Food and Drink Gifts
Books get left, unread, on shelves and socks get separated, so what better than giving your home business or freelancing loved one a gift they'll really appreciate?
Choose from our imaginative list of yummy food and drink ideas for a present that will go down a treat!
To counter all those calories, why not also pop over and see our health and fitness gifts?
Check out our Christmas stocking fillers below and if you know of any more, please do drop us a line to let us know - we're always keen to bring new foodie ideas to our home working members.
iHubbub's Foodie Filler Ideas
Want a talking point when your friends come round? How about making this cute nutcracker a new member of your family?
This vintage looking wind-up robot cracks nuts efficiently and with character - just place them in the little fella's tummy, and twist the key to crack the shell.
Available from The Science Museum's shop in red (220mm high) for £18 or blue (330mm high) for £28.
Not strictly food or drink, but we think these cute bookends will keep inspiring you to put the kettle on!
Freshen up your kitchen or living room and store your books with these teacup themed bookends, inspired by a wartime kitchen.
Available also in a kitchen utensil style, they are available from the The Imperial War Museum shop, costing £19.00.
No mess or waste! This stainless steel jam spoon from the Imperial War Museum Wartime Cookery range has a curved handle which allows you to hang either across the top of the jar or inside, meaning all drips go back into the jar. Perfect to use with jam, chutney or pickle.
Available from The Imperial War Museum shop for £3.00. Your condiments will taste even better at that price!
The original Cornishware® ceramic range was inspired by the blue skies and the white waves of Cornwall and you'll find a whole host of table and cookware available.
For a perfect present why not get a loved one an individually boxed personalised mug for £9.00 or the new, limited edition, 12 cup Rosie teapot (£75.00), perfect for when the whole family descends for Christmas?
Order exclusively online from Cornishware makers TG Green.
Toussaint Liqueur de Café is named after the famous Haitian soldier and statesman, General Toussaint L’Ouverture, who was born in 1743 on the North West coast of the French Caribbean Island colony of Saint Domingue.
Get yourself a bottle of Toussaint Liqueur de Café from Selfridges for £27.99.
Opihr represents an exotic and original new gin that is based on the rich aromas and flavours encountered on the ancient spice route. The complex combination of Oriental botanicals includes cubebs from Indonesia, black pepper from India and coriander from Morocco, hand-picked to create a distinctive spiced gin.
Rounded and soft on the palate with a hint of sweetness and a warming spicy taste which lasts long on the finish.
If you fancy getting in the Christmas spirit, buy Opihir from Harvey Nichols and over 100 Waitrose stores for £30.
The Black Mountains Smokery in the Brecon Beacons first opened its doors in 1996 and has since garnered a reputation for producing some of the best quality local smoked produce you're likely to find. This goes not only for the award-winning oak roasted salmon, but also for the multi award-winning Gressingham duck breast and assorted smoked meats and cheeses.
For Christmas, they've created a range of luxury food hampers, ranging from a simple 'Taste-for-Two Hamper' (£39 inc P+P) that offers up a selection of oak roasted salmon, duck and chicken in an elegant hamper box, to the 'Luxury Larder Hamper', (£250 inc P+P) which is crammed full of three whole sides of smoked salmon, three duck breasts, Welsh cheddar, local chocolates and much more. As a lasting gift, you'll also have the choice of either a bespoke oak presentation platter or a handmade chopping board, both of which are handmade at a local workshop.
There's also the 'Smoked Fish Hamper Box' (£60 inc P+P), the 'Smoked Meat Hamper Box' (£60 inc P+P), and finally, the 'Gift Box Hamper' (£60 inc P+P), which is great if you can't choose between meat and fish!
Mouth watering? Buy them from Smoked-foods.co.uk.
The Gobstopper – a retro sweet specialist – has launched five new seasonal boxes full of its most popular sweet treats, each themed for a particular loved one this Christmas.
Each of these fabulously festive confectionery boxes have been lovingly created by The Gobstopper with a specific family member in mind – mother, father, brother, sister and grandparent. The boxes contain a selection of the retailer’s best-selling, nostalgic gummies and hard candies, priced at £15.49 each.
In addition to the seasonal family boxes, The Gobstopper has also launched two other festively-themed items:
Secret Santa Sweet Sack – stuck for a £5 Secret Santa gift this year? This £4.50 little bag of sweetness is sure to go down a treat!
Hot Choc Kit – definitely one for the chocolate-lover in your life. This beautifully packaged present comes complete with an official The Gobstopper mug, marshmallows and a luxury chocolate melting spoon, all for only £5.00!
Sound scrummy, don't they? Get over to The Gobstopper now!
If your friends or family ever exclaim 'Oh, you must let me have this recipe!' whenever you invite them round for dinner, now's your chance to do it in style!
Vistaprint offer a large range of all sorts of photo pressies; but how about designing your own personal recipe book using photos of your finished meals to illustrate it?
With prices starting as low as £7.99, why not start creating your photo cook book now?
The Coffee Explorer Club is a brand new service from gourmet coffee company Kopi.
Every month Kopi send you one of the finest single-origin coffees from around the world, ethically sourced and selected by their coffee experts, freshly roasted to order and backed by their 100% customer satisfaction guarantee.
Plus every coffee comes with a handy booklet covering the origin of the coffee, tasting notes and useful brewing tips. A unique gift, the Coffee Explorer Club from Kopi is perfect for all coffee lovers – a wonderful coffee treat every month
Guylian’s signature praline Sea Shells and Sea Horses mini packs are the perfect sweet stocking filler and are guaranteed to tick the much have chocolate – in – the – stocking – box. Christmas is all about spoiling the ones you love, and what better way to do this than with a box of Guylian chocolates.
The world’s favourite Belgian chocolatier has something for everyone and is sure to wow your friends and family and make them feel extra special this Christmas.
Available from high street retailers.
The Royal Swarovski box is a premium gift box containing sixty one pieces of Godiva’s signature assortment. The chocolates are stored in a beautiful suede case covered in Swarovski crystals forming the Godiva emblem.
For that special chocoholic in your life who might be looking for something a little more luxurious than the average choccy bar! And to cheer us up once the contents have all gone, this stunning case doubles up perfectly as a jewellery box!
By online at godiva-online-store.eu RRP £150
The USB Mug Warmer is perfect for keeping your chosen beverage lovely and warm. Cold, unappealing drinks are now a thing of the past with this nifty little gadget.
It's very simple to use, just plug it into your computer and then turn the USB Warmer on at the switch and the rest as they say is history!
It doesn't get any hotter than this clever little device. A must have for anyone that likes a cuppa or two!
Features: Keeps hot drinks warm / On/Off Switch / No software required / USB Powered / No batteries required. £5.95 from Prezzybox.com
It is a unique selection of seven superb artisan connoisseur single variety chilli sauces of the highest quality from Hot-Headz (the UK’s leading chilli sauce specialist and stockist) which make for a quirky, original and useful Xmas stocking filler for a woman to give a food loving male and for any discerning food lover to add to his/her Xmas stocking list. They are also very healthy.
Whilst of very high quality they are also not at all expensive at just £3.49 each.
Available in Independent Groceries, Farm Shops and Delis across the UK and also on-line and by phone from Hot-Headz direct
Everybody’s favourite little bleeping droid is back again - and this time with a tasty treat on offer.
Crafted from high-quality ceramics with sculpted detail and coloured glazing, as well as a removable lid; this is definitely the droid you’re looking for to cram full of snacks!
Purity Vodka is an ultra-premium, award winning Swedish vodka that has been developed over ten years by master blender Thomas Kuuttanen to challenge the common misconception that ‘all vodkas taste the same’.
It is the most awarded ultra-premium vodka in the world, and with its full-bodied character and complex yet smooth sophistication, it is clear that Purity stands in a class of its own and is here to redefine the spirit.
The bottle is an elegant diamond shape and the miniature 5cl bottles make the perfect stocking fillers. The vodka is distilled 34 times in Sweden, is 100% organic and has won every award it has ever entered.
Purity Vodka is also served at a number of high-end restaurants, hotels and cocktail bars. It is also available www.thedrinkshop.com.
A new selection of Christmas gifts especially crafted for cheese lovers is now available from the Northumberland Cheese Company.
Northumberland has introduced a newly designed Four Wedge Box which includes handmade, artisan, farmhouse cheeses contained within a compact wedge shaped box.
From £13 each pre-packed 115g box offers an assortment of full fat hard cow’s cheeses. These may include Hadrian, Nettle, Chilli Garlic, Chive or Original. All gifts are available here.
The New FESTIVE range of Oils from MadeByZen™
Perfect for dressing the home this Christmas, or as luxurious stocking fillers, is the brand new fabulously indulgent range of scented oils from leading home fragrance brand madebyzen™.
This latest selection of fragrances will create a truly special ambience in your home during Christmas and beyond.
Experience the warmth of this festive aroma, with the richness of red wine, uplifting orange with warming cinnamon and anise. A wonderfully welcoming scent on those cold winter nights.
GOURMAND - new to the madebyzen™ Signature Range:
‘Cookie Dough’: The heavenly aroma of freshly baked cookies with hints of brown caramelised sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
A sugary scent treat without the calories. RRP £3.99 from www.madebyzen.com/store-locator