Some Christmas Gift Ideas for Foodies – Time is marching on and if you haven’t given enough thought to Christmas gifts, here are suggestions to consider for foodies – and many of them can be sent directly, making life even less stressful.
For wine, beer and cider lovers, Jane Peyton, founder of the School of Booze and former drinks educator of the year has released three new books to educate readers in fundamental knowledge about beer, cider, and wine: Beer Knowledge Box, Cider Knowledge Box, and Wine Knowledge Box. They are really well written and will give a greater depth of knowledge in a really interesting and succinct way. The Knowledge Box series of books are available from publisher Elfado Island, the School of Booze website, and from Amazon at just £10.99 for hardback or £6.99 paperback.
Did you know that Laurie Colwin was known to wash dishes in the bath and that Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton’s favourite drink was an Extra-Dry Martini? The Writer’s Table by Valerie Stivers is a lovely book that brings together 50 favourite recipes from the world’s most beloved authors, offering a glimpse into their kitchen rituals. Each recipe is paired with an introduction to the author and dish, alongside clear instructions and modern ingredients. Illustrated by Katie Tomlinson it’s £19.99 for a lovely hardback that will be a most welcome gift for a literary foodie.
Still on books, you could choose a personalised foodie book from Wonderbly. Following the success of the debut ‘How to make a name-tini’ last year, Wonderbly has launched a full food and drink range featuring pasta, burgers and cakes. All the books from this range feature personalised recipes curated by professional chefs or mixologists and are tailored to the individual. Customers can create a book personal to the recipient.
Designed to make wine feel more approachable — and a little more fun — the Wine Wisdom Desk Calendar, published by Carousel Worldwide, covers everything from how to hold your glass properly, how to pronounce those tricky wine words, and how to spot a quality wine without guesswork. Delivering fresh, digestible nuggets of wisdom daily, the calendar will help wine lovers feel more empowered whether choosing a bottle, browsing supermarket aisles or fretting over a restaurant menu. The Drink With Me Wine Wisdom 2026 Desk Calendar is available at £11.99, from major retailers including Waterstones and Ryman.
A personalised bottle service at no extra cost from Caorunn gin makes sending a gift much easier. Available via Caorunn’s online shop, you can add a loved one’s name and festive message to a bottle. Award-winning Caorunn Classic Gin is a delicious London gin infused with a Celtic soul (with Scottish botanicals) Whether for a close friend, party host, or hard-to-buy-for relative, a personalised bottle is a great gift – and it’ll arrive straight to their door. Caorunn Gin is available to buy at £30 via Caorunn’s website but order asap for guaranteed Christmas delivery. Non personalised Caorunn is, of course, available in Waitrose, Ocado and other retailers.
The Seasoned Gastronome