Last week we introduced you to the best places to peruse if you’re looking for gifts for coffee, tea and chocolate lovers… But as the Christmas meal is approaching, let’s take a look at the top sites for foodies that will please even the pickiest palate…

Albert Matthews


Founded in 1935, Albert Matthews is a family butchers that sells fine quality meat from traditional and rare breeds. Based in Bury, Lancashire, they aim to source all their meat from within 100 miles of the shop from designated areas of outstanding natural beauty, which include the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the Forest of Bowland. As of 2012, they offer their meat to the nation through their online service. Their produce is also available in some of the most lauded food halls of the country, including Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Harrods.

The Fine Cheese Co.


This easy-to-use online store is run by one of Britain's most prestigious cheesemongers, Ann Marie Dyas, and is characterised by the high quality of its British and French artisan-made cheeses with a fun attitude towards fine food that carries over to its mail order service.

For the most part, the cheeses are very reasonably priced for some of the best you can get. The Desirable Cheese Selection acts as a good introduction to the range, with cheeses to suit all palates. Keep an eye on Hot off the Press: these are special offers that have appeared in newspaper articles. The range also includes a tempting selection of cocktail nibbles, olive oils, a small selection of wine, spices, sweet and savoury preserves, and chocolates. The slate cheese boards and pewter cheese knives make wonderful presents too.

Abel & Cole


Jaded with the tasteless flavour of your Asda bought fruit and veg? For a fraction of the budget added to your weekly shop Abel & Cole could be delivering weekly boxes of goodies right to your door. Love stamping your coffee card in Costa? Well Abel and Cole will go one better with a free box every fourth order and a free organic cookbook with your first delivery - now there's an incentive…

VIDEO RECIPES

Jamie Oliver's YouTube


Jamie Oliver’s youtube channel shares beautiful recipes, expert tutorials, fresh talent, wonderful food and funny videos every week plus loads of other favourite YouTubers dropping by to say hello.

From Loaded Lobster Rolls to Gluten Free Chocolate Profiteroles, this is a url to bookmark.

River Cottage YouTube


Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the River Cottage gang scour both land and sea in search of an alternative culinary lifestyle for YouTube using a delicious recipe of brand new, classic and live programming.

Wondering about how to make the perfect roast potatoes? Perhaps this year you’d like to challenge yourself with some Christmas Marron Glacé sweets? 

GIFTS
 
The Kitchen Gift Co.


The Kitchen Gift Co was founded by a bunch of seriously knowledgeable people, who have years working in the catering industry. The founders have used their empirical understanding of the kitchen to create an online haven for foodie friends and hobby cooks alike.

Here you can search by price range, recipient, and occasion - just perfect when you're not sure what gift to get your chef friend or your baker partner or your teenage sibling who's got a tin opener somewhere at the bottom of a kitchen drawer, and that's about it... Kudos also to the sleek, simple and to-the-point payment process.

Sous Chef


Sous Chef is the brainchild of husband and wife team, Nicola Lando and Nick Carter. Aimed at the adventurous home cook, it sells hard-to-find professional and international ingredients alongside specialist cookware, cookbooks and equipment.

Cook like a Michelin-starred chef with the specialist kitchen gadgets from Sous Chef, such as the Cameron mini smoker for a healthy way of cooking fish while infusing it with complex, smoky flavours, or the Hymalayan salt plate which retains exceedingly high and low temperatures, meaning that it can be used for both cooking and chilling food while imparting beautiful rock salt flavours. 

Bite to Savour


Bite to savour sources locally artisan products that are carefully selected by their tasting team and sends them to you through their subscriptions, so you can experience and discover new flavours and products throughout the year. Also they have a selection of artisan hampers for your foodie friends & family for Christmas.

Christmas boxes start at only £10, and you browse the site in the hunt for the perfect gift for your beloved foodie one. Additional tip: there’s an entire category for gifts under £25.

Updated December 2018