Max Mara
The Best Luxury Food Gifts
Food, glorious food – nothing can elicit joy quite like it. That’s why boxes of chocolate and hampers stuffed full of treats are always so warmly received year-round, but never more so than at Christmastime. Just like your favourite festive foods, these are gifts that tap into our purely indulgent sides – things we eat not because we need to, but because we want to. We all know Christmas is about love and togetherness, but lashings of Champagne and caviar certainly add that extra-special sparkle.
Here, we’ve compiled a list of the year’s ultimate foodie presents, from the edible to the experiential – because food gifting isn’t exclusively about eating, after all. Browse our mouthwatering edit of treats, tipples and tools, safe in the knowledge that, whatever you decide to gift, it’ll appeal not just to your recipient’s tastes, but to their tastebuds, too.
Best luxury food gift: Armand de Brignac Blanc de Blancs Champagne (75cl)
When the occasion calls for a truly fabulous flourish, reach for a bottle of Champagne. For your fondest loved ones, we recommend Armand de Brignac’s showstopping Blanc de Blancs Champagne – we defy anyone not to be impressed by the world-renowned metallic Ace of Spades bottle and, upon popping the cork, the elegant palate of exotic fruits and sweet spice. What better way to kick off the Christmas celebrations?
Best unusual food gift: Teaspec Regent 2011 Pu-Erh Tea Coins Set
Some recipients – specifically, those who appreciate the unexpected, the curated and the one-of-a-kind – want to be impressed by more than flavour alone. For these people, look to our favourite unusual foodie present: Teaspec’s tea coins. They’ll open their eyes to the world of pu-erh tea – a marvel hailing from China’s Yunnan province, fermented like kombucha and renowned for its myriad health benefits and complex, aromatic taste.
Best romantic food gift: Harrods White Chocolate Strawberries (270g)
There are no prizes for guessing which treat we consider to be the most romantic food gift: chocolate-covered strawberries are, and always will be, an easy winner. Sweet thanks to the freeze-dried fruit, yet sensual because of the chocolate in which they’re decadently enrobed, they’re a gift that will inspire swooning in both recipient and giver – after all, we suspect that you and your loved one will enjoy them together this festive season.
Best gift for a foodie: Leonardi Riserva 15-Year-Old Balsamic
It can be tricky to shop for a foodie. Their culinary-connoisseur status means they’ve likely got their hands on the latest gadgets and must-try ingredients already. So, when it comes to Christmas gifting, we suggest keeping things simple by opting for a pantry staple of incomparable quality. Try this 15-year-old balsamic, sure to impress even the most devoted foodie thanks to its impressive provenance and a sweet-sour flavour profile.
Best gift for a chocoholic: Harrods Mixed Chocolate Almonds (600g)
Christmas gifting without chocolate is like Harrods without its Chocolate Hall: it just wouldn’t be the same. Luckily, said Chocolate Hall offers quite the selection of sweet treats to satisfy those in your life with an insatiable chocolate craving. With dark, milk and white varieties all taken care of, these Mixed Chocolate Almonds make the ultimate gift for a cocoa connoisseur – and the box will provide many an evening of indulgent nibbling thanks to its generous size, too.
Best food gift for him: Dinner at Studio Frantzén
Goodbye socks, hello fine dining – the days of dull gifting for men are over. For a dad, a Loire Valley wine lover or simply the man who has everything, we recommend leaning away from the usual suspects and turning instead to the experiential: in this case, an exquisite gift voucher for dinner at Studio Frantzén. Home to Björn Frantzén’s award-winning Nordic-meets-Asian cuisine and elegant interiors, it’s the perfect place to spend quality time together – and we all know that’s the most special gift of all.
Best gift for home cooks: Marcato Ravioli Stamp
For home cooks, food is all about the process. They could dine out or order in, but instead every evening represents a chance to test out a new recipe, gadget or technique – your Christmas gift, then, should offer simply another opportunity for them to flex their culinary muscles. Marcato’s ravioli stamp ticks all the right boxes: it’s high quality, endlessly satisfying to use and, what’s more, all but guarantees you’ll be served a plate of freshly prepared pasta next time you go round to the recipient’s for dinner.
Best gift for those who don’t like to cook: Anova Precision Cooker Pro
For every devoted home cook, there’s someone who views the kitchen as a place to avoid at all costs. What food-related gift could you possibly bestow upon such a person? The answer is obvious, when you think about it: a cutting-edge gadget that will effectively do all their cooking for them, like Anova’s Precision Cooker Pro. It’ll introduce your recipient to the unbelievable ease of sous vide, heating, circulating and monitoring water to perfectly cook meat and vegetables with nothing more than a Wi-Fi connection required. You’ll be considered something of a saviour – or, rather, the precision cooker will.
Best gift to take to a Christmas party: Harrods Brut Premier Cru Champagne Non-Vintage (75cl)
Turning up to a party empty-handed is never a good idea. To ensure you don’t fall out of favour with the host before even stepping over their threshold, grab a bottle of the Harrods Brut Premier Cru Champagne, a sparkling, fruity symbol of thanks for the festive evening you’re about to enjoy. You’re sure to earn extra points for the Harrods logo stamped on the bottle, too – just make sure you’ve chilled it beforehand.
Best gift to send to someone: A Harrods Hamper
A busy schedule can be the enemy of Christmas gifting. Even with the best intentions, you might find yourself unable to squeeze in a trip to our Knightsbridge store to pick out a present, or the accompanying visit to your loved one to deliver it – that is, if they even live nearby. Luckily, all these concerns can be solved in one wicker-wrapped motion with a Harrods hamper. Not only will it make its recipient feel endlessly special, it’s also ready to be delivered to the doorstep of whomever you desire.
Luxury Gifts
From gifts beyond their wildest dreams to a new way of imagining what loved ones might like, your quest for the perfect present ends here.
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