When shopping on a budget, we took into account a few nifty tricks and considerations. Consider the hidden costs of delivery fees when shopping online: where possible we’ve listed these below to help you stick to your budget. Shops often have free delivery over a certain threshold, so it’s worth seeing if you can consolidate your shopping and get a few presents in one go. There’s also several mini sets in our list – trios of mini gins, sets of chutney or boxes of individually-wrapped chocolates. These can be separated and divided between multiple stockings and family members to help your budget stretch further.
For even more ideas for the festive season and beyond, visit our reviews section to find over 400 buyer’s guides, including results of our best Christmas sandwich taste test, round-ups of the best Christmas hampers, our gifts for foodies covering all budgets and our best sustainable gift ideas.
40 best budget Christmas gifts for foodies 2023
Under £5
Hotel Chocolat milk chocolate penguins
These adorable chocolate penguins make a sweet stocking filler to wake up to. We love the combination of creamy milk chocolate with the caramel filling, but there are white chocolate, raspberry or even pistachio penguins to choose from, too.
Available from:
Hotel Chocolat (£4.95)
Gingerbread tree decorating kit
A great bargain gift for kids, this kit makes a present and Christmas Day activity in one. The mini kit includes four pre-baked gingerbread tree biscuits, a tube of white icing and sparkling red sprinkles – it’s time to get creative!
Available from:
Lakeland (£3.49)
Joe & Seph’s mince pie popcorn
It sounds gimmicky, but this spiced popcorn makes a moreish stocking filler and actually tastes like the real thing. It’s got a bit of a fruity flavour followed by almonds and a final kick of brandy.
Available from:
Joe & Seph’s (£4, free delivery on orders over £35)
Piccolo alpine strawberry seeds
2024 is the year to grow your own. This pretty packet of seeds is an elegant stocking filler. Grow a mini strawberry plant and produce mini Alpine strawberries next year – a unique crop you won’t find in supermarkets.
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Available from:
Sous Chef (£2.99, delivery from £3.99)
Eat17 bacon jam
Chutney and jam are in plentiful supply at Christmas, but this unique sticky bacon jam makes a quirky change. It has a deep smoky flavour with garlic, red onions and herbs with the caramelised bacon. Chilli, chorizo and Chinese twists are also available. We recommend spreading in cheese toasties or dolloping on top of a burger.
Available from:
Selfridges (£4.99, delivery £5)
Eat17 (£3.99)
Cadbury Chunk Collection carton
You just can’t watch Christmas television without a selection box to snack on, and this is our preferred option this year. Cadbury white chocolate is sometimes difficult to track down, but this bargain box combines mini chunks of it alongside classic Dairy Milk and Wholenut flavours, so there’s a square for everyone.
Available from:
Ocado (£5)
Cadbury Gifts Direct (£5)
Fox’s Fabulous Cookie Assortment
Everyone needs a sharing tin at Christmas. This new selection from Fox’s is packed with four classic cookies: white chocolate, milk chocolate, triple chocolate and half chocolate coated – and a bargain at just £4.
Available from:
Morrisons (£4)
Rex London wild flowers cupcake cases
Keep someone baking for all of 2024 with this pack of 50 cupcake cases. In a pretty wildflower pattern, they’re sure to inspire some creative baking – plus matching mugs, tea towels, biscuit tins and more are available in a matching design.
Available from:
Rex London (£1.95, delivery £3.95 or free over £50)
Walker’s shortbread Scottie dogs
A box of shortbread pops up in every fancy Christmas hamper, but you can pick up a box of these for under £2 whilst you’re doing your weekly shop. Almost – but only almost – too cute to eat, these are still simply made of butter, sugar, flour and a pinch of salt for the ultimate buttery, crumbly result.
Available from:
Ocado (£2)
Ritter Sport orange
This is £1 well spent and a must for chocolate-orange fans. Smooth dark chocolate with a creamy orange fondant filling makes this a bargain stocking filler for anyone who dives straight for the orange cream option in chocolate selection tins.
Available from:
Sainsbury’s (£1.25)
Lemon and harissa mini storage tins
A stocking filler or Secret Santa gift to brighten up the lucky loved one’s kitchen. These food-themed storage tins add a bold pop of retro colour to countertops – fill with teabags, utensils, or even use on a make-up table or desk to hold make-up brushes or pencils.
Available from:
Rex London (£4.95, delivery £3.95 or free over £50)
Under £10
Chiostro di Saronno mini chocolate panettone
For panettone fans, this adorable mini version is a sweet twist on a Christmas classic. Packaged in a mini tin, this light panettone is studded with chocolate chips and would make a decadent Christmas Day breakfast for one.
Available from:
John Lewis (£6)
Harvey Nichols sour cherry negroni
Harvey Nichols has put a limited-edition spin on a classic negroni with this sour cherry twist for some extra fruity tartness. The chic bottled cocktail looks like it would be much more expensive than a wallet-friendly £7, too.
Available from:
Harvey Nichols (£7)
Lakeland wine vacuum stopper with date marker
Make sure leftover wine never goes to waste again. This clever gadget operates as a vacuum bottle stopper, with a simple mechanism that helps prevent open wine bottles going stale in the fridge. It fits most bottles and has a dial on the top to enter the date you opened it – brilliant for Christmas party season.
Available from:
Lakeland (£9.99)
Willie’s Cacao Sea Salt Caramel Pearls
Available in either 54% milk chocolate or 70% dark (pictured), these delicious caramel-filled morsels are luxuriously festive and individually gold-wrapped for sharing (or not).
Available from:
Ocado (£7.50)
Waitrose (£7.50)
Kilner 0.35-litre soup jar set
For commuters cutting lunch costs by taking their own to work, this Kilner soup jar set will see them through winter. The durable and reusable glass container is designed with microwave-safe silicone to absorb the heat, a secure screw-on lid, handy spoon holder and steel spoon included – plus it all comes in a gift box ready to wrap.
Available from:
Amazon (£9)
Dorset Sea Salt Co. garlic salt
Keen cooks will appreciate this handy little jar of garlic-infused sea salt. Use as a rub for meat or veg, sprinkle over roast potatoes (especially for Christmas dinner) or try adding to marinades for maximum seasoning.
Available from:
Amazon (£6.40)
Dorset Sea Salt Co. (£6.49, buy 2 jars get a 3rd free)
NIO Cocktails spiced negroni
This clever cocktail pouch is ideal for slipping into a Christmas stocking. The spiced negroni is our festive pick, with hints of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg added to the classic blend of gin and vermouth.
Available from:
John Lewis (£6.50)
Grind coffee tin
This chic coffee tub is smart enough to leave out on the counter all year round. Choose between ground or whole bean coffee, in a house, light or decaf blend. Refills are available so the tin can be kept long after the first round of coffee is finished.
Available from:
Grind (£9)
Lakeland winter berry spatula and cookie cutter
This sweet set will be loved by the keen baker in your life. A spatula is an endlessly handy kitchen tool and this pretty Christmas design will brighten up an afternoon of festive baking – maybe they’ll make you some cookies with the cookie cutter to say thank you.
Available from:
Lakeland (£7.99)
Tony’s Chocolonely Tiny Mix
Colourful Tony’s Chocolonely chocs are always a welcome gift. This box of 20 minis includes 7 flavours and is completely recyclable. You could even crack it open early and divide the chocolates between everybody’s stocking – fun final treats to discover when rummaging on Christmas morning.
Available from:
Ocado (£6)
Waitrose (£6)
HugeStore panda chopstick rests
Is there a more adorable stocking filler? These super cute ceramic pandas are designed so you can put your chopsticks down mid-meal (or any cutlery) without them rolling away or making your table dirty. They come in a pack of six so you’ll be ready for your next dinner party.
Available from:
Amazon (£9.99)
Bird & Blend Christmas present tea gift
No more boring English breakfast. This mini cube of 12 biodegradable tea bags is ideal for stockings, with 5 different festive flavours of tea inside. The lucky recipient can take their pick from gingerbread chai, mulled cider, Irish cream and more.
Available from:
Bird & Blend (£10, delivery £3.95 or free over £30)
Symple Stuff hand-shaped cookie cutter
In a world obsessed with emojis, the office baker will love this novelty cookie cutter. Create a range of gestures using the unbaked dough, from a classic thumbs up to a rock ‘n’ roll hand signs. It certainly gets our thumbs up.
Available from:
Wayfair (£8.54, free delivery over £40)
Funkin passion fruit syrup
Deliver a burst of Christmas sunshine with this bottle of passion fruit syrup. Add to cocktails for tropical, fruity flavour, or you can even drizzle over desserts.
Available from:
Sous Chef (£5.50, delivery from £3.99)
Crwst Pembrokeshire sea salted caramel
We fell in love with this salted caramel when we first tried it. It’s everything you want a salted caramel sauce to be: thick and rich, made from just 5 high-quality ingredients including Welsh sea salt, and perfectly balanced. Drizzle it over ice cream, swirl it into brownie batter or just resist eating it with a spoon.
Available from:
Crwst (£6, free delivery over £50)
Sous Chef sombreroni pasta
Make midweek pasta much more fun with this colourful sombreroni pasta, shaped like stripy Mexican-style hats – an ideal talking point for anyone who loves to throw a dinner party. The colourful stripes are naturally created from beetroot, spinach and paprika.
Available from:
Sous Chef (£6.99, delivery £3.99 or free for orders over £50)
Under £15
Monin premium coffee syrup set
For the one who can’t get started without a morning caffeine fix, this bargain coffee syrup set gives them the freedom to experiment like a barista at home. Caramel and vanilla options recreate coffee shop classics, whilst gingerbread, amaretto and hazelnut are ideal for adding to a festive brew.
Available from:
Amazon (£11.72)
Anthropologie block printed monogram mug
A monogram mug solves all your office Secret Santa dilemmas. These generously sized mugs come in four pretty colourways for a chic, simple gift your colleague can use on every coffee break.
Available from:
Anthropologie (£12)
Malfy gin miniatures, set of 4
Add to the stocking of one lucky recipient, or break up this set and spread the miniatures across multiple stockings. The pretty bottles make perfect gifts and the gin doesn’t disappoint – the Malfy Gin Con Arancia with deep blood orange notes is our favourite.
Available from:
Amazon (£13.99)
AnySharp knife sharpener
A handy kitchen tool for a bargain price. Sharp knives will transform the ease of cooking and this versatile knife sharpener works for both straight and serrated blades. The suction base secures to a worktop, for a quick and compact way to keep knives in good quality.
Available from:
Rising Hope by Luminary Bakery
A lovely baking book with a heart. Luminary Bakery is a London-based social enterprise that supports disadvantaged women by offering employment, work experience and courses in its bakeries. This, their first book, combines stories from the women with illustrated recipes (sweet and savoury): who can resist honeycomb cheesecake blondies? Check out our full round-up of the best baking books for more inspiration.
Available from:
Amazon (£14.64)
Emma Bridgewater vegetable garden tea towel
This colourful tea towel has lovely detailed vegetable illustrations – a gift for the keen gardener or allotment devotee with the brilliant veg patch. It’s made from strong linen and has matching oven gloves and aprons available too.
Available from:
Emma Bridgewater (£15)
Seggiano balsamic fig glaze
For anyone making a daily lunchtime salad, this rich and sticky glaze will be an upgrade from standard balsamic vinegar. Made with grapes from single-estate vineyards in the province of Modena, it perfectly balances tartness with fruity sweetness.
Available from:
Selfridges (£11.99, £5 delivery)
Seggiano (£10.85, £3.99 delivery or free over £40)
Planet Organic (£10.89, £5 delivery or free over £50)
The Walnut Tree marzipan fruits
A retro classic, but we all know someone who can’t resist sticky sweet marzipan. Marzipan comes into its own at Christmas and here it proves it’s not just for decorating fruitcake. These intricately carved marzipan fruits are almost, almost, too good to eat.
Available from:
Lakeland (£13.99, delivery £3.95 or free over £50)
Coole Swan Irish cream liqueur mini trio
Is it Christmas without sipping on Irish liqueur in front of classic Christmas television? This extra indulgent trio of miniatures combines single malt Irish whiskey, Belgian white chocolate and Irish cream for a long, velvety finish. A strictly adult-only stocking filler – plus as all 3 minis are the same, you could also divide them between different people.
Available from:
Amazon (£15)
John Lewis (£15)
Exploding Bakery salted caramel letterbox brownie
Can’t be with someone this Christmas? There’s a whole world of letterbox gifts to send to your distant loved ones. Who could resist getting a box of brownies popped through their letterbox? These gooey brownies from Exploding Bakery are generously topped with sea salt caramel and are dense and fudgy from ground almonds.
Available from:
Exploding Bakery (£14.95, delivery £5)
Rustic Flitch personalised marble and mango wood coaster
Made from sustainably-sourced marble and mango wood, these contemporary coasters by Rustic Flitch can be personalised with a name in nine different designs. Plus, they’re delivered in a smart little gift box. Read our guide to the best sustainable gifts for more eco-conscious gifting inspiration.
Available from:
Etsy (£11, free delivery)
Pierre Marcolini elf truffle box
For a chocolate gift that feels luxury, we love this Pierre Marcolini box of truffles. Shaped like an elf’s hat, inside are 12 perfect truffles in three grown-up flavours: pistachio, gingerbread (with an almond praline) and the Nutcracker with a creamy fondant centre.
Available from:
Pierre Marcolini (£14.90)
The Good Egg babka
Another ideal foodie delivery for a lucky loved one to receive. The Good Egg started their babka delivery in 2020 and now have a whole range of flavours available: we’re tempted by the vibrant blueberry, lemon and sumac but there is also classic chocolate, pecan pie or iced vegan cinnamon options to choose from. For more treats to your door, check out our review of the best brownies, cookies, cakes and more delivered.
Available from:
The Good Egg (£15), delivery £4.95
More Christmas gift guides
Ultimate Christmas gift guide for foodies
The best gins to buy as gifts
The best whisky to buy as gifts
The best Christmas hampers
What’s your ultimate budget present idea? Leave a comment below…
This review was last updated in November 2023. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at [email protected].
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