Best birthday gifts
Looking for birthday gift ideas? We've rounded up the best foodie birthday gifts for 2022, from lavish hampers and personalised gins to letterbox brownies
Looking for a special birthday gift for friends or family? We've picked out the best gift ideas to make sure it's a birthday to remember, from sweet and savoury hampers, to gin subscriptions and personalised cakes.
For recipe inspiration, see our best-ever birthday cake ideas with recipes, including red velvet cake, vegan chocolate cake and more. See more amazing gifts with our best baking gifts, best coffee gifts and the best Mother's Day gifts.
Best birthday gifts
Personalised gin, from £33, Craft Gin Club
My Craft Gin allows you to create a gin that's truly personal to whoever you are gifting. Simply give your gin a name and tagline, then choose a total of five botanicals from a range of spices, florals, herbs, fruits, teas or cocoa. If you want to make the gift extra-special, you can add gold or silver flakes, or have the bottle gift-wrapped for that special someone.
If you don't want to risk choosing the wrong combination, you can also give a gift certificate and let them design their own gin.
Tony’s Chocolonely personalised bars, £6, Tony’s Chocolonely
A personalised bar of Tony's Chocolonely makes a fail-safe gift for fans of the creamy, Willy Wonka-style chocolate. Select their favourite flavour – milk caramel sea salt, milk almond honey nougat or dark almond sea salt – and upload a photo or text onto the template. The wrapper will then be printed and the chocolate shipped to an address of your choice.
Not only is Tony's Chocolonely chocolate totally moreish but every purchase supports its mission to make all chocolate 100% slave-free.
Sooshi sushi maker, £27.99, Prezzybox
Your friends can now prepare sushi rolls from the comfort of their own home with this nifty sushi maker, brilliant for a weekend activity or impressing guests at their next dinner party.
Set of two pink spiral stem wine glasses, £35, Trouva
Now your friends can drink their favourite wine in style with these pretty spiral coupe glasses. They’ll look lovely on any table and can even double up as bowls for ice cream. Pair with a complementary bottle of fruity rosé for an extra celebratory feel.
Craft Gin subscription, from £160, Craft Gin Club
Birthday presents will keep coming all year long with Craft Gin's gin membership. Choose from monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly subscriptions, and your gin-loving recipient will receive a Gin of the Month box straight to their door. The box includes treats, such as bottles of gin from craft distillers, complementary mixers, ingredients to make a signature cocktail, sweet and savoury treats and Ginned magazine.
Prices for gift memberships are £160 for four boxes, £240 for six boxes and £440 for 12 boxes.
Make your own popcorn kit, £24.99, Prezzybox
We all know that one friend who’s obsessed with popcorn. With this kit, they can create 720g of the stuff in their own home, perfect for parties, special occasions or date nights. Flavours include salted popcorn, double chocolate, toffee apple and cinnamon, and orange chocolate.
Luau pink glass punch bowl and ladle set, £34.50, Oliver Bonas
Cocktail connoisseurs are guaranteed to like this pretty punch bowl set with a gold foil rim. It can even be used on the day you gift it if they’re throwing a party. We suggest filling it with summery tipples, such as iced tea sangria or Jamaican rum punch.
Brownie variety box, £23.50, Cakehead
Cakehead’s brownie delivery service makes a fitting birthday treat for a loved one, with gorgeous flavours including double chocolate, praline and chocolate caramel.
Gluggle jug, £27, Oliver Bonas
Shaped in a traditional koi fish style, this stylish engraved jug makes a pretty and practical addition to anyone’s crockery collection – brilliant for cocktails, lemonade or as a vase for flowers.
Personalised pink sprinkle cake, from £26, Baked by Steph
No time to bake a cake? Baked by Steph’s range of Instagram-able pink sprinkle cakes is sure to charm friends and family, with the option to personalise with a hand-piped message of your choice. Choose from three classic flavours: vanilla, vanilla and raspberry, and chocolate.
12 macarons gift box, £30.50, Ladurée
If cake isn’t really their thing, a box of gourmet macarons makes a sophisticated (and delicious) gift – choose from a range of elegant flavours, from rose cardamom to orange blossom and raspberry ginger.
The build-a-box subscription, from £25 per month, Hotel Chocolat
Treat a chocolate lover to Hotel Chocolat's subscription service. You can pick from a range of formats and curate your own box, whether you want to fill it with chocolate, macarons, batons, biscuits or even tipples.
Floral sugar pot, £12, Anthropologie
This pretty, floral-print sugar pot makes a cheap and cheerful gift, and will look right a home in any keen cook’s kitchen.
Chocolate prosecco and strawberries, £14.99, Prezzybox
An edible prosecco-themed treat without the hangover. Gift your favourite prosecco lover these charming handmade chocolates, made from 100% Belgian chocolate.
Letterbox flowers, from £19.99, Flowerfix
Make someone’s birthday special with freshly picked, seasonal flowers posted direct to their door. Once in a vase, they’ll look picture-perfect on the kitchen table when the sun is out.
The Love Potion gin maker's kit, £32.99, Prezzybox
A brilliant gift for a gin enthusiast, this kit comes with everything they'll need to make one classic and one spicy gin from scratch, including hand-picked botanicals, an Italian glass bottle, funnel and more.
Carmella cake stand, £25, Anthropologie
Keen bakers will love this hand-crafted glass cake stand, with two colours available. You could even present it with a stack of homemade brownies for an extra birthday treat.
Ceramic bud vase, £7.99, Etsy
One of these ceramic ombre vases will add a splash of colour to your friend’s mantelpiece or tablescape. Elevate your gift with a pick of colourful dried flowers.
Build your own chocolate gift bag, £38.50, Chococo
The recipient of Chococo’s gift bag will become a fan of this Dorset-based chocolatier in no time, with chocolaty delights such as crystallised ginger dark chocolate slabs, Dorset sea salt caramels and fruit and nut milk chocolate clusters. It’s great value for money, too.
Luxe selection box, £32, Harry Specters
Treat a chocolate lover to Harry Specters' visually pleasing handmade chocolates, with memorable and enticing flavour combinations including fresh mint with lime, rose and cardamom, and passion fruit and lemongrass.
Neon dip-dyed dining candles, £24.95, Trouva
A boxed set of dip-dyed neon candles will bring lots of colour to any table or candlelit dinner party.
Set of four large lemon twig plates, £72, Trouva
This playful set of lemon twig printed plates will add a touch of Mediterranean flair to anyone’s kitchen space. Crafted from stoneware, they’re glazed in off-white with a lemon and leaf pattern in a palette of light blue, dark blue, green and burnt orange.
Sarah Campbell cutting board, £36, Anthropologie
A colourful alternative to a classic wooden board, we love the bright feel of this cutting board, and friends and family will no doubt love it, too. It’s also ideal for using as a cheeseboard for summery dinner parties.
Birthday hampers
Espresso martini letter box hamper, £32.95, Not on the High Street
Espresso martini lovers will indulge in in this charming letterbox hamper, with a premixed espresso martini cocktail pouch and complementary snacks, such as chocolate-covered coffee beans, smoked almonds and caramelised cashew nuts.
Happy birthday gift box, £55, Liberty
Hand-picked from the Liberty Food Hall, this birthday-themed gift box boasts a handful of top-quality goodies, such as birthday cake flavoured white chocolate, Cartwright & Butler chocolate loaf cake and smooth marc de champagne truffles, complete with a Liberty floral print birthday postcard inside an iconic purple box.
The Get Together hamper, £175, Harrods
Specially tailored for nibbling and snacking, the whole family can tuck into this luxury hamper full of goodies, from truffle-flavoured crisps, to peppermint fondants and almond caramels.
The cheese and beer gift hamper, £65, Cartwright & Butler
Beer buffs will no doubt relish this balanced beer and cheese hamper, with complementary goodies including savoury biscuits, cheese and mints. The stylish yellow tin is also a great keepsake to use all year round. Alternatively, try the chocolate and cheese hamper.
Artisan Vietnamese coffee experience gift box, £25.99, Etsy
Recreate an authentic Vietnamese coffee experience at home with this DIY gift box. Find all you’ll need to make this traditional brew, where an intense dark coffee flavour is mixed with sweet condensed milk on top of ice to make the perfect thirst-quenching tipple.
The whisky gift hamper, £95, Cartwright & Butler
Add to a whisky lover’s collection with this bottle of finest Dalmeny Centenary scotch whisky paired with a handful of sweet and savoury treats (think caramelised onion chutney, beetroot flatbreads and malt whisky butter fudge), all inside a reusable wooden crate.
Cocktail lover hat box, £40, Harvey Nichols
Perfect for cocktail aficionados with a sweet tooth, this box includes premixed drinks and and sweets – an espresso martini cocktail, espresso martini boiled sweets, a no-fuss negroni and tangy negroni spritz balls. There’s also a silicone ice mould for ice-cold refreshers.
The birthday hamper, £100, Fortnum & Mason
Spoil someone special with Fortnum’s ultimate birthday hamper, teeming with cake, chocolate and biscuits inside its signature wicker basket. Highlights include a musical birthday biscuit tin and boozy Fortnum's birthday fruit cake. Birthday breakfast is sorted with strawberry and gooseberry conserve on toast and a cup of malty royal blend tea.
Rascal coffee hamper, £52, Not on the High Street
Inside this trendy coffee crate, you’ll find a 250g bag of coffee of your choice, paired with a bar of Tony’s Chocolonely and an AeroPress Go, a nifty gadget for brewing quality coffee on the go.
Truffle lover gift box, £85, Selfridges
Treat the truffle lover in your life to Selfridges’ luxury hamper full of nutty and earthy treats, with truffle-laced crisps, nuts, infused salt, honey and tagliatelle all at their disposal.
Bestsellers gourmet hamper, £55, Joe & Seph’s
Treat friends or family to Joe & Seph’s best-selling popcorn hamper, including its indulgent jar of salted caramel sauce (best spread thickly over toast) or our favourite, milk chocolate encrusted popcorn bites.
Little Box of Cheese Treats, £40, Paxton & Whitfield
Paxton & Whitfield’s mid-range hamper is tailor-made for those who crave savoury over sweet, with a balanced cheeseboard selection (expect stilton, cheddar and a soft cheese), paired with vintage port and apple and chilli jelly.
John Lewis & Partners Perfect Pantry Bag, £50, John Lewis
Stock up your storecupboard with this hamper bursting with sweet and savoury goodies, with elderflower cordial, cheddar cheese, balsamic oil, red pepper chutney and much more.
Afternoon tea hamper, £22.99, Prezzybox
Say happy birthday with this great-value afternoon tea hamper, which includes fruity cakes, shortbreads, cakes, biscuits, jams and tea.
Metropolitan gourmet selection gift hamper, £54.95, Prezzybox
Support and discover artisan and independent businesses with this gourmet hamper packed with goodies. Inside is red wine, cookies, fudge, biscuits, truffles, tea bags, popcorn, pickles and sourdough bites – perfect for picnics or afternoon tea.
Edinburgh Preserves The Forest Hamper, £30, John Lewis & Partners
This nifty gift box is filled with a range of sweet and savoury preserves and snacks, from red pepper and garlic chutney, to peach jam with prosecco, and honey and oat cookies.
Large chocolate hamper, £42.50, Hotel Chocolat
Hotel Chocolat’s large chocolate hamper makes a reliable gift for any chocolate lover, featuring best-selling recipes such as its milk and cookie chocolate slab, salted caramel chocolate puddles, cocoa tea bags and hot chocolate sachets.
Beer and Nibbles Adventure Basket, £60, John Lewis & Partners
Beer aficionados can discover a range of exciting beers – from pale ales and bitters, to gluten-free beers – while enjoying olives, crisps and nuts, all of which arrive in a wire basket. Perfect for picnics and trips out.
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