle and British Vogue. £12.95 from WH Smith, Amazon and other bookshops. The same publisher produces a whole series of other London guides, including Delis, Hotels and Museums. Further info here
For anyone interested in history and finding quirky pubs, here’s a fab gift idea. John Warland, London’s leading pub tour guide and host of the celebrated Liquid History Tours takes readers off the beaten path and into London’s lesser known, but most authentic pubs. Local Legends: The Hidden Pubs of London is published by Prestel at £32.50 (hardback) You can stumble into iconic London pubs, ones where Shakespeare trod the boards, or Dickens scribbled his next novel, lovingly captured on camera by esteemed photographer Horst A. Friedrichs. Covering every corner of London from the city centre to its outer limits and beyond, these watering holes are permeated by personality and a passion for traditional hospitality. If the interiors mightn’t boast architectural wonders or famous artwork, their unique qualities are brought to life through Friedrichs’ stunning photography, illuminating character and charm, idiosyncratic hosts and patrons, menus scrawled on chalkboard, proudly polished brass, worn leather stools, and quirky artefacts. The pubs are the stars of this invaluable book that’s as informative as it is collectible.
The Seasoned Gastronome