With the warm glow of Christmas slowly fading away, only to return in a few months, it’s not too late to choose the right gift for the ones you didn’t get a chance to see this year. Let’s face it: the mission of gift-giving can either be an exhilarating task or a time-consuming nightmare. It’s easy to feel envious of the three wise men, with their near-perfect formula: gold, frankincense, and myrrh — durable, sacred, stone-cold classics. But of course, while they were more than suitable for baby Jesus, they’re probably not the most optimal presents to be buying now.
To give someone a gift that really endures, the way of the future is with top-notch subscriptions that have the potential to deliver joy all year round. You can find subscriptions for almost anything these days, from food and drink to flowers — and they’re quite literally the gift that keeps on giving! If you want to be a gamechanger and put the three kings to shame, read on, as we assess the finest subscription boxes available right now.
Love Yourself
During the holidays, we’re so blinded by turkey, chocolate, and Baileys that we forget about the inevitable belt-tightening and stringent diets that usually follow the bloated and boozy Christmas week. So why not put the fun back into healthy eating, and allow the gift’s recipients to change their lifestyle while eliminating the hassle and without sacrificing the taste?
To indirectly help your friends and loved ones keep to their new year’s resolutions, the most worthwhile gift is a choice of a range of meal plans to give them a little boost. Love Yourself provides a variety of healthy yet tasty meal plans tailored to their customer’s wishes and requirements, including vegan, keto, gluten-free and halal choices.
Pasta Evangelists
Alternatively, if you don’t want to make it seem like you’re encouraging anyone to diet, you can always give them the gift of authentic Italian cuisine. Pasta Evangelist’s scratch-cooking subscription has all the more opportunity for sumptuous taste and endless fun, letting you choose from a 15-strong menu that is constantly growing.
These dishes come veggie-friendly, like a Pea and Shallot Ravioli, or meaty as hell, a la Sardinian Lamb Ragu with Conchiglie, as well as a gluten-free option. A gift box from these pasta crusaders will have anyone’s name on it.
Bloom & Wild
The stunning and delicate composition of Bloom & Wild’s bouquets doesn’t spread themselves thin (but their packages sure are — they fit right through your postbox), with a flexible range of up to ten subscription plans that don’t compromise on style. Besides a few petals, most are guaranteed to last a week, if not more.
The subscription package lets you send someone flowers once a month for up to a year, starting from £20 (you can also get them delivered weekly).
Savage Wines Club
For wannabe sommeliers (or simply those with adventurous taste in intoxicants), the independent wine club Savage Vines is a wonderful way to introduce someone to a range of new wines, with an incredibly flexible subscription plan.
Starting at £30 (for two bottles), Savage Vines pours a great deal of love into its delivery, prioritizing the journey from an independent vineyard to your door. Each bottle comes with bespoke maps for whichever grape you’re given, as well as detailed and accessible tasting notes to boot. In short, a wonderful way to broaden a pallet.
The Fine Cheese Company
A little more upmarket, starting at £108 per box, this indulgent and classy subscription will be a dream for Fromage enthusiasts. The price does reflect a minimum of three months’ worth of cheese and amply-sized portions.
There’s also an undeniable amount of love and care going into these strictly locally-sourced cheeses, that are almost impossible to find in your bog-standard supermarket. Along with a wonderfully paired portion of gourmet crackers and biscuits — such as Stilton Buttercrumb — these cheeses are among the finest in the land, and will make a sumptuous addition to any dinner table throughout the new year.
