Worried about what to give as a gift this year? Try these deals on dining out, courtesy of LillyLikes.
When it comes to finding the perfect gift, it doesn’t really matter what you buy. People will accept it with a smile, but by next Christmas they will have forgotten what you bought them. There are two ways to navigate this dilemma. One is to buy them something to supremely awesome that they never forget it again for as long as they live. The other is to buy them an experience day gift, which they will never forget.
With these afternoon tea and dining out gifts for Christmas 2021, you can do both. Not that we like to brag… (we’re bragging)
We teamed up with the day out extravaganza specialists over at Red Letter Days, asked the Buyagift crew to contribute, called up our buddies at Datenight Away, and even reeled in Wowcher for the win. All of this just to offer you some Christmas cracking deals that will help you with the troublesome gift buying experience. We don’t mean to call you out, but you go through it every year. Just buy experiences for everyone. Nobody hates a free meal.
And with those wise words in mind: let’s look at the experience days we recommend as food-focused gifts for this coming festive season.
The Best Food-Focused Gifts to Give this Christmas
When it comes to Christmas gift giving, we know our eateries. Here are some of the best gifts you can give to the foodie in your life this year
Winter Wonderland Afternoon Teas
This is an exemplary deal at a five-star location. Set up for serious foodies, this Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea for two is hosted by The Rubens at The Palace Lounge. This gorgeous location is thus named because of the stunning views out across the Royal Mews and Buckingham Palace.
This afternoon tea is so good that it has won awards. The hotel’s tea menu was devised by Sarah Houghton – exec pastry chef who was a finalist in this year’s Bake Off: The Professionals show. You will be treated to bottomless mulled wine for an hour and a half, where you will also be pampered with a selection of festive pastries, finger sandwiches, and scones with jam and cream.
Choose from tea or coffee, scoff some cakes, and enjoy the comings and goings around the Royal Palace. Afternoon teas don’t get any more deluxe than this. This deal will be running until the 23rd of December 2021, so hurry and get yours. The experience should take two hours and there is a smart dress-code. Please don’t’ show up wearing sportswear or casual clothes… it’s just that posh.
The Bottomless Brunch
This themed bottomless brunch at the Brunch Club is made for two people, so your loved one will be able to treat someone. The best part of the Brunch Club’s deal is that it is available up and down the country and not just isolated to the capital. You can catch a dining experience with them in the East Midlands, in the East of England, in the London area, the North East, the North West, the South East, the South West, in Wales, in Scotland, in the West Midlands, in Yorkshire, and along the Humber.
Asides from their awesome choice of venues and locations, you can book for a weekend day brunch with one of your favourite people, inclusive of bottomless cocktails – we thought that would get your attention. This brunch comes with three hours of unforgettable entertainment, a 60-90 minute dining experience, and a joyful atmosphere inclusive of a theme. Themes include Beyonce Drag, ABBA, and Disney Tunes, among others. Be prepared for a right good laugh.
Winter Sparkle from Piglet’s Pantry
Piglet’s Pantry are renowned for offering wonderful food-focused gifts. Their menus are delightful, their pies and pastries are inspired, and their dine-at-home options allow you to give a food-focused gift to a loved one, that can be delivered directly to their door.
The Winter Sparkle Afternoon Tea for Two at Home is an offering not to miss out on. Users visit the site and book the gift for a time that suits them. A hamper is then delivered on the specified date so that you can tuck into some delectable treats with a loved one.
Treats included in the Winter Sparkle tea kit include traditional sausage rolls, chocolate coins, cranberry and rosemary scotch eggs, sticky toffee ginger cake, and teapigs tea bags. There’s much more to it than that, it’s a full meal of favourites that your loved ones will remember come next Christmas. Your only problem will be topping it.
Afternoon Tea for Two in Covent Garden
Date Nightaway are the most romantic gift giving website. They let you give a gift to a romantic partner, or to give a couple’s gift to your favourite hooked-up buddies. It’s a sweet idea that we have come to adore, here at Lilly Likes. Also, when you buy gifts for your partner as a date night, it means you get to go too.
This gift is to send the couple of your choice, or yourself and your partner, to the Covent Gardens for an afternoon tea. This gift sends you to Brigit’s Bakery, a well-known venue in the Covent Garden. They offer English cuisine with a French twist, adding elegance to traditional British foods. They bill themselves as a French patisserie, rather than an English bakery. They are well known among ladies who brunch.
Dine on fresh sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, fruit tarts, mini cupcakes, and even home made macaroons. There is a gluten-free option, for those in need. They even offer this menu in Halal, vegan, and vegetarian, so there is someone for everyone. This is a tea for two valid for twelve months. It comes with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, and the bakery is tucked away in the gardens, out of the hustle and bustle of the city.
Where do we sign up?
The Bus Tour of London with Afternoon Tea
Brought to you by mega-deal-mega-giants Wowcher, this London bus tour with an incorporated meal is right up anyone’s street. We love the whole idea of this. Everyone likes a ride on the iconic red double-decker buses of British cities. Add food on top of that? It sounds like bliss.
This tour will take you all over the city for about an hour and a half, give or take the traffic. You will be treated to an afternoon tea and a glass of prosecco while you are there. The experience takes place on the English Tea Bus, with the deal run through a company called Golden Tours. You will see some special London sights, including Westminster Abbey, the tower of London, and St Paul’s Cathedral, while your driver takes you around some landmarks.
Your afternoon tea will consist of sweet and savoury treats, especially with British delicacies like smoked salmon sandwiches and scones with jam and clotted cream. There will be an assortment of pastries to choose from, some tea or coffee, and even modern options suitable for any millennial – like hummus and the odd avocado. You eat while you see the sites, seated on the top deck of the bus while the food is prepared down below. What an awesome idea for a Christmas gift. Your loved one is sure to never forget it.
The Outside Bet – Theatre Tickets in the West End
Not quite food-focused but definitely a great gift for a loved one this Christmas, this experience day from Buy a Gift involves two theatre tickets. As we all know, West End seats can run high in costs, but this deal knocks a small mortgage off the cost of them. This allows you to treat the theatre goer in your life with some festive favourite tickets. The deal combines two tickets, even, so they don’t have to go alone.
There is a lot to be said for a gift of theatre tickets. This has been a favourite of theatre fans for years, proving its success as a gift experience day of choice. You can go see any number of shows with these tickets. This year’s selections include Mamma Mia! The Lion King, Wicked and more. Theatres include the Apollo Victoria Theatre, the Savoy Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre, among others.
All your loved one must do is log on to book their tickets and voila! The perfect present. And you never, ever, ever forget a show.
The Lilly Likes Verdict on Christmas Gifts for Foodies
If you choose one of these food-focused experience day gifts, you should find that your present goes down a treat. If not, you can always send them to our Amsterdam focused sister page, instead. Between us, there’s bound to be a gift or deal that your family will love. Also – Lilly really appreciates bus tours with attached dining experiences. We just wish that weather was a little better.
