| Look, there are a lot of gift guides around *but* they are also useful and fun! The best ones have given me some great ideas over the years. These are items I would love to receive myself, so if you’re reading this, pals, you know what to do. Just sayin. There are no affiliate links here. I’ve pointed to various sites, but you might want to shop around on price.
BUTTER There is no finer ingredient and therefore no finer theme for a gift. Clockwise from top left: Butter socks on Fred Aldous. I’m such a Xennial (look it up) that I was a staunch trainer-socks-only gal for years, until recently. I can now bear the sensation of elasticated fabric gripping my ankles. A new range of footwear is unlocked! An extremely stylish green glass butter dish on ferm Living. Allday Goods butter knife. I bought one of these for a mate’s birthday and can confirm they are just delicious. I almost kept it. Choose your own flavours butter hamper from the incredible Ampersand Dairy. This butter will change your life, it’s so good, and the flavours are classic rather than naff.
GENUINELY EXCELLENT + USEFUL KITCHEN KIT High-quality items that will become well-loved. Clockwise from top left: Opinel bread knife. It’s the best one, end of. I’ve gifted this before, and it goes down a treat. Italian ice cup dessert bowls. Retro, but classy. Store them in the freezer before use so they get frosty. They make having dessert, particularly ice cream, more of an event, but will also be perfect for trifle, chocolate mousse and so on. There are lots around, including some luscious vintage ones (try Etsy). Netherton Foundry bacon press. I have this, and I use it for everything from bacon, obvs, to steaks, chicken and vegetables. It maintains contact with the hot pan and helps cook things evenly and get a great crust, should you want one. Peugeot pepper mills are the best. I asked for this one for Christmas last year, and it’s so beautiful with a fine grind. I also have another Peugeot one, which is much coarser and also excellent. Thermapen. One of my most-used pieces of kit, and also featuring in a lot of my recipes, this is the best probe thermometer out there. You’ll never overcook meat or fish again. Microplane Master Series. I can tell you with 100% certainty that anyone who loves cooking adores their microplanes, and even if they have one, they will never ever not want another. I have three on the go at the moment and would be delighted with a fourth.
SEAFOOD (and why not? A strong theme) Seafood merch can be twee; here are some bolder picks.
BOOZE + BAR Tis the season!
WORDS Books I have read this year, not those necessarily released in 2025. Plus, good things to gift readers in general. I have a few signed copies of my books Live Fire, and BBQ Days BBQ Nights for sale. I will also write a personalised message of your choice inside, of course! Message me here or leave a comment to purchase, and I’ll get in touch. A subscription to Stack Magazines. This sub gets the recipient a new independent magazine every month. Such a fantastic idea and fabulous people behind it, too. A Pit magazine gift bundle. This year, we’ve made two different bundles: The Eye-Opening One and The Fun One. Three themed mags for a bargain bundle price! Some of my favourite cookbooks this year were: Caribe by Keshia Sakarah. As educational and beautiful as the recipes are stunning. She covers 23 Caribbean regions and delves into their history. Lugma by Noor Murad. A highly personal tome which combines the food of Noor’s Bahraini and British heritage. The recipes here are glorious! I’m a bit obsessed with the Loomi (black lime) Lemon chicken. Fusão by Ixta Belfrage. I was always going to love this book as Ixta and I are partial to very similar flavour profiles. This time, she’s focused on recipes inspired by Brazil. Sweet by Alexina. A complimentary title to her first book, Bitter, this is a sweet cookbook with a difference. Alexina always finds new, unusual twists, and I love her scholarly approach to flavour. Flavour Heroes by Gurdeep Loyal. Gurd’s personality shines through on the pages of this book, and we share a similar love of BIG flavours. Silk Roads by Anna Ansari. This is by no means the first book about the food of the ancient trading routes, but Anna’s scholarly, detailed approach and accessible style bring it to life in such a pleasing way. Gorgeous recipes. Plus, Anna recently guest edited an issue of Pit!
Some of my favourite fiction and non-fiction (but not cookery) books this year were: LAST BUT NOT LEAST!! A subscription to this here newsletter! A £40 annual sub gets 2 x newsletters per week, FULL archive access (everything is paywalled after 2 weeks) and of course a direct line to yours truly.
Pheweee! Until next time, Festive Flavour Fans x
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