The great big foodie Christmas gift guide

So following on from my great big Christmas gift guide, it’s time to concentrate on our lovely food-loving friends (my favourites!) and get cracking on a great big foodie Christmas gift guide. As usual, my gifting philosophy is to err on the side of practical, useful and useable, and foodie gifts slot in very well here. I’ve added a couple of wines, some fab books and a couple of wonderful dining experiences too. Enjoy!

If you’re a red wine lover, look no further than Bread & Butter’s stunning Pinot Noir. I also love their Chardonnay which is full of BIG flavours: creamy vanilla and tropical fruit. The Pinot is £13.99 if you mix six at Majestic, and £15.99 if you buy just the single bottle (hahahahahaha). It’s silky smooth with oaky vanilla, cherry and blackcurrant, with something delicate and herbal in there. Just heavenly and perfect for Christmas (either for drinking, or making yourself a very popular guest).

Foodie friends will appreciate these lovely hard-backed 2020 cooks diaries. These week-to-view diaries contain weekly triple-tested recipes, so they’re full of inspiration, plus all the recipes have been rigorously tested by the general public to ensure they work perfectly every time. £9.99, available in three different designs.

I think cookery books are more or less the perfect Christmas gift. Not only are they beautiful (if you choose correctly) but so useful too. If you’ve got a vegan in the family, or just someone who’s interesting in experimenting with plant-based cookery, the seriously stylish hardback Happy Vegan Christmas by Karoline Jönsson is a gorgeous gift, featuring tons of vegan dishes for Christmas and beyond. It has a very Scandi feel and the photography is stunning. Currently available to buy for £5.99 from The Book People (fab value as the RRP is £14.99).

I’m tempted to keep this one actually! Diana Henry’s From the Oven to the Table is on my Christmas list too.

I definitely couldn’t let a foodie Christmas gift guide slip past without mentioning my favourite ever Christmas book, Nigel Slater’s utterly heartwarming Christmas Chronicles (this is my own copy and you can see it’s rather well loved). He’s such a natural, warm storyteller and remembers so many wonderful details from Christmases past, plus it’s packed full of wonderful recipes too. A must-have for any food lover. Currently £12 in the Amazon Black Friday sale but not sure how long that will last.

If you’re local (Herts/Beds/Bucks/about 30 mins from Euston), you’ll be delighted to hear that one of our favourite independent restaurants, the wonderful Copper House Bar in Berkhamsted, has just announced that they’re going to be serving Champagne afternoon tea from January AND you can buy gift vouchers. Choose from the Copper Classic or Copper Vegetarian Afternoon Tea, both with delicate finger sandwiches, fluffy scones and a delicious selection of cakes and pastries that include a white and dark chocolate cheesecake and a fabulously moist banana loaf. Choose from ten tea blends from TeaSmiths or upgrade to a glass of Moët & Chandon Champagne. Served Tuesday to Friday, 12-4pm from 7th January 2020, the standard afternoon tea is priced at £30 per person, or from £39 for the Champagne afternoon tea. Vouchers are available on the Copper House Bar website.

Beautiful Paris House, set in the stunning deer park on the Woburn Estate offers some luxurious gift options. I love the idea of their behind the scenes experiences: masterclasses with the Head Chef with themes like pastry, chocolate and pasta making, topped off with lunch at the Chef’s Table (£169), or why not treat your loved one to a fabulous six course tasting menu lunch (£117 for two). View the whole range of gift certificates here. And our review here.

This post contains some gifted items and affiliate links. Featured image (c) Copper House Bar.