Are you in the festive spirit yet? Or, just, well…a bit stressed? This time of year can feel overwhelming, but who better to calm the panic of Christmas gift shopping than the Guardian’s cohort of expert columnists?
Want to know which M&S cardi fashion editor Jess Cartner-Morley has had her eye on that gives “very posh”? Or the chocolate bars chef and author Yotam Ottolenghi is obsessed with? Beauty expert Sali Hughes has got the gifts to make Gen Z’s squeal with excitement, while Gynelle Leon selects the perfect present for the person in your life who prefers gardening to a night out.
Our line up of Guardian writers also reveal what they are buying for their nearest and dearest, including the £6.40 Passion Fruit Preserve Grace Dent bulk buys for everyone she loves. And if you are thinking, “But what is Tim Dowling buying the cat this year?” Well, we’ve got that covered too.
Yotam Ottolenghi, chef and food writer
The thing about food gifts is that they’re really just an excuse to be a bit extra about the everyday business of eating and cooking. A candle that makes your entire house smell like a tomato plant? Excessive, sure. But that’s rather the point – Christmas gives us permission to be slightly ridiculous about the things and people we love.
Here are a few ideas for anyone who gets way too excited about what’s for dinner …
Professional-grade knives
We’ve been using Allday knives in our kitchens for years: Japanese blades from a fourth-generation forge in Sakai, paired with handles made from recycled packaging (including our own tahini lids and gochujang pots).
Micro-batch chocolate
Glasgow-based bean-to-bar chocolate made in batches of around 30kg. Once you try it, you’ll understand why we’re all obsessed.
Vittles online magazine subscription
Every food lover’s insider scoop. The kind of food and culture writing that makes you think differently about eating.
Ceramic water jug
Nanushka, my new favourite fashion brand, also makes beautiful ceramics. Their Bruton Street boutique is worth a visit if you’re in London.
After-dinner reading
This collection of essays from 20 writers around the world, edited by Zoe Adjonyoh, is about food’s link to identity, culture and community. One for the bedside table.
Tomato candle
Make your house smell like a fresh tomato plant. The scent is green and slightly vegetal – it lets me pretend I’m a successful house-plant dad when I’m very much not.
For more, read the best home gifts
Give a bike
The Bike Project collects unwanted bicycles, refurbishes them and gives them to refugees and people seeking asylum in Birmingham and London. You can gift someone a voucher to support their work.
Carbon steel and cast iron pans
Actual workhorses. They don’t scratch, the enamel doesn’t chip … They’ll outlast most of the things in my kitchen.
Earth-nourishing flour
Flour may not sound like the most exciting gift, but Wildfarmed works with farmers using regenerative practices that nourish the soil rather than depleting it.
Uno Show ‘Em No Mercy
Like the game we all love, but with special rules and new action cards. I know how I’ll be spending my Christmas.
Japanese bowls
These bowls from Softedge Studio have this lovely organic quality. They’re the kind of thing that makes even a simple salad look considered.
Foodies’ linen tea towel
Beautifully designed, 100% linen and you’ll use it every day for years. I love these food-focused prints.
Grace Dent, restaurant critic
I once did a Jimmy Carr comedy pilot with James Corden, Holly Valance and Richard Bacon. It was filmed near Christmas in a grand manor house bedecked in tinsel. I’d been called that week and begged to perform due to, they said, how hilarious, wise, charismatic and sparkling everyone thought I was. Especially Jimmy. “Jimmy loves you!” they said.
After the recording, I was put in a taxi with a bag of fancy Jo Malone candles and fragrances and a Christmas card from the crew. My heart thumped with pride – until I opened it breathlessly and read: “Thank you so much, Rochelle. You’re a star!”
I immediately twigged that I was a last-minute stand-in for Rochelle Humes from the Saturdays, but no one had thought to change the name on the gooodie bag. And that, my friends, is showbiz. Even at Christmas.
A 1kg wheel of cheese
The ultimate Christmas foodie gift. Dispatch a whole brie-style Baron Bigod of Suffolk cheese and let your friends behold its creamy, balm-like majesty.
Chocolate frogs
By my own admission I am as mad as a box of frogs – and over Christmas I’ll be reminding everyone of this by handing out delicious froggy Valrhona chocolates.
Passion fruit preserve
I fell in love with this stuff from McNeill’s at the Savoy hotel when it was delivered on an in-room breakfast tray. Now I buy in bulk for everyone I love.
Chinese heritage food hamper
Everything Poon’s makes is exemplary. I live on leftovers dripped with their addictive chilli vinegar. This is a beautifully designed box of their bestsellers. A must for cooks.
Alice in Wonderland Cheshire cat mug
I love Rory Dobner – his Cheshire cat range is so pleasingly mischievous. I bought the plates, then began giving the cups to all the craftiest, naughtiest, sleekest souls I knew.
Skims bodysuit
What says Xmas more than adding to Kim Kardashian’s billions? Still, ’tis the season of the extra mince pie and this shapewear is so good it’s essentially fraud.
Intensive soothing cream
Skeyndor skincare saved my wretched, inflamed skin a year ago. I use this SOS cream after heavy TV makeup to calm everything down.
Game-changing risotto maker
A rice cooker that makes risotto without the faff of endless stirring. Winter will feel a little shorter with this gorgeous thing part of your dinner routine.
Billionaires brownies
Gold leaf-festooned, oozing with caramel and dark chocolate ganache, posted to your friends’ letterboxes overnight.
Gold-plated earrings
I wear clip-ons while filming and love By Alona as they always have movie star pieces at moderate prices. These Noa ones are gorgeous.
Rage Consumes Me sweatshirt
You’ve been told not to get political at the Christmas dinner table. And you haven’t. You’re just wearing this jumper … looking serene and above all of it.
Oyster champagne bucket
I bought this elegant Edelweiss oyster champagne bucket for a friend, then kept it.
Meera Sodha, food writer
I always thought I preferred presents filled with potential over those you rip open and play with straight away. Previous gifts of this order include an afternoon spent carving a wooden spoon at London Green Wood, and some beautiful fabric, which my husband bought me with an accompanying visit to a tailor so I could make my own outfit.
Those were very nice, but last year I received a present that was life-expanding and immediately gratifying – in the form of the Nintendo Switch. Woah Nelly! I could almost feel the wind whooshing around my ears playing Mario Kart and the adrenaline pumping as I overtook my four-year-old daughter. What a thrill – and absolutely perfect to settle into when all the walks have been walked, the big meals eaten, there’s a nip in the air and snowflakes tumble their way down.
Clever ice-cream scoop
This uses heat-conducting fluid to help you scoop straight from the freezer. No more straining and grunting as you serve the guests.
Alcohol-free aperitif
Introduce Botivo Batch 33 – a fantastic, British, booze-free botanical – to the loved ones in your life.
Striped tea towel
You can have too many tote bags, but you can never have too many tea towels. Especially if they’re as soft and beautiful as those made by Madam Stoltz.
Toffee and date biscuits
This enormous tin of Fortnum’s Toffolossus biscuits will bring out childlike glee in any unsuspecting grownup.
Touch-sensitive piano keyboard
My eight-year-old told me she either wants to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child or get a keyboard this year.
Monthly flower subscription
Can you imagine anything more joyful than receiving a posy of flowers every month? Me neither. These are grown by Florence and James Kennedy on their farm in Cornwall.
Snowball candle holder
On theme and one of my favourite things in my kitchen. It casts a beautiful light and won’t obscure your view of people on the other side of the table.
1,000-piece cookbook jigsaw puzzle
For that friend who needs a reason to escape from the rest of the family at Christmas.
Garlic glass ornament
The question is: why wouldn’t you get someone a head of garlic decoration made of hand-blown glass for their Christmas tree?
An unusual pencil
Moon rock and ‘a curly pencil’ are on my five-year-old’s wishlist. I imagine the latter is this, but who knows …
Organic extra virgin olive oil
Could this be the most delicious olive oil in the world? It’s basically liquid gold.
Splatter enamel platter
I use platters for serving everything from crisps to curries, and this one is charming.
Shell salad tongs
Anything Roger Orfèvre designs for the kitchen is gift-worthy. These salad tongs come in a variety of colours, so you could colour match them to your giftee.
Sali Hughes, beauty columnist
I’m told that buying for me is difficult, but I’m more easily pleased than people imagine. A vintage Welsh blanket from eBay to add to my collection, a gift voucher, olive oil, a vintage magazine or a perfect mug (they have to be large, pottery not porcelain for heat retention, and white inside so I can properly gauge the colour of the tea) will all keep me very happy.
I’ve nonetheless received some brilliantly imaginative presents over the years. My husband once bought me the complete catalogues of the late Elizabeth Taylor’s belongings, which I treasure (and subsequently bought for my best friend). My girlfriends once adopted me a rescue goat, because I adore them. Recently, all my friends clubbed together to commission the ceramicist Alice Mara to make a miniature replica of my house, and it is now my most beloved item.
Neal’s Yard Beauty Sleep foaming bath
A recent discovery, now a hopeless addiction, this earthy, herbal, sudsing soak has that essential ‘ouchy’ relief upon contact. Top me up monthly.
For more, read the best self care gifts
La Pyae Apothecary eau de parfum
This gentle, woody, delicate but lasting scent is hard not to enjoy – and the free sample with every (returnable) purchase makes it a particularly low-risk gift.
Victoria Beckham dual mirror compact
When you want a beauty gift for someone whose skin type and goals you daren’t ask about, choose a beautiful mirror. This is the one I carry everywhere.
Hello Klean body washes EJ up to here
Anti-dryness body wash
Anti-KP body wash
These shower gels, one anti-dryness and one anti-KP (keratosis pilaris, or ‘chicken skin’ – clogged hair follicles), deliver while still looking fab under the tree.
Jones Road shower gel
Finally, a shower gel to match JR’s signature salted orange blossom shower scent.
Bio Sculpture x LA-Space nail polish duo
Two endlessly useful shades – a perfect blush pink nude and a chic near-black with a hint of red – in an excellent nail-friendly formula from the only nail brand I use.
Sugar + Spice Balm Dotcom duo
Glossier’s gen Z accessory of choice in limited edition festive peppermint bark and ginger snap flavours.
Mini ringlight for smartphones
How I light beauty content on the move. Gives scattered, flattering light without obscuring your lens.
Casa Marrazzo organic chopped tomatoes
This catering-size tin has enough delicious tomatoes for a huge vat of pasta sauce – and then makes a forever utensils holder. Just remember to open it the right way up.
Burleigh handmade mug
I’m very exacting about tea mugs. This Blue Calico design is my favourite – if it’s not in my hand, it’s in the dishwasher. Perfection.
I Am Verdant eau de parfum
I love many of Vyrao’s colourful fragrances, but this bright, happy, vegetal number is my favourite.
Salt & Stone natural deodorant
Long-lasting, effective, skin-softening and with a fragrance I’d buy at four times the price, this gender-neutral deodorant elevates the everyday to a luxury gift.
Chappell Roan Christmas bauble
I’ve bought this for a number of cool teenagers in my life.
For more, check out the best baubles and Christmas tree decorations
Kodak binoculars for kids
I bought these for a beloved child a few years ago and they were a big and enduring hit.
MyKitCo makeup brushes
If I could only use one brand of makeup brush for the rest of my life, I’d choose MyKitCo. Easy to use and honestly priced.
Chanel Rouge Allure lip colour in Pirate
There is never a bad time to receive a Chanel red lipstick. No beauty lover’s collection is complete without one. This formula occupies the flattering sweet spot between matt and gloss.
Perfumer H Rain Wood soap
My top choice for an exquisitely scented soap, no expense spared. It fills the bathroom with one of my all-time favourite smells.
Leatherology small travel case
My go-to for top-quality leather makeup bags and toiletries pouches, with personalisation options.
Rhode Glazing Milk
This gives sad, dehydrated skin an instant boost and works brilliantly mixed with foundation to make it sheer. The gen Zs in your life will be thrilled to receive it.
Cos ribbed silk socks
My all-time favourite socks. The colours (10 in all) are beautiful, they don’t fall down and feel heavenly against skin.
Kitsch volumising roller clips
Give the gift of bigger hair with fast, foolproof clips to bump up flat roots.
Filt string shopping bag
Cool, practical and more flexible than a canvas tote for carrying awkwardly shaped items.
Bodum x Moma coffee maker
This programmable machine looks like something contestants might have won on The Generation Game or Bullseye – pleasingly nostalgic.
Andrea Garland refillable lip balms
The Welsh designer sources stylish vintage pill, snuff and sewing boxes, and repurposes them as one-off refillable lip balm containers.
From £18, andreagarland.co.uk
Jo Malone orange & chocolate candle
A melting Terry’s Chocolate Orange in a beautiful vessel. What’s not to love?
Nars The Multiple
A beauty icon reformulated and somehow improved – how often can we say that? The perfect stick of colour in flattering, nuanced shades.
Hangover detox patches
Supplement skin patches are all the rage. These feel like they’re actually doing something to ease the post-party malaise.
Vieve Icon mascara
Mascara is an essential, but the art deco skyscraper-style gold fluting of Vieve’s elevates it to something gift-worthy. It’s a lovely glossy black mascara too.
Afon Elan Welsh blanket
I collect colourful vintage Welsh blankets, and the only new-made ones that blend in seamlessly with my nan’s originals are FelinFach’s.
Jess Cartner-Morley, fashion editor
Angelina Jolie once bought Brad Pitt a Californian waterfall for Christmas. Another time, she got him a 200-year-old olive tree for their estate in Provence as a Valentine’s gift. I guess she set the bar pretty high when she bought him Ernest Hemingway’s actual typewriter as a wedding gift. Anecdotally, this does not suggest that gift giving is a guarantee of a happy marriage, so maybe don’t sweat your beloved’s pressie too much. But I do love the treasure hunt of Christmas shopping, and a wrapping session with a good podcast or two. Here’s what I’ve got my sights on this year …
Crystal embellished cardigan
I’ve had my eye on this for a while. Glam, useful, and could pass for Very Posh Indeed.
Egg ear cuffs
I happen to know that the Guardian’s fashion editor Morwenna Ferrier has these on her wishlist. Chic, minimal ear cuffs are hard to find.
Marbled resin earrings
I’m a sucker for anything heart-shaped, and these earrings, which also come in gold, are a joy.
Chunky-knit waistcoat
A knit waistcoat is cosy, great for layering without sleeve bulk, and makes every outfit look modern. I love the colour and the buttons.
£35.99, mango.com
Corduroy glasses case
Nice versions of the things you handle all the time – glasses case, keyring, wallet – are life’s real luxury. This case is delightful.
Barn jacket
This season’s must-have is a barn jacket, and Barbour still does them best.
The prettiest knickers
Lovely knickers are a nice treaty gift for a friend. Dora Larsen underwear is my favourite because it comes in the most delicious colours.
Adidas Classics track top
Iconic. Everyone should have one.
Chanel compact mirror
Who wouldn’t be thrilled with a gift from Chanel? A regular mirror, and a magnifying one.
Personalised notecards
A set of notecards with your friend’s name and address on is a gift that says: you are a classy person. This simple wavy trim works for any kind of message.
Bow napkins
Unless you are certain they’ll love it, don’t give a home gift they need to rearrange their mantelpiece around. Napkins are a classy gift and can be tucked in a drawer.
Croissant Christmas tree bauble
I love a gift that can go from under the tree to on it. A personal bauble is sweet: maybe a croissant from Vondels for the friend you holidayed in France with?
Gisou honey-infused lip oil
Cult in-the-know lip oil that teens and grownups alike will love.
Lambswool hot water bottle cover
There’s nothing comforting about a ratty, old hot water bottle. Just because no one else sees it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be a nice thing.
Aries temple T-shirt
The most IYKYK T-shirt on planet fashion. Buy to impress the coolest person on your list.
Penguin clothbound classics
These beautiful hardbacks make a gorgeous gift for godchildren. Buy a classic for every Christmas and birthday and build them a little library.
Miraculous makeup
Pass on a beauty secret for Christmas. This little pop of Miracle Blur from Trinny London fills in lines to smooth skin under makeup.
Bella Freud dog jumper
Everyone deserves an iconic Bella Freud slogan knit, including your canine bestie.
Star ice cube tray
Perfect for a Baileys on ice.
Love heart colander
Again, I can’t resist a heart. This colander is a useful gift that will make the cook smile as they’re draining pasta.
Tarot card hair clip
For the gen Zer in your life, because they love anything a bit woo-woo and they love a claw clip. Hand-painted in biodegradable cellulose acetate.
Swimmer’s wet bag
Wild swimmers will love this elegant, functional bag. It keeps your wet cossie from getting everything else damp.
Ceramic reusable bottle
Mel, our stylist supremo, who is very up on hydration chic, recommends this. You can mix and match the lid and bottle colours, which is fun.
Pistachio panettone
I love panettone and I love pistachio, so this one is a win-win. And the pretty packaging is its own festive wrapping.
Fashion desk-approved hoops
No one knows their way around a gold hoop better than our very own Lauren Cochrane, who recommends these.
Gold Casio analogue watch
We all want to look at our phones less, right? V chic to wear a watch. I bought my son one of these and it looks so great on him.
Sundae cup
Deputy fashion editor Chloe reports that these metal coupes, filled with ice-cream – or whipped butter, for extra points – are at all the cool fashion parties right now.
Merino knit polo shirt
Knitted polo shirts are big news at Dior and Prada this season, but this budget-friendly version is pretty much perfect. I like the men’s one for women too.
Luxury bath salts
Ortigia Sicilia has the most heavenly packaging. A travel-sized envelope of delicious smelling bath salts is such a perfect little treat.
Tim Dowling, columnist
My wife once gave me a salad spinner for Christmas. When I looked a bit put out she said, “Is it the colour? Because they come in other colours.” In truth, I wasn’t the least disappointed. In fact I was thrilled, because she is normally good at buying presents, and I am not. So I wrung as much mileage out of her rare lapse as I could, obliging her to defend her odd choice in front of people for weeks afterwards. “He likes salad!” she would scream.
I have a poor track record. One year I gave her an oven glove, although in fairness I never intended for her to use it. It was more of a presentation oven glove, for display (it had a drawing on it of a little girl hugging her horse, and the horse was saying, “I hate everyone too”).
Choosing these presents has been painful for me, requiring me to revisit a lot of past failures. Not exclusively failures, though: as I write this, I am looking at that oven glove, proudly on display on a kitchen shelf, absolutely untouched.
Steel salad spinner
If you’re going to get someone a salad spinner for Christmas, don’t skimp.
Finisterre cardigan
My wife is against me wearing cardigans, but I don’t see what her opinion has to do with the spirit of giving. If one isn’t waiting for me under the tree, I’ll buy my own.
Bespoke book club subscription
The Willoughby book club tailors selections to the individual, based on their own preferences.
Guitar case
It’s hard to buy someone an instrument as a gift – they should probably choose it. But a decent case is always welcome. £, gear4music.com
Coffee subscription
Like a book club subscription, but for coffee. You get sent a new one to try every month.
Colourful water shoes
My wife, for reasons unclear, has started swimming in the sea in winter. She already has a dry robe, so these (which come in eight colours) are the second most important accessory.
Bird simulation cat toy
All the fun – for cats – of killing a bird, with none of the bloody aftermath. Five replacement birds included.
For more, read the best Christmas gifts for pets
Your hometown – on a jigsaw map
You never really know a place until you’ve completed a 1,000-piece jigsaw of it. These are customised for any UK postcode as a street or topographical map or an aerial photograph.
Folding saw
Until you’ve seen one, you’ll never know how important it is – how absolutely desirable it is – to own a saw that fits in your pocket.
Micro amp to use with headphones
A small brass banjo mute saved my marriage, and this could do the same for anyone who plays electric guitar. Plug in and play through headphones.
Marie Sharp’s pineapple hot sauce
Everyone in our family gets this in their stocking, every Christmas. We usually end up with enough to last us the year.
Metal detector for beginners
I don’t necessarily want to be the sort of husband who gets his wife a metal detector for Christmas, but that’s what she wants, so that’s what she’s getting.
Gynelle Leon, houseplants columnist
The best present I’ve ever received was a gold Clash de Cartier ring from my husband. I’d spotted it on a stylist during a shoot and had fallen in love, but I rarely splash out on anything so indulgent. When I unwrapped it, I was floored. I’ve worn it every day for the last five years. For me, that’s a hallmark of a great gift: something you’ll actually use that also feels like a luxury you wouldn’t buy for yourself.
Another of my most treasured gifts is a handmade quilt from a talented friend. Every time I use it, I think about them and the love and time stitched into every square. The worst gifts? Panic buys and projection presents; when someone buys you what they’d like instead.
That’s the magic of giving: it doesn’t have to cost much, but it should always be rooted in thoughtfulness.
Glass watering can
Part sculpture, part watering can, this will make an everyday household chore feel like a design moment.
Posh gardening hamper
A dream present for anyone who loves the garden more than a night out. A bit spendy but this is an investment – the beautiful Hori Hori tool will last for life.
Willow plant sensor starter pack
For the friend who somehow manages to kill cacti. This clever Bluetooth sensor sends watering reminders to keep plants alive and thriving.
Journal for kids
I love to journal, so I’m giving this to my seven-year-old son. It encourages gratitude, self-reflection and positivity in a fun, age-appropriate way, with plenty of space for doodling.
Hattie Stewart x Marc Jacobs scarf
Nothing screams winter like an oversized scarf. This MJ collab with London-based artist Hattie Stewart brings playful flower power to winter layering, bringing joy to even the dullest coat.
Oil body cleanser
Smells divine, looks gorgeous and leaves skin feeling incredible. It’s basically a spa day in a bottle, minus the robe. A proper act of self-care disguised as skincare.
3D cardboard flowers
Bright, joyful and impossible to kill. These sculptural paper flowers add instant colour and charm to any room, no watering required.
£
Ribbed flower-power socks
Fun graphic socks are the only kind worth giving as gifts. Soft, funny and floral – just like me on a good day.
Screen-free audio player
My family loves audiobooks, so this has been on my list for ages. Kids can listen to music, podcasts and bedtime stories, and you can even record your own.
Caribbean cookbook
Marie Mitchell is the winner of the Fortnum & Mason’s debut cookbook award and my kitchen hero. Her chicken curry recipe is a certified family favourite.
Botanical eau de parfum
A clean, earthy scent with notes of patchouli and cardamom. Maya Njie’s perfumes are based on botanical scents and smell like the kind of person who has their life together.
Vegetable-tanned leather keyring
Bag charms are en vogue, and these handmade leather tulips are a chic nod to your inner plant-lover. A small joy for your bag.
Stationery gift set
Impeccable stationery turns journalling into a creative ritual. Gifting a beautiful set lets someone know you want to help them achieve their goals in the next year.
Claire Ratinon, gardening columnist
I’m not the best gift giver; I’m not the best receiver, either. Nothing winds me up like a loved one wasting their money on buying me something random just for the sake of tradition. I know this must sound Grinch-ish, but it is possible to get me a gift I’ll love – if you subscribe to my belief that the best presents are an elevated version of something you’d likely buy anyway.
I especially love giving people gifts they can eat, particularly if it’s a super-fancy version of something they already have in their kitchen, such as an extra virgin olive oil so flavourful you’d only eat it slathered over really good bread and wouldn’t dream of cooking with it. So my gift list is imbued with the spirit of glorious utility. Extra nice versions of things you might already need.
Copper garden trowel
I was given this as a congratulations for completing my Royal Horticultural Society Level 2, and it remains the most fabulous tool I own – even if I spend more time admiring it than putting it to work.
Thermal wellies
This is my Muck Boot wellies’ fourth winter of daily wear, whether I’m walking the dog or working the land. Neoprene on the outside, fleece on the inside, they keep my toes dry and toasty.
Seeds for first-time growers
The best gardeners foist seeds and plants on friends and family. Real Seeds has an array and they come with instructions – perfect for first-time growers.
Black garlic pickle
I’m not usually one for savoury preserves, but I’ll try anything containing black garlic. Made in the Lake District by a family company, Hawkshead is a chutney juggernaut.
Slick backpack
I’m perpetually on the hunt for a daypack that’s sturdy, handsome and has multiple pockets without making me look like I’m off on a hike. I suspect this is the one.
Palestinian medjoul dates
I’ve tried many, many dates and none are as spectacular as Zaytoun’s, a social enterprise that sources produce from Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank.
Chef’s trousers
Designed for chefs, these trousers are well made, comfortable and look great. Plus, they can easily withstand a muddy day in the garden.
Geranium and tomato leaf hand cream
One of my favourite scents is tomato plants on my hands after pruning. This hand cream has distilled that aroma and paired it with the sweetness of geranium. Magical.
Handmade clay cup
Replace your loved one’s favourite cup with a handmade one from Common Clay. Handsome, well made, I drink out of mine five times a day.
Quality apple juice
I’m a pressed apple juice evangelist and Ringden Farm makes the most delicious, variety-specific apples juices with a range of flavour profiles.
A very handy guidebook
A compact but detailed guide to keeping your snips, knives and other tools in tip-top condition, ideal for any committed gardener or home cook.
Chocolate and hazelnut spread
I received this as a holiday souvenir and I eat it in tiny, cautious increments as it’s so yummy and so expensive. Perfection smeared on a summer strawberry.
Paper tablet
For those, like me, who work on multiple projects at once, have a noisy brain or difficulty finding focus, this paper tablet is a gamechanger. Mine’s indispensable.
Alice Vincent, gardening columnist
Good present-giving can make a Christmas as much as bad present-giving can emphasise a dud. A thoughtful surprise, wrapped beautifully. A really good pair of socks that improve whichever future day you decide to wear them. Indulgent comestibles you would never treat yourself to.
Bad gift-giving is worse than no gift at all: what am I to do with those ill-sized floral gardening gloves? The gifts that smack of the late-December panic buy, which then hang around guiltily like a bad smell. And for these, I offer possibly my greatest gift of all, snaffled from Marie Kondo: that a gift exists to be given. If you don’t like it, you’re well within your rights to pass it on. Ideally, with this list, they’ll be treasured for as long as possible.
Gardener’s pocket hand cream
Not an original gift but the best version of it, I feel, offering the lingering scent of the greenhouse in summer. Pleasingly gender neutral, too, without a whimsical illustration in sight.
Garden tool brush
There’s something ritualistic and satisfying about brushing down one’s tools after a gardening sesh. This can hang on a hook; I keep it inside the shed.
Seed-saving envelope set
For anyone whose seed box is a morass of reused envelopes and scraps of paper. Simple, handmade and with space to write in names, dates, origin, etc.
Pruning sleeves
A stocking-filler that’s guaranteed to last beyond the laughs they offer up on Christmas morning. One for the rose-pruning tree-hacker in your life.
Seasonal eating guide and calendar of fruit and vegetables
A friend who always gets presents right gave me this for my birthday and it’s wonderful: beautiful illustrations, a pertinent reminder of what to eat when.
An inspirational gardening book
A coffee-table tome showcasing the world’s best contemporary gardens. The perfect choice for anyone who wants a new garden, but doesn’t know where to start.
Lemon soap
I bought these as stocking-fillers for friends last year and I still love how, when I use their bathrooms, they smell like an Amalfi hillside. Sweet, whimsical, packaging-free.
Flower scissors
I’ve wrangled with various floristry scissors over the years but these rust less easily and come in bright colours, making them easier to spot. They are as fun as they are practical.
Sheepskin and wool baby slippers
I parent among a sea of gratefully received hand-me-downs, so bougie new things for small people are a treat. I’d love to wrap my Christmas baby up in these.
For more, check out the best gifts for newborns and babies
Mini guitar
My son has been making guitars from everything from Tupperware lids to paperbacks, so he deserves an upgrade.
Victorian style cloche
Top of my wishlist. Claverton claims it makes cloches to be passed down, and the Victorian styling will work in all but the most modernist gardens. Still pretty when everything else is under the ground.
Pie-crust terracotta planter
Planters are invariably lovely but, unlike these, often too small or without drainage. These work indoors or out, and have just the right level of ruffle.
Gardening boots
The ultimate gardening boot, with a snazzy red elastic to make you want to brush off the mud and take them out on the town.
Annalisa Barbieri, agony aunt
The best gifts I’ve received are when people have really got me. Perhaps not surprisingly they involve those very close to me. For example, the Mrs Piggle-Wiggle book my mum gave me for my 11th Christmas, which taught me so much about life and consequences. Then there was the storage trunk my dad got me because I’d mentioned I could do with one. And when my dad died, the most romantic present my husband ever gave me was clearing out my dad’s shed, which I couldn’t bear to go into because I’d sit there and talk to him while he made wine. A few years ago, my children gathered together quotes from my friends, and below-the-line comments from my column, and stuck them in a This is Your Life book.
When people say it’s the thought that counts, that’s true. But it’s the thought translated into deed that elevated these into something special.
Aromatherapy bath and shower oils
My husband buys me one of these sets every Christmas. Aromatherapy’s Deep Relax has never failed to send me into a deep sleep.
Sicilian citrus oil
This transports me back to my Italian home. Add it to cakes and bakes for a wonderful extra layer of deliciousness. A fabulous present for a cook.
Fitness tracker
I’ve had a Whoop for five years. It keeps your health and fitness stuff (sleep, exercise, heart rate, diet) in one place and tells you what habits help or harm.
Versatile Swiss knife
Ostensibly a tomato knife, this is a great bit of kitchen kit. I use it for jobs it should be too small for but it manages. Comes in lots of colours.
Stoneware breakfast bowl
I love handmade things and Peta Leith of Lumi makes my favourite mugs and bowls. I use them every morning for my porridge and coffee.
Roberts mini radio
My daughter says this is the best thing I’ve ever bought her. An excellent radio that comes in seven colours and you can use Bluetooth to play off your phone.
Rolling tote bag
Ugly, super useful, iconic – and invaluable for shopping, schlepping and chucking everything in and wheeling behind you-ing. An upgrade on the old lady’s shopping trolley.
Lip oil
I’ve tried so many lip oils and this is the best: instant glamour and it keeps lips moisturised. The colour – Nude Nectar – seems to suit everyone too.
Peanuts Snoopy mug
I loved Snoopy as a teen and am glad to see the merch coming back. The mugs are good quality, relatively inexpensive and a great shape.
Balance board
Did you know that one of the biggest indicators of falls as we get older is big-toe strength? The Mobo balance board works on foot strength. It cured a four-year achilles heel problem for me.
Scent of summer
A gorgeous perfume that you can – and I do – spray anywhere. Smells of grass and English summers.
Heart rate training monitor
I’ve found the Morpheus system really great for heart-rate specific cardio training based on your actual metrics. The customer care is extraordinary.
Hair and makeup
Sarah Cherry using Charlotte Tilbury; Jo Clayton using Vieve and Hair by Sam McKnight; Sophie Higginson using OUAI, Kama Ayurveda and Victoria Beckham beauty; Kellie Licorish using Pat McGrath Labs and Hair by Sam McKnight; Alice Theobald using Rhug Wild Beauty and Babyliss Pro.
Yotam wears Red knit, £495, studionicholson.com; white T-shirt, £40, riseandfall.co; jeans, £100, levi.com; mules, £195, grenson.com; marl socks, £15, percivalclo.com.
Grace wears Sequin dress, £370, cefinn.com; clip-on earrings, £120, byalona.com; heels, £199, kurtgeiger.com.
Meera wears Heels, £39, next.co.uk; gold-plated earrings, £125, dowerandhall.com; co-ord and necklace, her own.
Sali wears Whole outfit, her own.
Jess wears Midi dress, £399, lkbennett.com; court shoes, £38, next.co.uk; gold-plated earrings, £38, anthropologie.com; vermeil necklace, £198, dowerandhall.com.
Tim wears Striped rugby, from £155, ralphlauren.co.uk; checked shirt (worn underneath), £210, etonshirts.com; jeans, £xx, agolde.com; shoes, £475, grenson.com.
Gynelle wears Mini dress, £465, rixolondon.com; gold-plated earrings, £48, anthropologie.com; platform heels, £32, asos.com.
Claire wears Graphic jumper, £315, garbstore.co.uk; trousers, £625, margarethowell.co.uk; shoes, £295, grenson.com; gold-plated earrings, £49, maudella.co.uk.
Alice wears Printed dress, £1,600, alemais.com; necklace, £25, riverisland.com; gold-plated earrings, £42, maudella.co.uk; shoes, £170, reiss.com.
Annalisa wears Shoes, £59, charleskeith.co.uk; sphere necklace, £35, marksandspencer.com; jumpsuit and bracelets, her own.
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