Best Christmas gifts for foodies

Want to wrap your Christmas foodie gifts nicely? Then check out our homemade Christmas wrapping guide, with printable gift tag templates.

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olive magazine subscription

Of course, we think the best gift for a foodie is a year-long subscription to olive magazine. That's a monthly dose of the best recipes, restaurant trends and travel inspiration delivered through the letterbox, to help food lovers stay ahead of the game. The gift that keeps on giving, for just £29.99 for 13 issues, buysubscriptions.com.

Virtual cookery courses

Give the gift of Italian cookery, American BBQ and world-class patisserie skills this Christmas. Italian chef Massimo Bottura, chef-patron of three-Michelin starred Osteria Francescana restaurant in Modena, has a series of Modern Italian sessions on MasterClass, which also features courses from renowned chefs Thomas Keller and Alice Waters, and pastry chef Dominique Ansel. Pay £85 for 12 lessons (including a downloadable class cookbook), or you can buy two site passes for £170, which gives you access to all chefs, and learn anything from simple pesto and pasta making, to Texas-style BBQ skills and making good use of leftovers such as potato peelings and onion skins. masterclass.com

Kitchenware gifts

Patterned tea towels, £12, Plewsy

We love the modern prints on these 100% cotton, illustrated tea towels, including leopard and tree designs.

Canapé plates, £14 each, Anthropologie

These pretty, hand-painted plates are perfect for sides, starters and desserts.

Koi fish salt and pepper shakers, £17.99, Sous Chef

These aquatic-inspired shakers in vibrant coral make a fun foodie stocking filler.

Ceramic jam jar, £25, Ferm

Make a batch of jam to go in this chic jar for maximum gifting points.

Reusable dish towels, £22, Anthropologie

Crafted from thick cotton, this set of six stylish towels can be machine-washed to re-use again and again.

Skandi candle gift set, £35, Gifted

Create a cosy hygge-like setting with Skandinavisk’s mini candle gift set.

HK Living Yunomi Mugs, £34.95, Coffee and Cloth

These stoneware mugs are inspired by the traditional Japanese tea ceremony – perfect for sipping green tea or espresso from.

Mikan breakfast set, £65, thirteen-thirtyone.com

These delicate ceramics are hand-painted with the Chinese citrus fruit, mikan – a foodie talking point for weekend guests.

Stove-top enamelware kettle, £45, Mini Moderns

With a heat-resistant handle, this pretty retro kettle is ideal for rustling up a brew on a glamping trip.

Food gifts

Traditional sausage roll kits, £12.95, Farmison & Co

Give the gift of the comforting smell of freshly-baked sausage rolls this Christmas. These handy kits include Farmison & Co’s Yorkshire heritage breed sausage stuffing and a pack of premium ready-rolled Dorset puff pastry, ready for an afternoon of sausage roll making and family fun.

Hot sauce, £19.99, Amazon

Eaten Alive’s superior fermented hot sauces are now available in a gift pack for the chilli lover in your life.

Coffee subscription, from £9 every 4 weeks, Ozone Coffee Roasters

Level up your morning cup of joe with speciality roaster Ozone. Choose single-origin or a blend, and tailor the grind to your preferred brewing method – from V60 to French press.

Caramelised white chocolate bar, £7.95, Harvey Nichols

This satisfyingly chunky, amber-coloured bar is both sweet and salty, with caramelised, toffee notes.

Personalised Marmite, £11.99, Prezzybox

Yes, it’s an opinion divider, but for the true Marmite fans out there, a personalised jar is a must-have.

Aged white soy sauce, £19.50, Bao

More delicate and complex than everyday soy sauce, use in dipping sauces for sushi or dumplings.

Charcuterie selection, £32, The Real Cure

Flavoured-packed charcuterie from Dorset. The punchy smoked sloe and garlic venison salami is a winner.

Artisan ham and cheese hamper, £135, Daylesford

Make Boxing Day a breeze with Gloucestershire ham, truffle salami, organic Cotswold cheeses and Irish smoked salmon. See the best foodie hampers for Christmas.

Lindor mint chocolates, pack of two £12.45, Amazon

If you’ve tried them, you know...

Dark chocolate gingers, £17.50, Farhi

Spicy candied ginger pieces coated in shiny dark chocolate.

Fiasconaro pistachio cream, £8.79, Sous Chef

Spread onto waffles, sandwich between macarons or spoon straight from the jar.

Cherry molasses, £8.95, Arabica

A reduction of 100% Turkish sour cherry juice, this sweet and sharp syrup would be great as a base for cocktails or as a glaze for duck or lamb.

Cinco jotas acorn-fed iberico ham, £24/70g, Cinco Jotas

Rich, acorn-fed jamón with an intense flavour. Warning – there will be fights over the last silky slither.

World salt selection, £22.95, Sous Chef

Season like a pro with this global selection of salts, from Persian blue to vibrant Viking smoked.

Cheese monthly club, £50, Muswell Hill

Join Muswell Hill cheese club and enjoy three seasonal cheeses, a chutney and a box of crackers delivered every month. A gouda way to try out some new varieties.

Christmas hamper, £175, Brindisa

Filled with Ibérico jamón, gordal olives, smoked almonds, turrón and manchego, as well as a bottle of cava and Spanish red wine, this is Christmas with a Brindisa twist.

Pasta gift subscription, from £51, Pasta Evangelists

Tonnarelli straight to your door? Bellissimo!

Drinks gifts

Ealing gin, £44.95, Master of Malt

This elegantly packaged gin has orange and floral notes, with gentle spice and a rounded character. See the best gin gifts for gin lovers.

Drinks by the Dram Japanese whisky tasting set, £32.95, Master of Malt

Way to get into the festive spirit(s)...

Crazy gin, £41.50/500ml, Harvey Nichols

Crazy in looks but not flavour. With notes of turmeric, cumin and yogurt (yes, really), this lassi gin is cracking.

Cazcabel honey and coffee tequilas, £24.99/70cl, Amazon

Changing the game when it comes to premium tequila, choose between nectar-like honey or smooth, rich and expertly balanced coffee. Or have both.

Black Cow rocks glassware, £15 for two, Black Cow

Decorated with Black Cow vodka's dancing cows in black and 18 carat gold leaf, these glasses are perfect for serving negronis in.

Wine glasses, £75 for two, Richard Brendon

olive's wine expert Kate Hawkings says:

Most of my day-to-day drinking is from cheap glasses, but I have a small collection of fine glasses that I get out for special occasions. Zalto and Riedel are two of my favourite makers, but my heart would beat still faster if I was given the new one-size-fits-all wine glasses designed by the venerated wine writer Jancis Robinson and product designer Richard Brendon.

Wine clubs, from £10, Wine Society

olive’s wine expert Kate Hawkings says:

There are many offering gift subscriptions but the oldest and my favourite is The Wine Society. Life membership costs £40 including a £20 voucher against the first purchase. Run as a not-for-profit cooperative, the society has a crack team of buyers who secure great wine at all levels. There are hundreds of bargains under £10, as well as super-smart wines and masses in between.

Food craft

Lined banneton, £22.72, The Sourdough School

Got the sourdough-making bug? This handmade, heavy-duty banneton is designed for a lifetime of use.

Frying pan, £119, Smeg

New to Smeg’s cookware range, this cool, coloured pan not only looks great in the kitchen, but is nice and weighty, a good size and super non-stick.

Cast-iron bread pan, £199, The Sourdough School

Sourdough School’s pan is designed to create the ideal baking environment for your loaves.

Recipe journal, £26.99, Moleskin

Keep all your favourite olive recipes in one place with this sleek Moleskine journal. Split into starters, mains, sides and desserts, there are handy sections plus nifty food facts and techniques dotted throughout.

Gluttonous Gardener finger lime plant, £48, The Gluttonous Gardener

Enjoy pretty pink blossom and beautiful little finger limes with this easy indoor pot plant.

Food Books

The Cocktail Dictionary, £15.99, Waterstones

This fun, accessible book is a treasure trove of lesser-known cocktails – try a Salty Dog or a New York Sour.

Parwana cookbook, £14.23, Amazon

Discover authentic Afghan recipes, beautiful imagery and family stories from author Durkhanai Ayub.

The Pie Room cookbook, £16.29, Amazon

Pie maestro Calum Franklin on the art of perfect pastry and pies, from wellingtons to sea bass en croûte.

Noble Rot: Wine from Another Galaxy, £20.97, Amazon

This coffee-table tome is an exuberant, beautifully shot and illustrated hymn to all things wine.

Ottolenghi Flavour cookbook set, £49.99, Sous Chef

This new book is all about getting maximum flavour into veg dishes, and comes with an ingredients bundle.

Wine guide, £12.99, Waterstones

This accessible lowdown on grape varieties covers the lot, from label decoding to food pairings.

Food gadgets

Pizza oven, £499, Ooni

The Ooni Koda 16 is quick and easy to set up, and makes authentic-tasting pizzas in just 60 seconds.

Stand mixer, £599, KitchenAid

KitchenAid’s iconic 4.8-litre stand mixer now comes in a stylish new colourway for this year – feather pink.

Pear wood biscuit roller, £27.50, Sous Chef

Up your baking game and make intricate designs in traditional German springerle and speculaas biscuits with the help of this pretty rolling pin.

Food experience gifts

Wine tastings and vineyard visits

If you’re feeling generous and want to treat the wine lovers in your life, some wineries offer overnight accommodation: Camel Valley in Cornwall, Rathfinny in East Sussex and Three Choirs in Gloucestershire are all particularly lovely for a weekend break. Click here to read about all the best English vineyard breaks

Food art

Lino prints, £15, Etsy

Ex-olive staffer Ellie Edwards’ quirky lino prints feature all of our fave foodie things.

Food gifts you can wear

African print oven mitts, £33.59, Bespoke Binny

Add vibrant pattern to your kitchen with Bespoke Binny’s colourful oven mitts.

Radish gardening gloves, £22.56, Etsy

Tend to your kitchen garden or allotment in style with these radishing gardening gloves.

Sushi socks shrimp, £8.99, Sous Chef

Eat your sushi, and wear it too with these fun shrimp socks. You’ll get instructions on how to re-roll them once they’ve been worn.