Top 10: Christmas Foodie Stocking Fillers in 2016By Angelica Malin
Looking for the best Christmas foodie stocking fillers this year? Forget clementines and coal, the secret, my friends, is chocolate. Here’s our favourite stocking fillers for the foodie – we’re dreaming of a white, salted caramel-filled Christmas:
1. For Healthy Snacking: graze
What: The graze box (from £3.99)
The Lowdown: graze is a subscription based snack delivery service which will deliver X4 snack to your doorstep weekly or monthly. They deliver a range of healthy delights, and often change up the treats with special, limited edition items and seasonal specials.
Why: With over 200 different snack options, tailored to your preference, it’s a gift that keeps on giving, at home or at work. A perfect way to start healthier habits in January!
Buy: Subscribe your family and friends online here
2. For a Christmas Special: Baileys Christmas Fudge
What: Baileys Christmas Fudge by Lily Vanilli (price varies)
The Lowdown: Warm and sweet, the fudge perfectly embodies the spirit of Christmas finding it’s edge in a classic winter serve: The Baileys touch. Is there anything better in the world that the combination of Baileys and fudge? We think not. The perfect quirky stocking filler this Christmas.
Why: Lily Vanilli is one of London’s coolest bakers and has created a range of ‘Baileys hacks’ to try out throughout December. The fudge is her favourite and will be sold on Sundays to enjoy while strolling down Columbia Road Flower Market.
Buy: Lily Vanilli’s Bakery, 6 The Courtyard, Ezra St. London E2 7RH
3. For a Special Chocolate Box: Prestat
What: Prestat Chocolate Jewel Box (£12.00)
Why: The Natural History Museum Prestat Chocolate was designed exclusively for the Museum. The wrapping was designed with inspirations from a selection of items within the museum, and makes for a really lovely Christmas present.
4. For a Chocolate Cracker: Monty Bojangles
What: Monty Bojangles Milky Mischief Cracker (£6.00)
The Lowdown: Divinely milky and superbly chocolatey cocoa dusted truffles; you’ll like this if you enjoy a milkier, lighter truffle. Great for a self-indulgent treat, sharing with the family with a movie, a girlie night in or a little gift for someone special. We can’t get enough.
Why: The lighter, milkier truffle is the perfect stocking filler this season. Treat a special someone to a delicious taste adventure with these luxury truffles. Ideal for enjoying over the holidays, try these with an English Breakfast tea, you will not be disappointed!
Buy: Tesco or online here
5. For a Special Condiment: Tracklements
What: Christmas Spice Chutney (£5.45)
The Lowdown: A delicious chutney packed with festive spices, cranberries and Bramley apples – oozing Christmas smells. Tracklements Christmas Spice Chutney is beautifully presented in a parfait jar, perfect for gifting and jazzing up a simple spread.
Why: Tracklements – the condiment connoisseurs – have been making delectable artisan chutneys, relishes and jams for over 47 years and as the creators of the UK’s first Wholegrain mustard and Original Onion Marmalade, they’re experts in creating tantalizing spreads that packs a punch of flavour! The festive period is not complete without a chutney to dollop on Christmas dinner or liven up Boxing day cheeseboards and cold cut meats.
Buy: Online here
6. For a Popcorn Party: Joe and Seph
What: Joe & Seph’s Supersized Christmas Cracker (£15.99)
The Lowdown: A handmade supersized cracker with six taste tantalising packs of salted caramel and party hats. This Giant Christmas Cracker makes a great centrepiece for the Christmas table; it includes 6 amazing Salted Caramel, 6 splendid gold hats and 6 terrible Christmas jokes.
Why: A real cracker bang and way more fun than a normal sized cracker; great for any office or dinner party this festive season. We can’t get enough of their salted caramel popcorn, it’s just do damn moreish.
Buy: Lakeland, Selfridges, Firebox.com, QVC and online here
7. For a Tasting Set: Divine Set
What: Divine Chocolate Tasting Set (£5.50)
The Lowdown: This delicious new tasting set includes 12 cute little bars of Divine chocolate in six flavours from intense dark chocolate to light and fruity white chocolate and strawberries, so there’s something to suit every taste
Why: The tasting set is perfect for sharing with friends, giving as a gift or even hosting your own chocolate tasting – the box includes tasting notes and a flavour wheel too to help you become a chocolate expert, As well as being Fairtrade certified, Divine Chocolate is also co-owned by cocoa farmers in Ghana which means they share in the profits of the chocolate they help to create and get paid a higher price for the cocoa they grow.
Buy: Online here, Oxfam, BP forecourts
8. For a New Flavour: Butterkist Popcorn
What: Butterkist Choc Mallow (£1.49)
The Lowdown: We’re loving the brand new, indulgent chocolate marshmallow flavoured popcorn from Butterkist. The perfect stocking filler for a sweet treat; if you’re after a smooth chocolate and vanilla hit, then look no further.
Why: This recently launched flavour is also completely gluten free and suitable for vegetarians – a tasty snack to indulge in with friends. For something delicious, try the salted caramel flavour – this classic flavour was recently relaunched under the core brand. Nom.
Buy: Available at Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda
9. For Making Treats: Nutella Cookbook
What: The Nutella Cookbook (£9.99)
The Lowdown: From macaroons to cheesecakes, this seriously cute little book will arm you with brand new ways of using, cooking and enjoying Nutella. It contains thirty unique recipes, each one accompanied by a full page photograph.
Why: Have you ever tried Nutella spring rolls? Didn’t think so. For the less adventurous there are plenty of safer options, including Nutella cheesecake, caramel cream Nutella lollies, and banana and Nutella tartlets.
Buy: MAIDEN – 188 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6HU
10. For Poshcorn: Tyrrells Crisps
What: Bellini Cocktail Poshcorn (£1.59)
The Lowdown: Put the glamour into Christmas with this fun, frivolous and ever so slightly fizzy cocktail delight from the popconnoiseurs at Tyrrells. We’re pretty obsessed with this new flavour – it’s sweet, tangy and perfect with a glass of bubbly on Christmas day.
Why: Bellini Poshcorn is carefully popped in small batches at Tyrrells Court Farm using gold standard kernels. Only the best of the best, when it comes to Tyrells.
Buy: COOP, Ocado and independents nationwide
11. For a Festive Special: Duerr’s Marmalades
What: Cocofina Gift Pack (£19.99)
The Lowdown: This premium gift pack from coconut experts Cocofina contains their Great Taste Award winning Organic, Virgin, Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil, Organic Coconut Nectar and Organic Coconut Butter. The oil, a Great Taste Award winner from the Guild of Fine Food, has a pleasantly light texture, sweet aroma and a subtle, nutty taste. The nectar is produced by painstakingly concentrating the sap of the coconut blossom; with a low GI of 35, it is a much better alternative to refined sugars. The butter is great for spreading on toast, adding to curries and soups as a thickener – it has a silky smooth texture, creamy taste and a nutty aroma.
Why: All three products are much healthier alternatives and for coconut lovers or those that live healthy lifestyles, this pack is a must have in your cooking arsenal. Incredibly versatile, 100% natural and organic – all three products are vegan, vegetarian friendly and Soil Association approved.
Buy: All 60 Lakeland stores and via the Cocofina online store at www.cocofina.com
And something special for the day…
1. For Festive Cupcakes: Lola’s
What: Our favourite Lola’s have 3 ranges of cupcakes for the Christmas season – Ho, Ho, Ho, Winter Chocolate and Santa & Friends (from £1.60)
The Lowdown: These are just too delicious for words – Ho, Ho, Ho involves chocolate or vanilla cupcakes, finished with a selection of coloured buttercream and sugar paste decorations to make you feel all festive. The Santa & Friends box comes with delicious chocolate or vanilla cupcakes iced into Santa & Friends – choose from a pretzel and milk chocolate truffle Rudolph, a white chocolate truffle snowman or a Santa himself. The Winter Chocolate box features decadent chocolate cupcakes decorated with gold popping candy, hazelnut truffles and popcorn for festive flare.
Why: I mean, why not? Lola’s only uses the best quality ingredients for the most delicious cupcakes in town. And nothing says Merry Christmas like a box full of Santa cupcakes, right.
Buy: These can be bought online (in boxes of 6 for regs or 12 for tiny) or in store individually.
2. For Christmas Pudding: Heston from Waitrose
What: Heston from Waitrose Persian Spiced Christmas Pudding (£14)
The Lowdown: A Christmas Pudding from Waitrose isn’t going to be a standard Christmas Pudding! This Persian take on the festive staple elevates a classic to a new level, trading the traditional ingredients for apricots, pomegranate liqueur, pistachios, caramelised orange and Middle Eastern spices that bring a distinctive Christmas taste. If that wasn’t enough the centre is oozing with fragrant honey and rose butter – packing an eye-catching surprise.
Why: In addition to the ingredients, the pudding is also finished with shimmering copper glitter. Something that’s sure to draw the attention of even those that dismiss Christmas pudding as being too old fashioned or too heavy. This new take brings new life into a classic and will stand out on any dinner table. Pair that with the fact Heston’s previous Hidden Orange Christmas pudding has been a hugely popular sell-out, his latest take could prove to be a highly sought after foodie gift choice.
Buy: Available here
