Mother’s Day Gift Ideas – Mothering Sunday falls on 15 March this year and the shops are already full of cards and gift ideas. Here are a few more from my recent research.
How about some really special tea? The very essence in my opinion of a good gift is to treat the person to something they’d like but wouldn’t justify buying for themself. TWG Tea’s collection – the largest in the world – numbers well over 1000 different single-estate, fine harvests and exclusive tea blends from every tea producing country. TWG Tea also offers limited edition teas and seasonal blend, and the quality is really rather exceptional. There are tea boutiques in Leicester Square and Oxford Street, but you can see the full range on the website here
Short of being able to send her a bottle of the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread, you could arrange a home delivery of The Bread Queen’s wonderful Finish at Home sourdough and other goodies. It’s an effortless way for her to enjoy freshly baked real sourdough – by just popping it into the oven! The bread is made and pre-baked in an artisan bakery but finished off at home. There are no additives – it’s just flour, salt and water. But check out the website as there are also the most amazing biscuits and cinnamon buns. Select your products, add the recipient details and a personal message and they’ll do the rest.
If she’s a curry fan and you’re not able to take her out for a meal, you could send her some of the sauces from Gymkhana Fine Foods – a range of restaurant-quality cooking sauces, marinades and chutneys from the two Michelin Star restaurant, Gymkhana, designed to transform the Indian dining experience at home. The range has been created to offer the same flavours as in Gymkhana’s restaurant. All Star Sauce Gift Box (RRP: £35.00), the Ultimate Gift Box (RRP: £60), the Gymkhana x Burleigh Signature Collection (RRP: £65.00)
Dubai chocolate is still big, and as well as lots of other goodies, Seggiano has the most deliciously indulgent treat for Mother’s Day, Seggiano’s Pistachio & Chocolate Covered Torrone is handmade in the Sicilian town of Giarratana, by a fourth-generation confectioner. This small batch torrone brings together toasted almonds, 12% roasted pistachios, honey and whipped egg whites. Each bar is finished with a 20% coating of pistachio chocolate, resulting in a creamy, aromatic bite with just the right balance of sweetness and crunch. Buy online here at under £10 for a 125g bar.
Appropriately named Bonne Maman has a lovely, limited edition gift, the Stacks of Love Gift Box that is perfect for Mother’s Day. The Gift Box contains six mini jars of conserves and spreads, spoons and a heart-shaped cutter. Each box includes special fruit flavours – Pineapple & Passionfruit, Blueberry & Blackcurrant, Lemon & Yuzu, Orange & Mandarin plus Strawberry & Redcurrant – alongside Hazelnut Chocolate Spread. Available from Waitrose at £8.50 rrp and online from bonnemaman.co.uk.
If you can’t personally take her out to enjoy afternoon tea at one of the many places that are offering a Mother’s Day special menu, then maybe treat to a lovely surprise hamper from Hampers.com. You could perhaps send her this timeless afternoon tea experience. It includes freshly baked scones with strawberry preserve and Cornish clotted cream, a keepsake tin of traditional English tea, lovely fruit cake and a host of other yummy, sweet treats. A bottle of La TenutaSconta Prosecco adds a sparkling finishing touch to this lovely gift for £65. There are lots of other gift ideas too at hampers.com
They say that gin is ‘Mother’s ruin’ but I beg to differ I’m a mother and I love it! And a new discovery is Hoxton Spirits. As well as a dry gin, the company does a wonderful Tropical gin (with coconut and grapefruit notes) as well as a Pink gin (infused with rosehip and a whisper of hibiscus, nicer than the usual strong raspberry or strawberry flavours). Apparently flavoured spirits are now one of the fastest growing categories in the world and they can, I find, sometimes be rather ‘hit and miss’ but definitely not these. Around £35-40 for 70cl, 40% ABV and available from Amazon or direct from drinkhoxton.com
Any foodie mum will love this recently published book by award-winning American writer Tamar Adler: Feast on Your Life. Published by Swift Books, it’s a literary devotional about the everyday activity of feeding ourselves and our loved ones. A former chef, this well-known food writer offers 365 entries that remind us day by day of the essential pleasures that can be found in measuring rice, picking cherries, or sharing a meal with people you love. Feast on Your Life grew out of Adler’s struggle with depression and her husband’s suggestion that she document what delighted her, a mindfulness exercise that yielded immediate benefits. It will give any reader a whole year of mindful musings and is a delight. £18.99 for a lovely hardback.
The Hedgerow Apothecary’s Field Guide to Wildflowers is a wonderful book by Christine Iverson, best-selling author of The Hedgerow Apothecary. It’s a beautiful photographic spotter’s guide to wildflowers, exploring their fascinating folklore and the rich history of them in our hedgerows, woodlands and meadows. Wildflowers are a crucial part of any thriving environment, and they have been part of the human story for thousands of years as medicine, food, decoration, symbolism and more. As well as letting you identify the flowers, there are recipes and other uses including tonics, ice cream and soothing balms. Published by Summersdale at £14.99 it’s much nicer than a card, I think, and of course, you can inscribe it.
Whatever you decide to do, just cherish her.
The Seasoned Gastronome