The best Christmas food gifts get eaten
A food gift has one great advantage over almost everything else under the tree: it leaves nothing behind but the memory of something good. The jar is opened between Christmas and New Year, the bottle reaches the table at the next dinner, and the gift is remembered because it was used. The rule is simple. Choose one excellent thing rather than a basket of ordinary ones, and choose it for a ritual the person already has: the cheese board, the martini, the Sunday roast, the afternoon tea.
This guide follows the same price bands as our gift shop, so you can start from the budget and work toward the person.
Under $50: stocking stuffers and small thank-yous
The small jars do the most work. Triana Mediterranean capers for the friend who makes piccata. FILTHY blue cheese stuffed olives for whoever mixes the martinis. Sal de Ibiza fleur de sel, hand-harvested on Ibiza and packed in a ceramic jar with its own spoon. L’Épicurien mustard with lemon zest and thyme for the vinaigrette. Each one fits in a stocking.
Two small things that belong together make a better gift than one large thing that doesn’t. The Dirty + Filthy martini combo pairs Dirty Martini Juice with FILTHY’s olives and adds a complimentary box of The Drinks Bakery biscuits. The French Garden Trio gathers violet, jasmine and lavender flower confits for breakfast and the cheese board. See every gift under $50.
$50 to $99: for the host and the cheese board
This is the range for the people whose table you will sit at. The Laguiole mini cheese set, three small knives in a presentation box, does more for a cheese board than any amount of styling; add a jar of fig jam and it becomes a cheese course. The Cipriani Supper Set packs Cipriani’s tagliarelle egg pasta and an Italian sauce in a wood gift box: a whole supper for the quiet week after Christmas. More in gifts from $50 to $99 and in our guide to luxury hostess gifts.
$100 to $199: the gift they will use all year
A set of six Laguiole knives in a presentation box is the most useful object on a dinner table and will be used every week for years. The French Pantry brings Sal de Ibiza fleur de sel, Flamingo Estate’s Heritage olive oil and a sweet-sour balsamic together. The Lemon Pasta Supper packs everything for spaghetti al limone except the lemon, the butter and the Parmigiano. The Gathering Box pairs five pantry provisions with five printed recipes. For the honey lover, THETA rare rose honey arrives in its own gift box. See all olive oil gift sets and every gift from $100 to $199.
$200 and up: heirlooms
Some gifts outlive the occasion. The complete Lello herb and salt collection puts five herbs and kosher salt in six etched glass vessels, made to be refilled and kept for years. The three-piece Laguiole cheese set is the heirloom version of the cheese knives. The Jean Dubost steak knives come from a fourth-generation family house near Thiers, the French knife-making town. The Drop of Life Grand Reserve, a first-harvest olive oil from Arcadia in Greece, arrives in a collector’s case. Our guide to Laguiole knives explains how to tell a real one. See every gift from $200.
Do food gifts survive winter shipping?
Yes, with two harmless surprises. Olive oil can turn cloudy or thick in the cold and clears again at room temperature; we explain why in Does Olive Oil Expire? Honey may crystallize on a cold journey; a few minutes in a bowl of warm water returns it to liquid, and How Long Does Honey Last? covers why it happens. Salt, mustard, capers and olives travel without complaint. In December, leave room for the carriers: order in the first half of the month, and see our shipping policy for current timing.
Questions
What is a good Christmas food gift for someone who has everything? Something they would never buy for themselves: a rare honey, a collector’s olive oil, or a better version of a staple they use every day. Our guide to gifts for cooks who have everything goes further.
What are good food stocking stuffers? Small jars with a clear use: capers, stuffed olives, fleur de sel, a good mustard, a tin of tea.
Are food gifts good for clients and colleagues? Often the best choice, because they are enjoyed rather than displayed. If you are sending several, our Concierge can help put the order together.
How long do food gifts keep? Unopened, most of these keep for many months: olive oil for a year or more from harvest, honey indefinitely, salt for good.
