No matter how old your dad is and what his specific interests are, we’d hazard a guess that a food-themed gift will hit the mark on Father’s Day. An edible or potable present is a fail-safe gift idea for an epicurean dad; it doesn’t clutter up the house and, if he’s in a sharing mood, it satisfies the whole family. Or for any would-be chefs for whom the kitchen is their temple, a stylish set of chef's knives, barbecue tools or perhaps even a pizza oven would make for a practical enhancement to any home cooking space.
Luckily there are myriad ways to indulge your father on this special day of celebration and we are here to provide more than a little inspiration. In pursuit of the ultimate Father's Day gift, we have scoured the internet and all our favourite gifting haunts for the best kitchen accessories, foodie subscriptions and hampers for dad, whether he's a wannabe professional cook or simply a discerning eater.
Best Father's Day gifts for foodies, at a glance:
- Best Father's Day gift overall: Snowdonia Cheese Company Luxury Cheese & Wine Hamper
- Best affordable Father's Day gift: Oliver Bonas Soleil Blue Ceramic Oil Bottle
- Best luxury Father's Day gift: Le Creuset Cast Iron Round Casserole
- Best subscription Father's Day gift: Grind Coffee Subscription
Hampers
No one has ever been disappointed with a hamper full of delicious delights. Our pick of the bunch for Father's Day would be the Luxury Cheese & Wine Hamper from Snowdonia Cheese Company. It includes a selection of four of their bestselling cheese truckles, a cheese fondue bake, as well as a bottle of Chilean red wine and related accoutrements with which you can enjoy the cheese, all for the reasonable price of £70. We tried and tested the hamper ourselves so got to enjoy it first hand; read the full review here to discover the extent of its contents.
You simply can't go wrong with a Fortnum's Hamper, and the Foodhall hamper is what we'd plump for on Father's Day. The famed British department store has served up everything dad could want, from Scottish smoked salmon, to a cave-aged cheddar wedge, a glazed ham to a bottle of Argentinian Malbec, all packaged in a stylish, instantly recognisable wicker basket.
For a less dear present, we think that cake specialists Cutter & Squidge have hit the spot. Their Brownies & Craft Beer Gift Hamper contains a winning combo: beer, brownies, and packet of chocolate biscuits.
Our Place's Cookware Duo includes Our Place's bestsellers, the Always Pan and Perfect Pot. The stylish, coordinating nature of the set, available in a range of colours, makes it very apt for a gift. I own the pan duo, and it's also a great way to save money by bundling up. So far, I have found the pans to be far more lightweight and much better looking, than my old bog-standard set of black pans. Friends have commented on how nice the Our Place pans look. The non-stick works effortlessly, and the wooden utensils have smart notches underneath which prevents the spoon from falling into my cooking if I rest it against the side.
With its immediately recognisable ombré enamel coating in a rainbow of colours, Le Creuset is another cookware brand to give as a special gift; their famously weighty cast iron pieces will last for years to come.
Crockery & glassware
If your dad is both a whiskey buff and a cinephile, the perfect gift would undoubtedly be this set of two angular Cibi whiskey glasses; the exact model featured prominently in Ridley Scott's iconic sci-fi film, Blade Runner.
Decorative and practical ceramics are always a lovely gift to receive. This striking blue bowl from OKA, with its irregular glaze, means that no two pieces are the same; it would make a fabulous fruit bowl. For more unique, handmade and glazed crockery, head to Portmeirion - we love the rich purple tone of this new mug set, or Henry Holland Studio's new gingham collection, where the pattern is made by slicing and layering the different colours of clay.
Chef's knives
A poor workman blames his tools, so make sure your dad has no excuses come June 15th.
With a do-it-all attitude, this multipurpose Global kiritsuke chef's knife can dice, slice, mince and more with an ultra sharp blade, made in Japan. The ergonomic handle is perforated for grip, and is made from the same single piece of metal as the blade, making it particularly durable.
Florentine Knives craft some of the best in the business, featuring their original design, oval curved handle and colourful stacked discs that make up the handle. With the bespoke options, you can choose from as many handle colours as your heart desires, so whether your dad is a maximalist or a minimalist, there's a style for him. We also love the jolly colours of this magnificent bread knife, which comes with a leather sheath to store it in when not in use.
Kitchen utensils & accessories
An impressive and ideally, stylish set of cookware utensils is a must have for every chef.
Lorenzi Milano's bamboo handled utensils are almost too beautiful to look at. They come as a set of five, including a spaghetti spoon, serving spoon, spatula, ladle and a skimmer, meaning your dad will be fully equipped. Even better? They come with a matching hanging rail, so you simply need to attach it and you're ready to cook.
Le Creuset can always be relied upon to provide good gifts. This five piece utensil set is eye catching and comes with a stoneware jar that can be used to house the tools.
Coffee subscriptions
From subscriptions that suit simple stovetop coffee makers, to full-blown bean deliveries, there's a subscription to suit every dad, there to make sure he never misses his morning coffee again.
Back in the day Grind was just a coffee shop in Shoreditch. It's grown into a huge business which encompasses espresso bars, restaurants, cocktail bars, a recording studio, and a state-of-the-art coffee roastery. Their subscription service offers carbon-positive refills and can be filtered to include compostable Nespresso pods, ground coffee or whole bean coffee. Two bags of whole beans or ground coffee delivered every four weeks will cost around £14.95. Nespresso-compatible and iced coffee options are also available on subscription.
Pact Coffee started out in 2021 when Stephan Rapoport decided to cut out the middle men of the coffee industry and build direct relationships with coffee farmers. The entire ethos is to pay the farmers 'premium prices for premium coffee', solidified by Pact's pledge to always pay 25% above the Fairtrade base price. A 250g bag of whole beans delivered monthly will cost around £8.95.
Give your dad the gift of inspiration and guidance from some of the world's best loved chefs.
Berber & Q's cookbook is all based the message that 'eating vegetables doesn't need to be boring.' Inside the book you'll find countless ways to grill, roast, marinade and flash fry vegetables, all inspired by Josh Katz' travels from London to North Africa, all the way to the Middle East.
Atul Kochhar's Curry Everyday cookbook contains over 100 simple vegetarian recipes. Travelling from country to country, the book moves from Cambodian Mango curry to Algerian masala chips and Japanese shakshuka. It's a real gastronomic journey that every father would enjoy receiving on this special day.
From two of our favourite London restaurants, Russell Norman's Brutto, and Max Rocha's Café Cecilia, come two of our favourite cook books of the past few years, with the help of which the dishes from the menu can be faithfully recreated at home.
Whether your dad fancies himself a good chef or not, he's bound to achieve the perfect pizza with one of these pizza ovens.
The Ooni Karu is powered by both wood and charcoal, promising to cook a 12-inch stone-baked pizza in just sixty seconds. You don't need to be an expert to use it and, at just 12kg, it's endlessly portable for camping trips and road trips alike.
The Gozney Roccbox is just as smart, delivering the perfect Neapolitan pizza in 60 seconds thanks to its ability to hit 500 degrees in under a minute. Sure, the Gozney is on the more expensive side, but it was designed to replicate the performance of the restaurant grade ovens Gozney supplies, so it's at the very top of its game.
The finishing touch on any worthy dish, a high quality olive oil is an absolute luxury.
Citizens of Soil's olive oil refill sets or subscriptions that allow you to discover different types of oil would be a lovely culinary gift, perhaps in place of a predictable bottle of wine. The perfect gift, your dad can use the premium small batch oils to dress salads, finish off soups, drizzle on pasta or use in a dessert.
To accompany the oil, why not pair it with Oliver Bonas's Soleil Blue Ceramic Oil Bottle, which would look very handsome on a kitchen shelf.
Who wouldn't want to receive a swanky new barbecue just as summer gets underway? The perfect gift for wannabe chefs and effusive hosts alike, this is a great gift idea that will last for years to come.
The Everdure by Heston Blumenthal Cube Barbecue is brilliant for both at home cooking and impromptu trips to the beach. It looks like an elevated and stylish cool box, but the simplicity of the package belies its power. It comes with a built in food-grade storage tray, porcelain enameled firebox and a preparation board, so you can go from just off the supermarket shelf to perfectly cooked with just this device.
For a slightly higher price point, the Weber Master-Touch is the best in its bracket. It offers a generous 57cm cooking area and comes with Gourmet BBW System grate that allows for several accessories to be added such as a wok, griddle or sear. Its hinged lid and bowl are made with porcelain enamel, while the locking lid has a built-in thermometer.
Fire tools
Every good barbecue, or fire pit, needs a good set of tools to accompany it.
Mr Porter has an excellent selection of Father's Day gifts, but we particularly like Le Creuset's set for four tools with matching smart carry bag, making it perfect for taking on holidays and camping trips. The trio includes a poker, shovel and tongs, so your dad will be ready to toast marshmallows, stoke the flames and flip food on the grill.
RE Found Objects provide a less expensive alternative in the form of their Wire Toasting Forks. You could gift your dad a few in different shapes for an exciting set.
Food subscriptions and meal delivery
A food subscription is literally the gift that keeps on giving. If your dad is more of a fan of eating rather than cooking, this is an option that will easily please.
Husband and wife duo James and Rebecca make up the powerhouse behind Nonna Tonda. The company deliver ready to cook fresh pasta and sauces across the nation each week. The subscription is flexible, so you can choose how many portions your dad would like in each week's delivery, from two to six, and whether he's a meat lover, a veggie, or simply wants to mix it up, you can select that for him too.
COOK is another big player in the premium meal delivery world. You can give a one-off gift, or set up a subscription, which works out cheaper down the line. The options are endless, from classic, wholesome pies to fragrant Thai curries.