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Why is food such a good gift at Christmas? Because it’s the easiest to get right. It’s the one thing that we all need and we all love. You can’t go wrong with a delicious box of chocolates, a panettone or a goodie-packed Christmas hamper from Fortnum & Mason. And if the recipient happens to be a budding chef, that opens up the world of luxury ingredients, desirable cookware and kitchen gadgets too. The best food gifts are likely to be very well-received.
You can read food columnist and chef Xanthe Clay’s full foodie gift guide below, but if you’re in a hurry here’s a quick look at her top five:
- Best Christmas food gift overall - Skeppshult Lilla Swing cast iron spice mill
- Best panettone Christmas gift - Vergani Gluten Free Limoncello Panettone
- Best food gift basket - Fortnums Merrymakers Hamper
- Best air fryer to gift - Dual Basket Air Fryer
- Best gift for foodies - The Falastin Hamper
What food makes a good gift?
Chocolates are the classic, of course, but now that people take things like coffee and pizza-making more seriously, it’s easier to tailor your gift to a genuine passion – which is always the sign that you’ve put some thought into it.
Christmassy foods are also a great idea, from smoked salmon to a posh Christmas pud or a delicious cheese – and to accompany them, you may want to read our guide to the best Christmas drinks gifts.
Still wondering what to buy? Here’s the Xanthe Clay guide to the best Christmas food gifts of 2023. Bon appétit and merry Christmas.
Best Christmas food gifts
1. Skeppshult Lilla Swing cast iron spice mill
Best Christmas food gift overall
Small but impressively heavy, this beautiful Scandi-designed hand mill makes short work of grinding peppercorns and whole spices. Every cook will want one.
£62.47
Price at
Amazon
Gluten free options can be leaden but this little version (about 15cm across) is impressively light, with an oozing lemon curd-y centre. Good enough for the whole family to share.
£19.95
Price at
Valentina Deli
Japanese-style cross back aprons are elegant and easy to wear, with no ties to knot. These ones, made from pure Irish linen, have deep pockets and the cranberry red is warm and winter-friendly.
£45
Price at
Jupiter Red
A bowl, a jug, an heirloom in the making - perfect for a cosy soup supper or serving chunky sauces (the spoon rests in the lip). Handmade in Somerset, they are rather surprisingly oven, dishwasher and microwave safe.
Making canapés at Christmas is a job too far for most home cooks, so send them these exquisite versions from Yorkshire’s acclaimed Black Swan at Oldstead, to arrive 22nd December. Eight each of Chicken Liver Parfait Choux Buns, Beetroot Cured Salmon Blinis and Lamb Shoulder Ragu Tarts.
£50
Price at
Made in Oldstead
Colourful stacking glasses that look cool unstacked too, ideal for family mealtimes, student households or just to stand beside the water filter.
£30
Price at
John Lewis
Made in Swaledale by small scale producers Rosebud Preserves, this piccalilli in a kilner jar makes a fresher, crunchier alternative to chutney with the Boxing Day spread - although Rosebud also do a Christmas Day chutney.
£9.95
Price at
Rosebud Preserves
Grown up crackers stuffed not with some useless tat, but a miniature of gin in one of four flavours - don’t worry, there’s a dodgy joke in there as well.
£16.50
Price at
Sipsmith
9. Dolce e Gabbana Apple and Cinnamon Panettone
£57.20 for 1kg, Marco Alimentari
Best Christmas food gift to keep
The Dolce e Gabbana packaging is the biscuit tin that every fashionista will want and it comes with a D&G bag, too. The panettone? New season Apple and Cinnamon flavour, darling.
£57.20
Price at
Marco Alimentari
10. Maple Syrup, Pedro Ximenez and Bacon Christmas pudding 940g (serves 6-8)
Best Christmas pudding to gift
This pudding from two-Michelin star Moor Hall is laced with maple syrup, Pedro Ximinez and, yes, bacon. It’s not as mad as it sounds, as fans of bacon jam affirm. If you know, you know.
£65
Price at
Moor Hall
A hamper from Fortnums is true luxury and this one is surprisingly affordable, including St James Christmas pudding, cognac butter, biscuits and tea in a double-lidded basket sporting the F&M logo.
£70
Price at
Fortnum & Mason
This award winning half St George’s ham from Duke’s Hill is a generous contribution to Christmas feasting. Have it warm first with parsley sauce, then the leftovers ad liberum.
£77
Price at
Dukes Hill
Made in India, this chic and sleek water jug will keep water cool while the copper has anti-microbial properties (effective even on Covid viruses) which have been known for millennia.
£75
Price at
Borough Kitchen
River Café remains eternally chic and these crackers in the signature pink contain a joke, an Italian chocolate and beautiful enamel pins. I’m hoping to score the Moka pot with the dangling affogato glass.
£90
Price at
The River Café
If your nearest and dearest is after an air fryer, this capacious version is good value and has a great range of digital bells and whistles, plus Lakeland’s customer service is legendary.
£99.99
Price at
Lakeland
Sami Tamini and Tara Wigley’s brilliant book on Palestinian food paired with Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s sumac, baharat and many other essential ingredients.
£100
Price at
Ottolenghi
