Christmas is the one time of year when the kitchen becomes the centre of everything. It’s where the mince pies come out, the fondue pot bubbles and someone always ends up nibbling at the cheeseboard long before dinner. This year’s foodie guide gathers 11 things worth having on the table, in the cupboard or on the worktop: jars to spoon over everything, sweet treats for gifting, a tinned fish feast for the grazing crowd, a few gadgets that really earn their space, and even a proper grown-up drink for anyone skipping the alcohol. Whether it’s a present for a hard-to-buy-for food lover or a little help to make the festive season easier, there’s something here to put a smile on every plate.
Woolf’s Kitchen Chilli Crunch Collection
Great for anyone who puts chilli on everything
Some gifts get admired and forgotten. This one gets scraped clean. Woolf’s Kitchen’s Chilli Crunch Collection brings together three jars of the crispy, garlicky, savoury condiment that has chilli fans reaching for a spoon at every meal. There’s the original for everyday sprinkling, a black bean version with a deep, savoury richness, and an extra-hot edition for the brave, with a kick from ghost chilli.
The beauty is how little effort it takes. One spoonful turns a boiled egg into breakfast, a bowl of noodles into something special and a plain slice of avocado toast into the best thing eaten all week. It’s equally at home on pizza, dumplings, hummus, roast veg and leftover turkey sandwiches, which makes it a quiet hero of the Boxing Day fridge. Packed in a neat gift box, it’s ready to give the moment it arrives.
Get yours HERE
Fudge Kitchen Christmas Gift Bag
Great for sweet-toothed hosts, teachers and anyone on the nice list
A good Christmas gift should feel generous without being over the top, and this one gets the balance just right. Fudge Kitchen’s Christmas Gift Bag holds three festive treats in one pretty package: a selection box of creamy butter fudge in flavours like salted caramel and hazelnut praline, soft gingerbread caramels dipped in milk chocolate with a shimmer of bronze, and a pack of warmly spiced fudge that tastes like Christmas afternoon.
Everything is made by hand in small batches in the UK, with no preservatives, and the fudge is gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians. The bag comes tied with a bronze ribbon, so there’s no wrapping to wrestle with, and a free gift message can be added at checkout. It’s the ideal thank-you for a neighbour, a teacher, a colleague or the friend who always hosts. It’s the kind of present that gets opened with a smile and finished long before New Year.
Get yours HERE
Appolia Ceramic Dish Set
Great for hosts, Sunday roast heroes and anyone who loves to feed a crowd
A beautiful dish can turn a humble bake into the centrepiece of the table, and this pair does exactly that. The French brand behind them, best known for its pepper mills, has been making ceramic bakeware in France since 1930, and the Duo Appolia shows that experience off in a rich, glossy forest green (or bright red if you choose) that looks stunning straight from the oven. The set includes two rectangular dishes, a larger one for family feasts and a smaller one for cosy suppers, so there’s a perfect size for every occasion.
Think a bubbling cheesy gratin and all the Christmas sides looking their best in them, and food stays warm at the table for up to half an hour, so nobody has to rush the second helping. You also get a pair of silicone handles included, which will make it easy to carry hot dishes safely to the table. It’s definitely the kind of gift that will outlast many Christmases. It’s perfect not just for an under-the-tree present but also for a new homeowner or the friend who always hosts, and a splash of colour in the kitchen never hurt anyone.
Get yours HERE
Emmi Melts Classic Fondue Cheese
Great for cosy nights in and sharing with friends
Some meals are really about the people around the table, and fondue is the best example. Emmi Melts Classic Fondue turns a casual evening into an occasion with almost no work at all. The pouch holds creamy Swiss cheese, a splash of white wine and a touch of kirsch, so the flavour is rich, nutty and properly alpine.
All that’s needed is a saucepan and a few minutes of gentle stirring. Once it’s smooth and bubbling, it goes to the table over a tealight or fondue stand, surrounded by chunks of crusty bread, boiled potatoes, crunchy vegetables or slices of cooked meat. Everyone dips, everyone chats, and the pot is scraped clean. It’s brilliant for Christmas Eve, a New Year gathering or a lazy Sunday when the turkey has finally run out. Emmi has been making fondue since 1913, so there’s more than a century of Swiss know-how in the pack. It’s free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, but does contain alcohol, so it’s one for the grown-ups.
Get yours HERE
Nourished Communities Ultimate Tinned Fish Gift Collection
Great for grazing tables and seafood fans
Tinned fish has gone from store-cupboard standby to proper delicacy, and this collection shows why. Nourished Communities, an independent London grocer, has pulled together six tins of seafood from across Europe and the British Isles, from buttery tuna in olive oil and Cantabrian anchovies to spicy Portuguese sardines, Scottish mackerel, Cornish sardines with chilli oil and large mussels in a tangy escabeche.
Simple is best here. Open a tin, set it on a board with good bread, butter, olives and a squeeze of lemon, and dinner is done. It’s perfect for an effortless aperitif spread, a post-Christmas pantry supper or an evening of grazing with a glass in hand when nobody wants to cook. For the person who has everything, and the friend who loves a snack more than a sit-down meal, it’s a gift with real personality.
Get yours HERE
Ooni Volt 2 Electric Pizza Oven
Great for pizza lovers
Pizza night just got a lot more glamorous. The Ooni Volt 2 is an electric oven built for the kitchen, or can be used outside if the weather permits. Plug it in, pick a preset and it heats up to around 450°C, hot enough to bake a Neapolitan-style pizza with a blistered, airy crust in about 90 seconds. WOW!
It’s clever too. Three one-touch presets cover classic Neapolitan, thin and crispy New York style, and deep pan, and the oven manages the heat itself, so there’s far less guesswork. A dough-proofing mode helps the dough rise, and a big glass window lets the whole family watch the cheese bubble. It arrives ready to use, with a pizza stone and shelf included. At 12 inches, it makes one pizza at a time, which suits a family or a small party with a queue of hungry people and a rotation of toppings. For anyone who dreams of restaurant-quality pizza at home, it’s the ultimate present. Whoever you are purchasing this for will love you forever!
Get yours HERE
Hydes Cyder Lyte Low-Alcohol Cider
Great for the designated driver, Dry January and the non-drinkers at the table
Everyone at the Christmas table deserves a proper drink in their hand. Hydes Cyder Lyte is a wild-fermented, hand-crafted, alcohol-free style cider made without artificial ingredients, and it tastes like real cider rather than an afterthought. It starts from Hydes’ gently sparkling, medium-dry cider and is finished using a special method that brings the alcohol down to just 0.5%.
Served chilled or over ice, it’s crisp and refreshing, and it’s brilliant alongside a Christmas cheeseboard, cured meats and tapas. A box of 12 cans makes it easy to stock the fridge for the whole festive season, from drinks parties to quiet nights in, and it’s a thoughtful present for the non-drinker who usually gets handed a fizzy juice. It’s vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free.
Get yours HERE
Tiptree Four Special Preserves Gift Set
Great for breakfast tables, afternoon tea and stocking fillers
There’s something special about a very small jar of very good jam. Tiptree’s Four Special Preserves set holds four miniature jars, each flavoured with a splash of something festive: apricot with Armagnac, strawberry with Champagne, raspberry with cassis, and a fine-cut orange marmalade with malt whisky. They’re the sort of flavours that turn plain toast into a treat.
Tiptree has been farming in Essex since 1757 and making preserves there since 1885. Every batch is cooked in small quantities in traditional copper-bottomed pans, with no artificial colours or flavours, and the company holds a Royal Warrant. Spoon one over warm scones and cream, swirl another through yoghurt or serve a third alongside cheese on Boxing Day. Four little jars make an ideal stocking filler, a host gift or a sweet addition to a hamper.
Get yours HERE
Fatso Foursome Dark Chocolate Bars
Great for chocolate fans who like a bit of crunch
Fatso believes chocolate should be devoured, not nibbled politely, and this four-bar collection is designed to prove the point. Each 40g dark chocolate bar is packed with something crunchy, creamy or tart. Sweet Tart brings cherry, almond and shortbread. Home Run is salted pretzel, whole almonds and honeycomb. Nan’s Stash mixes peanut, toffee and biscuit, and King’s Ransom pairs mint with pistachio and cocoa nibs.
Four very different bars means there’s one for every mood, and everyone in the family can pick a favourite. It’s a brilliant stocking filler, a Secret Santa present or a small gift for anyone who loves chocolate with plenty of personality. The bars are rich, dark and generously packed, and the bright, cheerful packaging is ready for a ribbon.
Get yours HERE
Birchall Africa Tea Caddy and Great Rift Tea Bags
Great for the person who lives for a proper cuppa
A good brew deserves a good home, and this turquoise caddy brings a splash of colour to the worktop. Finished with a golden lid and decorated with an Africa-inspired design by British designer Susan Rose, it’s far too pretty to hide in a cupboard. Inside is Birchall’s flagship Great Rift Breakfast Blend: 80 strong, full-bodied tea bags made with leaves grown in the highlands of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley.
It’s the kind of gift that suits everyone, from the dedicated builder’s tea drinker to the nan who has been making a pot for decades. Once the tea is gone, the caddy lives on as a stylish tin for loose tea, biscuits or sweets. There’s feel-good in every cup too. Birchall’s tea is Rainforest Alliance certified, packed in biodegradable bags, made in a solar-powered factory in Wiltshire and carbon neutral, and the company donates to the wildlife charity Tusk from sales of its Great Rift range. It’s a small, thoughtful present that’s easy to wrap and very hard to dislike.
Get yours HERE
Pickle Project Chipotle Pickle Chips
Great for sandwich lovers and anyone who likes a smoky kick
Every festive spread needs something sharp, crunchy and a little bit cheeky, and these pickle chips fit the bill. These Chipotle Pickle Chips give the classic pickle a smoky, spicy twist. They’re crisp, tangy and full of personality, the sort of thing that disappears from the jar faster than anyone expects.
Their talents are endless. A few chips can lift a cheese toastie, a Boxing Day turkey sandwich or a burger loaded with all the trimmings. They’re equally at home on a cheeseboard, alongside cold meats or piled onto a snack plate to nibble with a drink. For the person who always asks for extra pickles, a jar makes a brilliant stocking filler or a fun addition to a foodie hamper. Because they’re made in small batches by a London maker, they feel a little bit special too.
Get yours HERE
Fritaire Self-Cleaning Glass Air Fryer
Great for busy cooks who love a gadget
Most air fryers hide the action behind a drawer. The Fritaire does the opposite. Its clear glass bowl lets cooks watch fries turn golden, chicken crisp up and toast brown, which is oddly addictive on a dark December evening. It holds 4.7 litres, enough for three to five people, and cooks with fast-circulating hot air at up to 200°C, so dinner is on the table in a flash.
The clever part is the clean-up. Pour in some soapy water, run the cycle and the bowl rinses itself, leaving just a quick dry. Six one-touch settings cover fries, meat, fish, chicken, toast and dehydrating, and it arrives with a rotisserie, a rotating tumbler for chips, an air stand and a grabber for lifting food out, so there’s nothing extra to buy. It comes in five bright colours, from midnight black to cherry red, so it looks as good on the worktop as it cooks. For anyone who loves to cook and hates scrubbing, it’s a gift that wins every time.
Get yours HERE
