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I am not a big fan of sales, but only when I have to rummage around a real shop. Online, it’s obviously a doddle in comparison, particularly when hunting for something with a specific theme. Here are some not very sensible suggestions for a foodie who doesn’t take it all too seriously from Getting Personal’s sale.

1. A Fire Bucket BBQ

Fire Bucket BBQ

 Of course this is not for a serious BBQ king or queen, but just for a fun, easy to carry around BBQ for impromptu gatherings, on the beach or otherwise. Although probably not in the current weather in the UK. One day, the sun will return. Reduced by 10% to £26.96

2. Kid’s Recipe File

Kid's own recipe file

The more involved kids are in the kitchen the more likely they are to like their food, even love their food, and be adventurous in their choices. Giving them a file to keep their own fave recipes in may help encourage a lifetime’s love of food, not to mention hoarding! Now half price at £4.98.

3. The Magical Self Baking Birthday Cake Tin

The self bake birthday cake

I love this, although it will take a bit of prep and work. Imagine if you give this to the foodie in your life? Not only do you get to watch their face as the cake pops out after they’ve poured in the raw ingredients, they also get a cake that you’ve baked just for them. That’s truly a gift. Now half price at £4.98.

So, none of these are going to win gourmet prizes anywhere, and are just a bit of fun, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be appreciated!

Panic! Someone made Christmas 25th December!

It’s a terrible thing. No one warned you that Christmas was coming, and this year it was going to be on December 25^th. How inconsiderate!

 So, you can face into it being a very cold and lonely Christmas sat out in the shed if you buy nothing at all. Or, worse, buy something really horrid and nasty in a panic. And really, there is no need. If you’ve got a corner shop or even garage shop, you could even bring them into play, but with a note of caution! We’ll be using them to supplement or complement a gift, rather than being the gift. Here’s some suggestions:

 1. This is a good time to either renew or set up suitable magazine subscriptions for them. Of course, there’s Olive and Delicious, and even Food & Travel, but you could stretch the reading matter a bit. Try a subscription to Cook Vegetarian, Taste Italia or Great British Food or go further afield and buy them a subscription to an overseas mag. I would think Donna Hay or Saveur would be good choices, or even Everyday Food, the latest from the Martha Stewart stable. You should be able to print out an e-card, or at least make your own, from most of the providers, and you might even be able to find the latest copy in your local corner shop so you could pop that in their stocking with the e-card.

 2. A lot of the gift experience companies will let you print out the details of the experience or e-vouchers when you’ve paid, and many of them have upgraded their gourmet offers. Try Red Letter Days, which has everything from sushi making to Indian cooking masterclasses, Borough Market gastro tours with Celia Brooks Brown to tea tasting and blending with Alex Probyn. If you want to go upscale, Buy A Gift offer an intensive masterclass with Jean Christophe Novelli himself, and includes a luxury night away. At the opposite end of things, £20 would bring 3 months of spices arriving through the post, which is interesting, and your corner shop might have some spices you could wrap up to go with the e-voucher. I’d go for something like whole nutmeg if you can get it, or cinnamon sticks, as they both look really festive.

 3. On a similar theme, you can always print out e-tickets for any kind of travel reservation. Where would you take a foodie? Well, really, you could go anywhere with the right research. Whitby, for the best fish and chips. Morocco, and perhaps get them taught how to make the perfect tagine. Or even Bruges to just take in mussels, beer and chocolate. Just Google your destination and best restaurant etc, and you’re bound to come up with a decent itinerary. I really like i-Escape for their edited choice of places, or there’s always Alastair Sawday. If anyone wants to book for me, I’d like a few nights at Riad Alkantara in Fes. Please.

 4. Use the power of modern technology and download stuff. Putting “cooking” into the search bar over at the iTunes store throws out a whole load of cooking videos and podcasts, with everything from Korean to vegan. More interested in the liquid stuff? There’s everything from wine tutorials through to cocktail shaking. Load it up, wrap it up and they can watch and learn something new.

 5. Try a gift voucher, or the virtual version, for a great foodie shop. FoodFullStop is one of my favourites, and you can order any value you like. You get a code emailed to you, and I guess you could get creative with a bit of imagery and the printer. There are great things they’ll be able to choose from, like goodies from the Inverawe Smokehouses or The Cheese Shed, at their own leisure, and then enjoy this gift all over again when the stuff arrives.

6. Bake. Not sure it matters what, but I would go for something easy and always welcome, like

When in doubt, bake brownies!

chocolate brownies. Doesn’t take long, and it’s hard to be mad at anyone bearing a plate of deliciously gooey chocolate brownies. The corner shop may even be able to yield up a suitable tea towel to wrap the plate up in, so that it feels like a present. Flapjack is another good one; just don’t try anything too complicated, particularly if you’re going to have to raid the corner shop for the ingredients. For instance, the average shop may not provide everything you need for the fabulous Dulce de Leche cake, and there may be a lot cursing whilst you attempt a genoise sponge late on Christmas Eve.

7. Try the corner shop but don’t buy anything that looks remotely festive. Wooden spoons, always useful (although perhaps avoid a rolling pin), and likely to be in stock. If they’ve got an extra virgin olive oil then go with that. Bottle of champagne, not original, but better than nothing (move away from the Lambrini though). I know my corner shop is not typical, but they stock Tiptree jam and a range of local pickles and chutney. If yours does anything similar, then good choices, likewise local honey.

  So, may these be a lucky seven for preventing Christmas out in the cold. If you need last minute wrapping paper and the festive stuff looks really naff, my best tip is go with brown paper and decorate it yourself (come on, you remember how to do potato printing) or buy up all the copies of the Financial Times in the shop and use those.

 And just as a head up, Christmas next year is on 25^th December. Put it in your diary now.

Great photos by nate steiner and dichohecho over on Flickr.

Can you eat & shop well on the motorway?

I’ve tried giving you the tastiest Christmas gifts for foodies that can be delivered to your door, right up to the last minute (and look out for tomorrow’s post for the really last minute versions). But what happens if you’re heading off on a long journey to somewhere remote, that hasn’t heard of dial up, let alone broadband, and you’ve remembered someone you’ve forgotten?

Well, supposing that you’ll have to tackle the motorway network, then what happens if you pull in and try the shop? Some of you might be lucky and find that Tebay is the nearest services, and perhaps their legendary farm shop might still be open, in which case you’re sorted for the foodie. But from everywhere else?

Well, I tried this this morning at Cambridge services on the M11. I would think I was in luck for most foodies, as there was an M&S Food. Of course, you could choose any of the Christmas specials, but you could also do things like tortilla chips and dips, preserves and pickles, tins of nuts, or a whole bag of clementines. I’d also be tempted to throw in the Ouidinot champagne (especially as there’s £5 off) and a bottle of port.

You might get even luckier if you pull into the services, and find one of the rare, but growing, number of Waitrose versions of these food havens. But what happens if there’s neither or they’re shut?

I wandered round the typical services shop, and was a little stuck. I might be tempted to buy the foot scrub in the foot shaped pack, although it may only be good for the sink. There wasn’t a proper book section, but a small selection of special offer cookbooks. If you could find something on local specialities you might be onto a little winner.

I did think you could do a whole nostalgic tastes bag (couldn’t find hampers, but eco friendly shopping bags). Salt & vinegar Monster Munch, Sherbet Fountain and maybe even a box of After Eights. You could probably find a suitably cheesy CD to really set it off (Best of the Nolans anyone?) although sadly no bottles of Snowball.

Sometimes the answer in these situations is generosity. Plunder the magazine racks, but don’t just buy one foodie magazine, buy a whole stack. Along with Olive, Delicious etc, there was more unusual stuff like Country Kitchen, Country Smallholding, Cake Craft & Decoration and Organic Garden & Home. There was ribbon that wouldn’t have looked bad, and my best tip if the wrapping paper isn’t great is buy the Financial Times. That salmon pink newsprint always looks classy.

The chocolate selection wasn’t inspiring, so I would have followed the same principle and just bought up every flavour of Green & Black chocolate. You can make pretty patterns with the colours, and the flavours are pretty good, with something for everyone. I’m very partial to the cherry and the almond, and you could do a fruit theme, all milk, all plain, or just go mad with the whole range.

I ignored the Slankets and strange electrical gadgets that only seem to come out at Christmas. I would go for a good flask, a water bottle, and a waterproof backed picnic blanket, as everyone can always use extra of any of those. And they speak of warm days ahead, which is always good.

And if you’re tempted to buy flowers, again be generous. The Christmas bouquets they had weren’t bad, but were mean. Buy three or four, and wrap them together. Again, you could employ the Financial Times trick, it’ll really upgrade those carnations.

So, I hope you turn up where ever you are going safely, after not too long on the road, and bearing gifts for everyone, and gifts that will ensure everyone is still talking by Christmas lunch. If in doubt, watch this to see the hazards of raiding the wrong part of the shop!

Fabulously atmospheric post of dining at motorway services by rightee on Flickr.

Perfect baubles for the foodie Christmas tree

Yes, we’re really at the last minute for good foodie Christmas gifts and presents, but there are still a few of my favourite shopping places taking last minute orders still. If you’ve just woken up to the fact it’s Christmas Day on Friday, here’s a few last minute places to head to. Lets face it, it’s this or heading for the High Street.

So, sitting comfortably? Here you go:

1. A Quarter Of is fabulous for nostalgic sweets and choccies, and is usually a big hit with everyone, young and old. They’re taking orders right up until the 23rd, so you can still be sure of sweet stuff on Christmas Day.

2. Montezuma’s will express deliver fabulous chocolate to you if order before 2pm on Tuesday 22nd. And why wouldn’t you? We bought The Piper hamper to see us through our need for great chocolate. Make sure to select Special Delivery at checkout otherwise the stuff won’t arrive until after Christmas.

3. Not On the High Street is one of my favourite online sources of fabulous gifts for pretty much everyone on my list. And you can still pick out great gifts and get them delivered in time if you pay for express delivery. I wrote about my faves earlier in the year for foodies, you still have time to get some of these.

4. Sometimes you can’t beat a classic.  Thorntons can still whip an Alpini round to your house in time for Christmas if you order by 4pm on the 23rd. Can’t beat a sugar mouse as a stocking filler either.

5. For great experiences, such as Indian cooking masterclasses, Buy A Gift are brilliant. And they will deliver for Christmas if you order by noon on the 23rd, and select “signed for next day guaranteed”. This gives you something to wrap up for the big day, but you can continue to download temporary vouchers right up to the moment you wander downstairs on Christmas Day.

So, five possible ways out of your Christmas present fixes, all from the comfort of your own chair. Happy shopping, but be quick about it.

Perfect foodie films for foodie nights in

Thought I’d offer up a bit of variety in the present choices for the foodie in your life, with some DVD choices of films that celebrate food. Some are old, some newer, all will have them working out how to recreate some of the dishes, and probably stomachs rumbling! Here’s a few to choose from:

1. Babette’s Feast - this is a legendary foodie film, and I’m slightly ashamed to say I’ve never seen it. Dr T has and often raves about it. Food gets used, probably as symbolism, to release people from their own repression, and there are serious amounts of seriously wonderful food. Definitely one to add to my list, it’s not a Christmas afternoon film but it is a serious foodie feast.

2. Eat Drink Man Woman – I love this film, and fabulous film for those who love Chinese food. Mammoth banquets each weekend, lovingly shot, and the storyline is pretty good too. Perfect film to order Chinese in for and watch this one. This is a poignant and funny film, definitely worth a watch.

3. Big Night - two brothers, one restaurant, a whole range of comedic possibilities. The food looks fabulous and it’s a great cast including Isabella Rossellini, Minnie Driver and Stanley Tucci. This one I would do on Christmas afternoon.

4. Chocolat- to be fair, this would be my top choice for Christmas afternoon. Lets face it, fabulous scenes of chocolate, Johnny Depp, great music and the beautiful scenery of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain in Burgundy. Again, truly fabulous cast, a real ensemble piece. I could watch this again and again.

5. Woman On Top – one for the guys perhaps, as this one has the beautiful Penelope Cruz in. A beautiful Brazilian chef seducing the city of San Francisco with fabulous spicy cuisine, not to mention her own gorgeousness.

6. Ratatouille- Pixar does food, and they did it really well. Mini Gourmet Girl loves this film, especially the scenes in the restaurant kitchen. Lets face it, you can’t let an 8 year old watch The F Word but this gives kids a great, if comic, sense of what goes on in a professional kitchen. And they’ll get plenty of laughs along the way!

This might give you some good choices for stocking fillers for your foodie, and some great evening’s entertainment for the dull long night’s of January!

Beetroot Relish from Jamie Oliver

You’ve been making a list, checking it twice, you’ve worked out what’s naughty and what’s nice. And now you’re having a sudden panic as you’ve counted up the presents and you’ve forgotten someone! If it’s a foodie gift you’ve forgotten, then never fear! Here’s some last minute suggestions you can still order in, so no need to brave the High Street just yet.

1. Jamie Oliver has some great stuff, without his face on it, that I think makes a great standby foodie present. There are good preserves and oils and, lets face it, you’re going to trust these more than some awful flavoured collection from the corner shop. A duo of beetroot relish and red onion pickle, wrapped in a funky teatowel, or a mixing bowl, would make a brilliant gift. Or I suppose I should have said a pukka present. Order by Thursday this week to guarantee pre Christmas delivery, and benefit from free delivery. Perfect!

2. Treat them to a different foodie day. All of the major experience companies offer very interesting days, and most still seem to be guaranteeing pre Christmas delivery. From Virgin, you could buy the Cupcake & Cocktails Experience, or learn some new dishes at the Novelli academy or spend a day cooking fish with Keith Burke. Not quite doing it for your foodie? Try Red Letter Days or Buy A Gift or check out the fantastic courses for real artisanal food at The School of Artisan Food, from patisserie through to wild yeast baking.

3. Heal’s have some great foodie gifts, and you’ve got through till midnight this Sunday to order from them. Truly a

Love it or loathe it, it's a great gift

present of love if you hate the stuff, but if your foodie loves the stuff, then they have a great Marmite gift. I’ve featured the pate gifts before, and you’ve got a choice of game, meat or fish, so something for everyone. There’s some cool stuff in their barware section, like the Beer Cooler Zinc Tub, ideal for the beer and party loving foodie. Looking forward to warmer days ahead, then I like the Metrokane Wine to Go Neoprene Carrier, perfect for picnics.

4. For the serious foodie with expensive tastes, then London Fine Foods is perfect hunting ground for great gifts. They have everything from Beluga Caviar to White Truffles, milk fed Pyrenne’s lamb and fabulous Jamon Iberico de Bellota. There are gift boxes on offer or, if the choice is too much, gift vouchers! The provenance and quality will make any foodie’s Christmas morning!

5. For your pick of great foodie presents, it’s also still not too late to order from Natoora. For most of the UK, orders can go through up until 22nd December, some parts of London are the 23rd. There are beautiful boxes of macaroons (watch this space, I say 2010 will be the year of the macaroon) and panettone, and if the choice is too much there are some great hampers already put together. Check out the Pure Indulgence and Great British Christmas versions.

That should keep the foodies very happy with their presents come Christmas morning, and should keep you happy by shopping from the comfort of your own chair!

Retro sweets for your sweeties

Last week got a bit healthy in places, so it’s back to the sweet stuff! I wish I didn’t have a sweet tooth, but I do. Generally it likes to be fed good quality chocolate, but just occasionally it will wander over the naff side. If you’ve got a sweet-toothed sweetie to buy for, here’s a few ideas for last minute shopping:

1. I’ve sent big boxes of nostalgic sweets from A Quarter Of to two very different groups of people, but to very similar rave reviews. Both a duo of teenagers and an office group fell upon a box filled with retro sweeties and made short work of the contents. With everything from cola bottles to fruit salads, cola cubes to sherbet fountains, there is something in here that was someone’s childhood favourite. The decade boxes are a different spin, and will induce nostalgia as well as a sugar high!

2. Whilst I am a little concerned at seeing the “Made in the EU” labelling on Green & Black’s chocolate, it is still good tasting chocolate. They make a great combo hamper: Beer & Bars. This could solve arguments, just share out the spoils in an appropriate way! These are nice looking hampers, particularly with St Peters Organic beers, which I think are very attractive looking, not to mention tasty!

3. For the true dark chocolate lover, buy them a selection pack they’ll really appreciate. Try one containing 4 of Willie’s Dark Chocolate Bars, and that should keep them in chocolate rapture through till New Year.

4. It takes a very strong will to resist a great cake, and it would probably make a great surprise on Christmas Day. If you want to stick with the chocolate theme, check out the Pralines Cakes by the Original Hat Box Cake Co or, for what looks like the ultimate indulgence in chocolate cake, then I would go for The Ultimate Christmas Cake from Montezuma’s. Chocolate enrobed, one Drambuie layer, one butterscotch layer, total chocolate heaven!

5. For sweets with crunch, then how about biscuits? Of course you can pop to M&S for a tin, but for something with more foodie credentials, then I could go for the Dark Chocolate & Pistachio Cantucci on offer at Jamie Oliver. If they were out of stock, then could possibly make do with the Dark Chocolate, Ginger & Chilli instead!

6. Never mind a bumper bar of Dairy Milk, I’d like a bag or slab from Melt. Dark, milk or white, there are some really unusual flavour combinations. The milk chocolate with gold and nutmeg both looks and sounds seasonal, and the dark chocolate with red berries and cocoa nibs also looks the part.

So, count the taste, not the calories this Christmas, and treat your sweetie to some good tastes!

Not what you were hoping for?

I am not sure how many shopping days there are left, all I know it’s kind of the moment when panic tends to set in! The crowds are building in whatever shop/car park you want to be in, what you want is sold out, and your brain is empty of ideas.

Lets face it, whoever thought of Internet shopping was a genius! Cup of tea, comfy chair, sorted! Here’s a quick round up of the funnies from this week:

1. Kitsch cake tin – could be all sorts I guess. Lakeland has trains to dinosaurs, and Splat has Erne the Duck. I would say a 3D duck was fairly kitsch!

2. Vintage tea bag squeezer – now, that is a fairly niche request! Can’t see one on there at the moment, but I would keep an eye on Era Vintage, good for these kinds of things. Or buy them a nice new one!

3. Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille – please Santa, let that be someone looking for me! I think you still have to pop by Selfridges or Harvey Nichols for that one, but boy is it worth it. But I could settle for replenishment of Black Orchid please. Not foodie necessarily, but fabulous food notes mean I feel it’s a worthwhile present for this foodie!

4. For the person who searched on the phrase “pour port Stilton” there is only one answer: step away from the Stilton! This is a waste of both port and Stilton. Do it again, and Santa will leave you coal.

5.  Toilet shaped mug – why, oh why, would you do this? Check out why bad gifts destroy the value of your cash.

6. What are Whittard doing for Valentine’s Day?Who knows? Right now, just one person outside of Whittard Head Office cares. That’s taking organisation too far, definitely not romantic!

7. What would Gene Hunt like? Spaghetti hoops I would think. I’ve got a t-shirt that tells me so!

8. What do you get the woman who has everything? Now, if I had the answer to that, I would probably be a very rich woman. But I had a try at what to buy those who say they don’t want anything. Don’t fall for that one, see my suggestions here.

Iwould say the panic is beginning to set in, there is definitely a rise in those looking for last minute ideas, but still waiting the hard-core onslaught. Expecting them about 9.23pm on 23rd December!

Gadgets are go this Christmas!

I am not sure why, but there aren’t so many foodie gift lists come out of the UK, most seem to come out of the US. It’s possibly down to the fact they use the word more, but then I’m not sure what the English (UK) alternative is, as gourmet, epicure and gourmand always feel a little bit more elitist, a bit more out of reach. Anyway, whatever the linguistic differences, the list on Health.com was great, and here are my UK alternatives to their Ultimate Foodie Gift Guide.

1. I loved the idea of the Apple Tree to Be, a great gift for a keen gardener or allotment keeper, a healthy eater, or just for that person you never have a clue what to buy them. For a British alternative, try the Miniature Apple by Trees Direct or a Bramley Apple Tree from Trees2MyDoor, which would be a great gift for a cook or home baker.

2.Whilst I can see that this scrapes into a healthy foodie gifts on the basis of the health benefits of garlic, really the Chef’n Garlic Zoom is just a great gizmo for the kitchen. Given that it’s just under £8 on Amazon, it would make a great stocking filler for anyone really, even for a serious cook, just for a laugh. I would probably make this my top foodie gadget for under £10 this Christmas.

3. Not sure if the health benefits of gingerbread are well documented, but missing parts Gingerbread Men may make you laugh, which is good for your health. Your gingerbread man could end up headless before you get to him, but at least you’ll know he’s “armless”. Sorry, bit early for panto, but cute gift for kids and homebakers. I love that these are called ABC Cookie Cutters, as in already been chewed!

4. Sadly, I can’t find a UK source for the Ebelskiver Filled-Pancake Pan, which is a real shame. These are apparently a real delicacy in their native Denmark, and they look delightful. Should you be passing a branchof Williams Sonoma anytime soon, they have a great one. The rest of us, well, we’ll have to campaign for Williams Sonoma to open up over here! We’ve got Anthropologie now, surely this should be the next import?

5. Perfect for coffee lovers with an eco-conscience, I Am Not a Paper Cup looks just like a proper take out cup, but can be used time and time again. Save the planet, still get good coffee. Perfect.

6. The Cook or Be Cooked Wii game is not available here in the UK. Buy a decent cookbook instead.

7. Growing your own herbs is brilliant and so worthwhile. There are all kinds of options for this, from pretty windowsill growing versions, through to the high tec approach of the Aero Garden. What seeds you add in is up to you.

8. The lunchskins are not available in the UK, but the principle of using less plastic at lunchtime is good. I love the bright coloured tiffin tin that John Lewis have, which would allow you to have several lovely courses at lunchtime without them getting mixed up.

9. The Breville Smart Oven looks like a perfect bachelor pad gadget, and lots of pre-settings mean it’s perfect for non-cooks and gadget geeks alike. Again, not available here yet, so maybe one to add to Santa’s list for next year.

10. I like the sound of The Pioneer Woman Cooks, a cookbook from self-proclaimed accidental country girl, Ree Drummond. Cook up Cowboy Calzones and Cheese Grits for a very, very different take on Christmas lunch.

11. This is something I could do with, as I always get the amount wrong so I would be grateful for a spaghetti measure. The Joseph Joseph one is funky looking and neat, and a good gift for under £10.

12. For seriously accurate cutting, dicing, slicing and julienning fruit and veg, then they need a good mandoline, and the De Buyer is the one recommended by Health.com. Four interchangeable blades give them the ability to even do waffle and crinkle cuts. Fancy!

13. I wish there was something like the EcoVine organic wine club membership but sadly not. The best bet in the UK is Vintage Roots, who specialise only in organic wine. Order them a bottle once a month.

14. Glow Gluten Free Cookies are not available here, but there are plenty of good gluten free goodies now on offer throughout the UK. M&S have a whole gluten-free hamper this Christmas, which would be great for those who don’t normally get such tasty treats. Or try Gower Cottage for gluten free brownies, chocolate loveliness without the gluten!

So, the term healthy has perhaps been applied a bit loosely, but I really like a lot of these ideas. Worth adding to your own Christmas wishlist, or help solve your gift buying problems for difficult foodies! Happy shopping!

Top of the foodies gadget wishlist - Kitchenaid mixer

A few days ago, I posted the question on Twitter as to what gadget the foodies were most hoping for Christmas. To be fair, it was a bit one sided on the results, without any need for a dance off, public vote or judges decision.

Yes, the runaway leader was a KitchenAid Mixer, absolutely hands down. And you can kind of understand it, as this is a fabulous mix of style and substance. Ten speeds, all metal construction, dough hook, whisk beaters, flat beater…is there anything you can’t make in this? I would certainly give one space on the counter top. It could go next to Dr T’s new pride and joy, the KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder. If you’ve got a coffee geek, it’s a good choice for a perfect grind.

In second place came a lot of different choices but all from Joseph Joseph, who I think are great at doing stuff that not only looks good but really does something useful around the kitchen. I’m a big fan of the Chop 2 Pot chopping boards, for the practicality as well as the funky colours. Buying one large and one small board will only set you back around £26 and they will earn their keep every day. For the pastry kings and queens, I’d also take a look at the Adjustable Thickness Rolling Pin, which would take the guesswork out of the pastry rolling.

Ice cream makers came up quite a few times as well. To me, there is never a wrong season for ice cream, and I can understand this gadget desire completely. We had a few debates, but it all seemed to come back to the Gaggia. The only problem seems to be that not many places are carrying it at the moment, with most seeming to suggest it’s out of stock. I think this is all connected to the recent difficulties the British Gaggia agent had, so they may be in very short supply this Christmas. The Magimix would seem to be very similar, and benefits from the inbuilt freezer, which is great for last minute decisions to make a batch! Or for something fun, instant and interactive, try the Ice Cream Ball.

The most unusual one though was a water circulator. Apparently this has nothing to do with fish keeping, which is the first thing that comes up on Google, but the water heater/thermometer needed for sous vide cookery. If you’ve got an aspiring Heston on your hands, I would try Culinary Innovations, who seem to have everything you would need on hand. Be warned, not a cheap gift option, but I’m sure they’re worth it! Funnily enough, neither John Lewis or Lakeland seem to stock the equipment!

And if in doubt, just replace all their wooden spoons! Should you be superstitious, or big on Japanese traditions, then don’t buy knives, as these represent the severing of relationships. Not the ideal message for Christmas time I would say!