Best Stocking Stuffers For Food Lovers

Good things come in small packages. Things like those little cups of garlic and herb dip that come with your Friday night pizza delivery. Or Danny DeVito. And while we could sit here and argue over the merits of Death to Smoochy all day, one thing I’m sure that everyone can agree on is that the greatest small packages of all are those that you pull out of your stocking on Christmas morning.

A Terry’s Chocolate Orange tastes ten times better after it’s spent a night marinating in an oversized sock and chocolate coins take on a similarly ambrosial quality once they’ve received Santa’s magic touch. You can obviously never go wrong with a bit of breakfast chocolate, but if you’re really looking to push the boat out this year with some of the best stocking stuffers for food lovers – the gifts that gourmands will go gaga for before their first glass of Buck’s Fizz – you’ve come to the right place.

All of these kitchen gadgets, knick-knacks, and edible goodies are perfect for the people out there who’d get excited at receiving a lump of coal because it means they’d finally have an excuse to fire up the barbie. In short: just our kind of people. From nifty bags of espresso to the best anchovy fillets around town, here are the best stocking stuffers for food lovers.

Give the gift of garlic breath this Christmas with a tub of sweet and treacly peeled black garlic. These obsidian cloves might look a bit goth but their flavour will brighten up a variety of dishes from simple traybakes to pastas. It’s a flavour superbomb, so use it wisely.

You know what’s better than Belgian fairtrade milk chocolate? Belgian fairtrade milk chocolate with chunks of spicy gingerbread. This banging chocolate bar comes from the ethical chocolatiers at Tony’s Chocolonely and delivers all the festive flavours you’d want and expect (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) without knocking you over the head.

PRICE: £3.98

With your nieces and nephews howling about PAW Patrol and your uncle revealing his dubious political allegiances over a glass of mulled wine, keeping caffeinated is one of the few methods of maintaining your sanity in the festive season. This nifty espresso blend from British family-run roastery Apostle is a sustainably-minded brew that’ll prepare you for the long day ahead.

PRICE: £6.99

Ortiz anchovy fillets are the Cadillac of anchovy fillets: the cream of the crop, the best of the bunch, the anchovy fillets of your dreams, baby. Whether you’re eating them on their own, pairing them with crusty bread, or smooshing them into a tasty puttanesca sauce, these ‘chovies won’t disappoint.

PRICE: £4.40

Your gut is likely going to take a bit of a beating this Christmas, so why not show it some love with a tub of Eaten Alive’s gut culture-friendly kimchi? Packed with hand-cut Chinese leaf, plenty of spice, and that familiarly addictive kimchi funk, the only real downside to this product is it’s far too easy to go through an entire jar in one sitting.

PRICE: £6.95

Forget everything you think you know about peanut butter. Throw all those sweet and cloying pre-conceptions out of the window and embrace the suave sophistication of Manilife’s smooth deep roast peanut butter. It’s a spread with real character and Tom Selleck levels of magnetism – a product that will change your PB+J game for good.

PRICE: £3.75

We’re always keen to point you towards condiments that will change the way you cook and this fiery salsa macha from the folks at Taco Padre is the total package. Spoon it (tenderly) over any meal that needs a bit more heat and you’ll find your tastebuds quickly tingling in excitement. Essential for anyone who fancies themselves a taco connoisseur.

PRICE: £7

The festive season is all about having a bit of fun, and what could be more fun than watching your family members unwittingly chow down on a handful of spicy crickets? The best thing about these edible grubs is that they also taste really, really good. They’re the sort of crisps that you’d be eating all the time if you were in The Lion King and that, considering their sustainability, you should be eating all the time anyway.

PRICE: £2.19

Sure, it’s on the expensive side of things for a stocking filler but this OXO Meat Thermometer is worth every penny. Just think – you can save your entire family from dealing with yet another year of overcooked turkey breast by providing this gadget to whoever’s in charge of roasting the bird. That kind of gift? It’s priceless.

PRICE: £25

It’s never too late in the year to add some spice to your life. More satisfying and rewarding than a festive fling, S&B’s iconic shichimi togarashi spice mix is like a flavour cheat code – a seasoning you can add to turn any bang average meal into a world beater. Plus, it’s super affordable.

PRICE: £2.95

We’re peanut butter and jelly sandwich fiends over here at MOB Kitchen but even we can admit that this sweet and silky date butter from D8 Made is capable of giving all of our favourite spreads a run for their money. Made from Californian medjool dates and just a smidge of Himalayan pink salt, this rich spread is excellent plastered on toast or thrown into a range of sweet and savoury dishes.

PRICE: £8.99

Old Bay might be a store cupboard staple for most Americans out there but us Brits have yet to fully embrace this spicy, smoky seasoning. Old Bay goes great with all sorts of seafood and shellfish but – honestly – the sky’s the limit when it comes to this versatile spice mix. Hell, you can even throw it on your Brussels sprouts.

PRICE: £6.99

Kold Sauce’s bright and vibrant pepper sauce is naturally fermented, brewed in London, and absolutely bangin’. Unlike a lot of commercial hot sauces, this punchy little number is uncooked, meaning that each bottle of Kold must be kept in the fridge to prolong its life for as long as possible. Serve it Kold if you like it hot this Christmas.

PRICE: £6.99

It’s not Christmas without chocolate and this decadent box of chocs is a step up from any supermarket bars or celebratory boxes. Chopped, roasted pecan nuts and pistachios are folded in a sweet and sticky pecan praline mix before being enrobed in 85% dark chocolate (from the Côte d'lvoire) to make each of these six handmade balls. Trust us, Mob – these will not last long.

PRICE: £12

Carrying round a bag that resembles Santa’s sack isn’t going to get you a Hinge date any time soon but this tote bag from Bodega Rita’s – a global deli, wine shop and, er, bodega – will catch the eye of anyone who knows their onions. Or shallots. Or chives. Or calçots. You get the picture. Each organic heavy weight cotton totes (which comes in either cream/orange or blue/orange) is screen-printed with Bodega Rita's 'Deli' print and makes the perfect stocking stuffers for a food lover that wants to show the world they’ve got excellent taste.

PRICE: £15