Last-minute foodie Christmas gifts

I just wanted to cram in some foodie Christmas gift recommendations before it’s too late, as i’m sure i’m not the only person who’s still got a spot of Christmas shopping to get finished…

Gin crackers – Drinks By The Dram

Bored of the same-old corny jokes, plastic ‘gifts’ and paper crowns that immediately tear when you put them on? Well we’ll be enjoying a box of gin-filled crackers at our house this year – well the grown ups will before you call social services. At £39.95 for a box of six, the crackers contain individual drams of ‘spectacular juniper-based-libations’ like award-winning Professor Cornelius Ampleforth Bathtub Gin, St. George Terroir and 1897 Quinine Gin. Needless to say i’m VERY excited about this prospect.

Drinks by the Dram’s 2015 Christmas Cracker range will be widely available at retailers including Harvey Nichols and online at Amazon and Master of Malt (shipping mid December).

Union Coffee Coffee Club

I’ve written about Union Coffee before when I visited their HQ  to brush on my barista skills a few years ago. They’re a small and passionate company who take their coffee beans very seriously indeed. So if you’re looking for a gift idea for someone who loves their coffee you should definitely treat them to a subscription to Union’s Coffee Club. The subscription comes in two formats: Standard – £14.95 per delivery for two 200g packs of speciality coffee or Premium – £20.95 per delivery for two 200g packs of fine and rare coffee. There are over 30 coffees to choose from, with a variety of blends, single origin coffees and exciting microlot coffees from all over the world.

Or if you’re looking for a one-off treat check out their bargainous £5 Discovery Pack, which is perfect for testing your senses and picking out your favourite flavours. We had great fun when we gave this pack a whirl. It includes four coffees that typify the four flavour categories: Chocolate and Caramel, Floral and Citrus, Fruit, and Nuts and Spice, and an instruction booklet to guide you through the tasting or ‘cupping’ process.  Should you decide to sign up to Union’s Coffee Club you can redeem the cost of the Discovery Pack off your first order.

Grow your own mushrooms kit – Pret a Pousser

This is a bit of a quirky one, but one that totally appealed to me . The box arrives, you mist the kit with tap water once a day and then you’re blessed with two good crops of mushrooms in just 10 days. We’ve got yellow oyster mushrooms which i’m really looking forward to cooking with over the holidays to make a nice creamy pasta dish, and perhaps some canapés. There’s no way the boys will eat them, BUT i’m saving the growing bit for them to keep them happy over the holidays! And you never know, they might be curious to try what they’ve grown. If you share a picture on the Prêt à Pousser Facebook page once your mushrooms have grown they’ll donate a sample to a primary school of your choice – which is a nice touch.

There are three kinds of Go Grow Mushrooms, the Grey Oyster (£14.90), Yellow Oyster (£19.90), and Pink Oyster (£19.90), each with its own distinct and delicious flavour. www.pretapousser.co.uk

Disclosure: I have not been paid to promote any of these products, but have been sent complimentary samples for the purposes of this blog post. All opinions are genuine and my own.