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Welcome to our annual Food and Drink Christmas Gift Guide, spotlighting a variety of offerings rooted in Yorkshire’s culinary scene (plus a couple of foodie treats from further afield).
In this guide, you’ll find a selection of locally sourced luxury hampers, unique alcohol gifts, budget-friendly options under £50 or £20, and thoughtful gifts for kids. Take a journey through the diverse flavours of Yorkshire, exploring a range of options that reflect the region’s rich gastronomic heritage. Whether you’re treating a loved one or simply exploring the local offerings, our guide aims to provide a genuine taste of what Yorkshire has to offer in the realm of food and drink
Christmas Gift Ideas For Foodies…
Luxury Food and Drink Hampers
Winter Warmers Hamper – £150 at Harvey Nichols
Luxury department store, Harvey Nichols has released a new selection of luxury hampers for 2023.
They vary in price and composition quite considerably but if you’re looking to gift a selection of exquisite treats to a friend, loved one or colleague, the Winter Warmers Hamper will undoubtedly make their Christmas that little more special.
Designed for those hoping to cosy up indoors and indulge, it’s packed with warming goodies such as Mulled wine, Christmas pudding, ginger spiced biscuits, hot chocolate and a ten-year-old Tawny port.
Luxury Gift Basket – £95 at 123 Hampers
Halifax-based 123 Hampers offers beautiful foodie gifts all year round but they’ve recently launched a limited-edition range of festive hampers and foodie gifts. Prices start at just £25 so there’s something to suit most budgets plus, all the products are available for delivery.
We particularly like the Luxury Gift Basket that is currently on sale at a reduced price of £95. The reusable 18-inch wicker hamper is filled with sweet and savoury treats plus two bottles of wine to wash them all down with.
Treat someone special to a superb selection of goodies including a Christmas pudding, chocolate chip biscuits, festive shortbread, a chocolate orange-infused chocolate bar, some tasty preserves, a carton of Yorkshire Crisps and much more!
Winter Wonderland Hamper – £65 at Cartwright & Butler
I’m a big fan of Cartwright & Butler hampers having thoroughly enjoyed one last Christmas. They do sweet treats especially well and their packaging is always aesthetically pleasing.
The Cartwright & Butler hamper range for Christmas 2023 is extensive and varied but I highly recommend this delightful goodie box which features some of their best-selling festive treats.
The Winter Wonderland Hamper is priced at £65 and includes Cranberry & Orange Mini Mince Pies, Orange & Cranberry Shortbread (these are incredibly moreish!), a tin of miniature Belgian chocolates, English Breakfast Tea Bags in a reusable caddy, one of their delicious Christmas Loaf Cakes in a decorative tin, and a Cartwright & Butler ‘Christmas Wishes’ tea towel.
Medium Christmas Hamper Gift Box – NOW £123.75 at The Luxury Food Collective
Looking for corporate gift hampers? The Luxury Food Collective
Want to send a special Thank You gift to a valued client, this Christmas? Specialist online retailer The Luxury Food Collective has recently unveiled a new range of corporate hampers perfect for doing just that. Prices start at just £38 and the hampers include a selection of exquisite products from artisan producers and top foodie brands.
The Medium Christmas Hamper Box is currently available for a reduced price of £123.75 and it contains a 10-item selection of luxury treats including a bottle of Van Zellers port, cheeses, artisan crackers and a Christmas pudding. Each delivery from The Luxury Food Collective comes with a personalised information card detailing the products and their provenance.
Foodie Gifts Under £50
12-Month tastecard Subscription – £29.99 at tastecard
With the Cost of Living crisis making budgets tighter than ever, eating out isn’t as accessible as it used to be. This year, why not give a friend or loved the gift of eating out for less?
For a one-off fee of £29.99, you can gift them a full 12-month tastecard subscription. As members, they’ll be able to take advantage of a 2 for 1, 50% off and 25% off at restaurants across the UK.
On average, they’ll save £23 per meal and there are hundreds of restaurants in Yorkshire offering discounts exclusively to tastecard holders. From big brand names like Zizzi, Domino’s and Burger King to smaller independent restaurants like Thai Edge and Ice Boujee in Leeds part of the scheme, there are plenty of choices when it comes to eating out with a tastecard subscription.
Happy Christmas Foodie Gift Box – £30 at Charlie & Ivy’s
Tailor a gourmet experience for friends and family with a curated selection of bread dippers, dressings, marinades, and mayonnaise from Charlie & Ivy’s. This independent, family-run business is based in the Yorkshire Wolds and produces cold-pressed rapeseed oil. Using their award-winning oil, the Palmer family have created a selection of sauces, dressings, dips and more and for £30, you can gift a selection of them to a friend or loved one.
All the products included in this £30 gift box have been thoughtfully chosen to elevate a foodie’s festive season. Inside, your chosen recipient will discover two bread dippers, two dressings or marinades, one mayonnaise and a greetings card designed by Plewsy (left blank so you can write your message inside).
Yorkshire Charcuterie Pack – £32.50 at Lishman’s of Ilkley
Established in 1986, Lishman’s of Ilkley is a multi-award-winning butchers, deli and charcuterie shop in the heart of Ilkley and it boasts a superb reputation for sourcing, preparing and stocking the finest quality produce in the area. As popular with local chefs and hospitality businesses, as it is with local home cooks, the Lishman’s of Ilkley brand is synonymous with high quality. It’s a family-run business that has achieved great success and no foodie should visit Ilkley without popping into Lishman’s to grab a few prime cuts, sample local cheeses and browse the extensive range of pantry items.
Whilst nothing compares to visiting a shop in person, particularly when purchasing food, being able to get quality products from a celebrated local business delivered directly to your door is particularly convenient at this time of year. Lishman’s offers nationwide postal delivery and a number of the products would make wonderful gifts. How about this Yorkshire Charcuterie Pack? Priced at £32.50, it includes a number of their most popular charcuterie products including their Great Taste Award-winning N’duja and British Charcuterie Award-winning Fennel Salami. Gift this directly to a foodie friend and elevate their Boxing Day buffet or NYE nibbles!
The Christmas Sweet Treats Hamper – £45 at Made in Oldstead
Made in Oldstead was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic when hospitality businesses across the UK were forced to close. Tommy Banks and his business partner, Matt, decided to create a delicious range of dishes and offer them for delivery to homes and businesses whilst the doors at The Black Swan at Oldstead and Roots York were shut. Since then, the brand has seen great success and the team uses their Michelin-starred background to create exquisite multi-course menus of dishes which people can order to be heated and served at home.
In addition to a wonderful array of dinner party-worthy dishes and spectacular festive feasts, customers can now also order a range of gifts. Capapes, grazing selections and hampers jam-packed with festive treats can be sent directly to someone’s door. The Christmas Sweet Treats hamper is priced at £45 and includes several festive favourites that have been given their signature Oldstead twist.
The Askrigg Hamper – £30 at Wensleydale Creamery
Whilst we’re on the subject of Wensleydale cheese, how about gifting a hamper from Wensleydale Creamery? These are available all year round but they do make wonderful Christmas gifts. Custodians of Wensleydale’s 1000-year cheesemaking history, the skilled master cheesemakers handcraft artisan cheeses using milk from local family farms.
This delightful hamper is new for Christmas 2023 and offers recipients a true taste of Yorkshire for just £30. Loving packed inside a Wensleydale Creamery box, The Askrigg Hamper comprises a Yorkshire Wensleydale Truckle, Yorkshire Wensleydale & Cranberries Truckle and, a Fountains Gold Cheddar Truckle plus, some Sawley Kitchen Rosemary & Sea Salt Crackers and a jar of Raydale Wensleydale Cheese Lovers Carrot Chutney.
Foodie Gifts and Treat Boxes Under £20
Classic Brownie Variety Box – from £16 at LOVE Brownies
Calories don’t count at Christmas and what better way to indulge over the festive period than with a selection of rich and fudgy chocolate brownies?
LOVE Brownies make these mind-blowingly good bakes at their brownie barn in the Yorkshire Dales and I think they’re some of the best around.
Prices for a Classic Brownie Variety Box start at £16 for 4. They also offer subscriptions so you or your chosen recipient can receive a box of chocolatey treats every month. Yes, please!
Christmas Chocolate Gift Box – £19.95 at Cocoa Wonderland
Cocoa Wonderland is a chocolate shop, cafe and traditional sweet shop near Sheffield. As pretty as a picture with its rows and rows of sweet-filled glass jars and an abundance of chocolate treats, it’s adored by people of all ages. All the chocolate found at Cocoa Wonderland is made in a small in-house chocolate factory and visitors to Cocoa Wonderland can watch the process.
This charming confectionery emporium also has an online shop so many products are available to purchase online. This beautifully presented Christmas Chocolate Gift Box contains six of Cocoa Wonderland’s handmade chocolate bars including the delicious-sounding Winter Wonderland bar – shimmering marshmallow-flavoured white chocolate with crushed meringue, coconut & marshmallows.
Christmas Gifts for Kids
Night Before Christmas Gift Box – £40 at Bettys
Established in 1919, the iconic Bettys attracts visitors from far and wide to its tea rooms in Harrogate, York and Ilkley. The brand is synonymous with Yorkshire hospitality and a Bettys afternoon tea should most certainly be on your itinerary if you’re planning a trip to North Yorkshire.
For those wishing to sample a few of the sweet treats Bettys is best known for, a variety of gifts and goodies can be ordered online. Of course, there are boxes of miniature cakes, afternoon tea hampers and more which all make wonderful gifts for grown-ups up. However, the Bettys online shop also offers a few gifts for little ones including, this Night Before Christmas Gift Box. Priced at £40, it’s perfect for gifting on Christmas Eve so children can snuggle up and enjoy a few decadent treats whilst watching a festive film.
Cookie Baking Set – £29.99 at The Bottled Baking Co.
The Bottled Baking Co has grown significantly since its launch in 2016 when owner, Greg, began creating the first recipes at his home in Yorkshire. Now, these bottles of baking ingredients are stocked at 100’s of independent retailers across the UK and some can even be found on the shelves at Harrods.
Designed for fuss-free, minimal-mess home baking that delivers exceptional-tasting goodies, these make great gifts for children. Bottles can be ordered individually but this Cookie Baking Set will allow budding bakers to create three different batches of cookies. Gift before the big day so they can bake extra special treats for Santa on Christmas Eve or leave under the tree so they can use their gift during the school holidays.
Sweet Treats Hamper – £25 at Fodder
Fodder is an award-winning farm shop in a cafe stocking a diverse range of locally grown and sourced produce. With an onsite butchery selling quality meat from Yorkshire farms, a superb deli counter stocking pies, salads, cheeses, and more, plus an inviting cafe serving hot and cold food, it’s a one-stop shop for Yorkshire foodies.
Fodder also offers an excellent selection of gift hampers on its website, each of which is filled with handpicked goodies from the Fodder shop floor. They vary in price considerably with the highest price hamper costing £500 and the lowest, just £25. Presented in a natural fluted window box and tied with a Fodder ribbon, the £25 Sweet Treats hamper contains a selection of confectionery items including Strawberry Pencils, Dolly Mixture and a fantastic retro mix. This one is perfect for gifting to little ones and there’s the option to include a gift card with a personal message.
Cookie Pizza – £29.99 Batch’d
I find it incredibly difficult to visit Trinity Leeds without popping into Batch’d for a treat or three and I’m sure I’m not alone in that. Its colourful branding and glass cabinets lined with row upon row of naughty but oh-so-nice treats have no doubt ruined many a diet thus far.
My little boy is a huge fan of Batch’d products, in particular the stuffed NYC cookies and slabs of cookie pie. Whilst browsing the Batch’d website for our own Christmas treats, I stumbled across these ever-so tempting cookie pizzas which I think would make wonderful gifts for kids. They’re available with a Bueno or a Caramelised Biscuit topping but, if you’re like me and such decisions are not easily made, you can order one with half and half. A full Cookie Pizza costs £29.99 but there’s also the option to order half of one for £15.99.
Boozy Christmas Gifts
Yorkshire Favourites Gift Box – £38 at Timothy Taylor’s
The Yorkshire Favourites Gift Box from Timothy Taylor’s online shop is in limited stock and selling fast but makes a wonderful gift for ale lovers. Priced at £38, it comprises four of the brewery’s most popular ales alongside a few extra treats and a piece of branded merchandise.
In addition to a bottle each of Landlord, Boltmaker, Knowle Spring and Cook Lane IPA, your chosen recipient will also receive a jar of Landlord chutney, a jar of Poulter’s Porter Orange Marmalade, a Timothy Taylor’s Bottle Opener Fridge magnet and a Landlord Fruit Cake from the excellent Botham’s of Whitby.
Sharing Selection Box – from £26 at Cooper King Distillery
I’m a big fan of Copper King Distillery and have enjoyed a fair amount of their gin in recent years. Last Christmas, I was lucky enough to receive a sharing selection box containing three 100ml bottles of gin. The same selection is available to purchase on the Cooper King Distillery website this year and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a gift for a gin lover. All three gins are delicious but the Berry & Basil Gin Liqueur is a firm favourite of mine.
Each box contains enough gin for 12 G&Ts plus tasting and serving guides for each bottle and a free virtual tasting session. The Sharing Selection Box with the three bottles of gin is priced at £26 but there’s an upgraded version available which also includes paired Fever Tree Mixers, a tulip gin glass and a spirit measure.
Spirit of Old Peculiar Gift Box – £60 at Theakstons
Another Yorkshire brewery offering Christmas gifts this year is Theakstons. As one would expect, there are some great options for beer drinkers including bottle selections, hampers and kegs but one of Yorkshire’s best breweries is offering something a little different this year too.
For almost 200 years, Theakstons has focused solely on brewing its range of popular beers, including the iconic Old Peculiar. More recently, however, the brewery has added a new string to its bow and begun distilling its very own spirit. Theakson Spirit of Old Peculiar is a smooth 40% ABV spirit, infused with shavings from the brewery’s cooperage. Bottles are available to purchase individually but this set, which is priced at £60, includes a 70cl bottle and two branded glass tumblers.
Nine Tines Smooth Potato Vodka – £39 at Nine Tines Vodka
Nine Tines is probably one of my favourite discoveries of 2023. I was introduced to this new vodka last month and was hugely impressed with the quality. Super smooth with an impeccably clean finish, it’s a versatile and very drinkable spirit. Even better, it’s made right here in Yorkshire!
This award-winning small-batch vodka is the result of a collaboration between two Yorkshire families. It’s crafted using potatoes from a fourth-generation family farm in the Yorkshire Dales and each bottle contains at least 20 potatoes! Serve neat over ice, add a splash of tonic or mix into your favourite cocktails! A 70cl bottle of Nine Tines Vodka is priced at £39 or £44 with a gift box..
