Be unpredictable this season, with colourful, useful, and even delicious gifts sure to be coveted and cherished no matter the place or time. Cautious gift-givers need not fear, as there are plenty of quality and fresh choices which won’t break the bank, or break hopeful hearts.
This is the 2022 Holiday Gift Guide – carefully curated with budgets, uniqueness and good taste in mind…
For Those Who Like Spilling the Tea…
(Available for $72.50 / ZAR1 250)
Perfect for the quiet moments, as well as for a bit of festive fun, this gift can easily satisfy hot and cold beverage lovers who have a little imagination, a great palate, and patience.
The Tea Chest offers up its ‘12 Days of Christmas‘ Treasure Chest as a well-packaged love letter to teas of the world. In the style of festive Advent Calendars, the chic Treasure Chest is packed with black gift-wrapped and orange-ribboned packages in various interesting shapes and sizes, and are all marked with numbers so one is able to countdown to Christmas day with a new tea experience daily.
It’s both a well-thought-out concept and a beautifully-delivered gift now available via premier tea company ‘The Tea Chest‘.
Also, should you favour cold drinks, then you can explore these teas’ flavour profiles by making some iced tea. The company has you covered with instructions on iced tea-making on their website.
Gift yourself, or someone else, with this delicious (and fun) experience ASAP!
For the Fashion Lover Seeking Chic Comfort…
(Available for $109.88 / ZAR1 900)
Choose style and sensibility with a chic once-size-fits-all multiway dress by one of the premier fashion houses in South Africa: ERRE.
With the aid of buttons and loops, the ERRE ‘Myri Dress‘ is a versatile design in Bon Bon fabric, which allows the wearer to transform the piece into one of 14 different styles, depending on preference.
From conveniently short to red carpet long, the dress has been beloved by travellers and celebrities alike, seen everywhere from boardrooms to poolside. It is available in colours like black, pink, canary yellow, and red too.
Blessedly too, you won’t have to go seeking your recipient’s dress size as the entire creation is adjustable to any size…So what are you waiting for?!
For Those Loving Cooking Shows…
(Available for ± $20.26/ ZAR352)
If television shows like ‘Parts Unknown or ‘Chefs Table’ and movies like ‘Burnt‘ are what get them going, then have them squealing with excitement by getting them one (or all – trust me!) of these books:
- Anthony Bourdain‘s “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly“
- Bill Buford‘s “Heat”
- Fergus Henderson‘s “The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating”
They’re a love letter to culture and the conversation of food.
Balancing the behind-the-scenes brash kitchenspeak showcased in productions like “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Bear“, and the polished masterclass of cooking magic many have become fascinated with in recent years, these three (3) books speak to the heart of any who love the preparation and process of good food coming into being.
It may not be a cooking class in a French Chateau, but it’s even better: A fascinating chronicled life from the first inkling of a chef’s engagement with food more critically, to where their journey continues in the limelight of food-making, brand-building, and finding new ways to make themselves & others fall in love with fresh flavours and techniques.
This is a gift one will come back to, to laugh, love, and learn.
To Toast to the Best…
(Available for $20 / ZAR190)
The only thing better than this vibrant bottle-fermented gift, is perhaps organizing a full tasting so your recipient can try the medley of other great creations by the brand.
The Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Satin Nectar Rosé is one of the best South African-produced sparkling wine choices for those who savour quality, delicious flavour, and bubbly personality, in a bubbly that won’t break the bank.
With notes of strawberries and stone fruits, the Kaapse Vonkel Satin Nectar Rosé 2021 has a crisp and punchy profile which delights with every sip.
Simonsig’s line of Method Cap Classique (MCC) wines are generally great gifts as they invite any drinker to pleasure their senses from the first glance; So you can’t really go wrong with any of their picks – some of which are also Vegan-friendly!
Spoil someone who appreciates bold beauty, with this beautifully crafted (inside & out) bubbly.
For the one who likes a Little of Everything…
(Available for various price & needs)
Some people like it fresh, so opt for a gift that delivers a bit of nature and a whole heap of goodness: A gift hamper from Boschendal Farm.
With a wine, deli and/or pantry selection featuring some of the most scrumptious original drink and food-based creations produced on their estate, as well as local artisanal goodies, there are several hampers to choose from at Boschendal, and even the option to craft your own for delivery.
Decide if your recipient is a snack fan, or a full vino aficionado, or maybe a foodie who adores pairings, and then choose from everything from an assorted Praline gift box to a Biltong box. There are Celebration wine gift boxes and Chocaholic hampers too – though I’m tempted to treat myself to the Live Our Farm Box atleast once a month!
This gift will immediately gratify and amaze – leaving any foodie worth their salt, truly feeling thankful this festive season.
For the One with a Smart Head on their Shoulders…
(Available for ± $46/ ZAR800)
As much as they are utilitarian, this gift is also a coveted fashion find seen on superstars’ heads and amid street style all around the world.
Choose to gift someone a hat from millinery brand Simon & Mary‘s amazing hat stable.
People are already braving colourways and playful proportions they’d never have otherwise touched, as the family-run millinery, founded in 2014 (however the family’s millinery tradition puts them as having been in the business since 1935), delivers hats in all kinds of both classic and pop preppy shades.
Featuring everything from Bucket hats to fedoras, cowboy hats in spectacular textiles and colours, and other strange and wonderful shapes, the hats from this brand are keepers coveted for years from when the gift is received.
To Deliver an Essential…
(Available for ± $109.98/ ZAR1 900)
Surprise someone with something that’s both a necessity and a chic addition to their outdoor adventures: a made-to-last towel, blanket, or gown, made with the finest craftsmanship from Mungo.
The local master weavers design and craft stunning creations from their Plettenberg HQ, and have stores and distributors nationwide ready to pack and deliver the one-of-a-kind essentials made from natural fibres, that can be used everywhere from the beach to your next outdoor concert, picnic, or utilized at-home too.
This is really a prime gift because the pieces look like no other towels, blankets, or gowns out there, and can be decorative for the recipient as well as functional, and forever favoured for the thought.
For the Wanderer…
(Available for $173.36 / ZAR2 995)
One of the year’s biggest travel fashion trends has been investing in high-quality and multi-use bags, which is why Rowdy‘s duffel is a perfect gift.
Made with genuine leather and designed to be durable, useful, and cool, these duffels can take a punishment – all while looking so good.
The duffel is designed with black cotton lining, three inner pockets, one outer zip pocket, as well as a YKK zipper to securely close the top. The bag can hit the road with vagabonds, and the gym with urbanites too.
Mine has survived a Eurotrip already and looks even better and better with every use.
Choose this duffel as a gift for any wanderer who likes something functional and stylish – that’s cool but doesn’t stand out in a gaudy way.
That’s the Rowdy duffel – a gift that’ll keep giving even decades later!
So glad you think so Chantel 🙂 What gifts were on your Must-Have list?
So glad you think so 🙂
What would be your own top gift pick?
Nice gift ideas.