Gift Ideas

Overview

This theme works well for any budding chefs or people who just love to cook, but let’s face it, we all love to eat so anyone could fit this theme nicely.

When it comes to food, the gift ideas are extensive. Here are a few to get you started:
- Dining/food and beverage: any restaurant works, but think about somewhere fancy or a place that has meaning (eg: the location of your first date). Consider upscale restaurants with tasting menus (which give you a sampling of the best a chef has to offer) or make your giftee a romantic dinner at home.
- Activities: cooking classes, movies/tv about chefs and cooking (eg: No Reservations, Julie and Julia), chili cook offs, berry picking, etc.
- Kitchen and garden items: knives, cutting board, barbecue, herbs, plants that grow edible foods, spices, spice rack…
You can keep the theme simple and just present gifts around food or you can incorporate other themes. Have a look at our list of gift ideas around dining, kitchen and food and beverage. If there is a specific idea you like, you can click on it to see potential other themes around that gift. For example, if your giftee loves to barbecue, consider our Pyromaniac theme.
Another option is to incorporate food into your gift in a creative way:
- Put together a playlist including music with food in the song title (eg: American Pie, Blueberry Hill, Orange Crush) or bands with food in their name (eg: Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cream, Meatloaf, Cake, Cranberries).
- Make your gift revolve around phrases that include food. For example:
  - Tell your giftee their present involves “food for thought”. Swing by the grocery store and “bring home the bacon”, eggs (“can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs”), some “forbidden fruit” and make your giftee brunch. Afterwards, have a “couch potato” afternoon with movies.
  - Some other phrases you can use: out to lunch, cool as a cucumber, big enchilada, butter you up, compare apples and oranges, cry over spilled milk, cut the mustard, two peas in a pod, put all your eggs in one basket, salt of the earth, take the cake, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, variety is the spice of life, greatest thing since sliced bread, gravy train, icing on the cake, go bananas, spill the beans, proof is in the pudding, in a pickle…
Present your gift as the 4 food groups. For example:
- Plan a fancy evening for your giftee: go out for a steak dinner (meat and alternatives) and gelato (dairy), then head to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert (fruit and vegetables). Afterwards, go for a pint of beer (which is made with barley – grains).
Stuck for ideas?
- There are many wonderful organizations that help feed the underprivileged. Considering donating at one of them on your giftee’s behalf or better yet, volunteer at one together.
- Donate some food to your local food bank. Check out our random acts of kindness gift idea for more information.

Wrapping

Try wrapping your gift with plain paper and applying pictures of food onto the gift, or draw them on yourself.
Photocopy pages from your giftee’s favourite cookbook and use those pages as wrapping paper.
If you ask the folks at your local bakery, they will quite often provide you with a cake box; just a different way to wrap your gift.
Tie a small food related item into the ribbon around the gift (eg: a small whisk).

Presentation

Start by letting your giftee know that the theme was inspired by their love of great food.
Use quotes or phrases that relate to your theme when you present the gifts or in your card. For example:
- You are the ‘apple’ of my eye. Happy anniversary!
- Orange ya’ glad it’s your birthday?
- Go ‘bananas’ on your birthday!
- I know you have a lot on your ‘plate’ lately. Hope this helps improve your day.
- This birthday have your cake and eat it too.