9 Sustainable Gift Ideas for Foodies
Looking for thoughtful and sustainable gifts for foodies in your life? We’ve rounded up our pick of 9 sustainable presents.
With a range of gifts to suit all budgets, our sustainable presents list is low on environmental impact and rich in artisan brands with a passion for the environment.
We’re sure you’ll find the perfect thank you present, sustainable Christmas gift, or birthday experience for your eco-conscious, food-obsessed loved ones!
1. Ethically made bean-to-bar vegan chocolate
Our sustainable gift pick: Luisa’s Vegan Chocolate (luisasveganchocolates.co.uk)
You can never go wrong with chocolate for a foodie gift. But award winning Luisa’s Vegan Chocolate makes for an extra special surprise for all chocoholics, vegan or not! Luisa’s handcrafted chocolates are made from the finest cacao beans and roasted at her chocolate studio in Nottingham.
Sustainability and community is at the core of this mother-daughter team’s ethos. And you can taste their passion in every bite. Luisa works directly with cacao farmers to ensure ethical conditions and better-than fairtrade pay. Many bars and truffles also come in biodegradable and compostable packaging. And being vegan, they’re a lower carbon treat than milk chocolate alternatives.
For a special gift this Christmas check out Luisa’s Christmas Collection, including The Ultimate Christmas Hamper brimming with seasonal truffles and chocolate wreaths.
Once you’ve tried Luisa’s chocolate, you’ll want it all year round. Our favourites are the toffee-ish, fruity India Single Origin bar and creamy Casholate M*lk Chocolate!
2. Liquid gold from artisan olive oil producers
Our sustainable gift pick: Citizens of Soil (citizensofsoil.com)
Olive oil and wine have more in common than you’d think. And while wine is often gifted, olive oil makes for a more surprising, and longer lasting, gift.
Citizens of Soil prioritise sustainability while celebrating the incredible varieties and flavours that come from different terroir. As they say, “this ain’t your generic, mass market olive oil”.
Working with small scale artisans to nurture the olive trees’ soil, Citizens of Soil focus on regenerating land and protecting future harvests. They also offer refill pouches, along with a free recycling scheme to reduce environmental impact. In return, you’re rewarded with rich and creamy olive oil that’s bursting with fruity, peppery flavour. Check out the Greek Single Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil Bottle for an awesome sustainable present.
3. Beautiful and sustainable recycled cookware
Our sustainable gift pick: Combekk Sous Chef Dutch Oven (combekk.com)
High quality cookware is a chef’s best friend. Combine that with Combekk’s sustainable materials and beautiful design, and you’ve got the perfect gift for the sustainable chef in your life.
Combekk claim their cookware is the most sustainable in the world. And for good reason: all their products are made from 100% recycled materials.
From their original recycled cast iron Dutch Ovens to recycled paper cutting boards, their range of cookware offers stylish, eco-friendly upgrades for any foodie’s kitchen.
We’re obsessed with this beautiful Sous Chef Dutch Oven (in a gorgeous Floop-hued orange, might we add). Sustainable foodies, you’ll want this on your gift list!
4. Reading and Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet
Our sustainable gift pick: Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet Book (uk.bookshop.org/shop/floop)
A carefully chosen book always make a thoughtful gift. For eco-conscious loved ones who love reading and eating, Tom Hunt’s Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet is a top pick.
Tom shares fascinating insight and practical tips for make our food systems and choices more sustainable. He combines this with inspiring recipes to create eco-friendly dishes at home.
Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet is a powerful guide that enable all of us to take on food waste and climate change from our own kitchens. A must read for any planet-conscious foodies.
For an extra sustainable boost, books purchased from bookshop.org are delivered with carbon neutral shipping. Each purchase also supports local, independent booksellers in your area.
5. Learn skills at a sustainable cooking class
Our sustainable gift pick: Cookery School at Little Portland Street (cookeryschool.co.uk)
Experiences make perfect sustainable gifts. Free from excess packaging and waste, they can minimise environmental impact of big celebrations. So, what better eco-friendly experience for foodies than learning sustainable techniques at a cooking class?
London’s Cookery School at Little Portland Street offer a range of cooking classes, but their Food Waste Cooking Class makes us go more bananas than their banana bread!
Cooks are taught how to create dishes from produce that’s regularly wasted (yes, we’re looking at you soggy lettuce). Your loved one will develop lifelong skills to reduce their carbon footprint… and their food bill!
For loved ones looking to reduce their meat intake, the cookery school also offer Vegetarian and Vegan classes to widen your repertoire of recipes. Pick up a gift voucher online.
6. Rustle up an indulgent, handmade gift
Our sustainable gift pick: Walnut & Caraway Dukkah (thefloopapp.com)
Sustainable gifts don’t need to cost the world. Oftentimes, the most thoughtful gifts are the one you make yourself. Edible presents, like cookies and chutneys, are also great ways to get creative with ingredients in your cupboard and gluts of produce.
For something a little different, this Walnut & Caraway Dukkah makes a delicious sustainable treat. It’s perfect for dipping with breads and olive oil or to add crunch to veg and creamy spreads.
This special blend is made from ingredients that are grown in the UK. Local it may be, but exotic it feels.
Repurpose a glass jar and decorate with natural fibre twine and a sprig of dried herb. Now, you’ve got a thoughtfully made sustainable gift that can liven up breads, vegetables -well, any meal! — for a loved one.
7. Party spirit with carbon positive vodka and gin
Our sustainable gift pick: Arbikie Distillery (arbikie.com )
This one’s for cocktail lovers. Get in the party spirit with more sustainable gin fizz and vodka martinis.
Arbroath-based Arbikie Distillery put provenance and sustainability at the heart of their operations. Growing their own produce, using solar power and recycling waste products puts them as trailblazers in sustainable spirits.
And they’ve created a world first: climate positive gin and vodka. Their Nàdar range (meaning “nature” in Gaelic) is crafted from peas, which harness more greenhouse gases than they create. In fact, the Nàdar Gin produces -1.54 kg CO2e per 700ml bottle, giving it a negative carbon footprint.
For a low-impact alcoholic gift, check out Arbikie’s Nàdar Christmas Gift Pack, containing smaller 200ml bottles of both the carbon-positive gin and vodka; the perfect sustainable Christmas present.
8. Gift a sustainable kitchen in a box
Our sustainable gift pick: Leo’s Box (leosbox.co.uk)
Gift a sustainable and clean cooking space for eco-friendly chefs.
Created by the youngest CEO of a BCorp Company, Leo’s Box offer sustainable brands at affordable prices.
As a one-off foodie gift, the Kitchen Box offers plastic-free cleaning and storage products that reduce the environmental impact of kitchens and pantries. Leo also plants a tree to offset carbon and donates to Plastic Oceans with every purchase.
Looking for a gift that keeps on giving? Leo’s Box offer a membership for just £4 per month. The member’s club get discounts of up to 70% and on average 40% off RRP. Your loved one can pick carefully chosen eco-friendly skincare or household products that have been used and tested against market leaders.
9. Experience weekend retreat in sustainable luxury
Our sustainable gift pick: The Pig Hotel (thepighotel.com)
Planning to splash out for an experience with someone special? A weekend retreat with The Pig Hotel is the ultimate sustainable indulgence. With 8 hotels along the south coast of England, you’ll find somewhere new for you and a loved one to explore.
The hotel industry is notorious for unsustainable practises. But The Pig Hotel are committed to find new, environmentally-friendly ways of operating from their rooms to their restaurants. They’re also a member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
The restaurants are the delicious, sustainable draw here. The chefs craft ever-changing seasonal menus that celebrate local ingredients from their own hotel garden or suppliers within 25 miles. While the menus also include locally-reared meat and fish, it’s the plant-based meals that are the jewel in the crown.
Originally published as 9 Thoughtful Gifts for Sustainable Foodies at thefloopapp.com
Let us know what you would love below!
