11 Easter gifts offering more than just chocolate
Chocolate’s good and all, but so are bagels, babka and Colomba cake.
We thought we’d give you a bit of a break from the cocoa bean with our Easter gift guide offering more than just chocolate. Have a scroll through our top picks from around the web, from drinks bottles for Easter walks, to curry delivery kits, biscuits and hampers…
Ease the lid off this pretty tin and you’re greeted by a conker-brown, plaited-top babka, smelling of sweetness and spice. Created by Sarit Packer of Middle Eastern restaurants Honey & Co, the enriched bread is moist and studded with marzipan, candied peel and dried fruit – a glorious treat of a bake to open the front door to. Limited Edition Easter babka, available from Honey and Co (£35).
For bringing a bit of Easter whimsy to your home, we’re loving this garland of eight leaping pastel bunnies. It’s made of padded felt with fetching pom pom tails, and you can re-use it every spring (storage bag included) or decorate a child’s room with it – the sturdy cord is three metres long. There’s a wooden mini-bunny version (£19.50) with the vital fluffy tails, too. Available from Meri Meri (£30).
Rick Stein’s Easter seafood box
The Easter box from Rick Stein’s online fishmongers features luxurious dressed crab, hake, fish pie mix, smoked salmon and Rick’s shellfish soup and smoked mackerel pâté. We were really impressed with the freshness of the fish and think this is a decadent present to send to someone who deserves a gift but maybe isn’t the biggest fan of chocolate. After all, shellfish is always a luxurious treat. Available from Rick Stein’s online fishmongers (£79).
Melrose and Morgan Easter hamper
Inside the Melrose and Morgan Easter hamper you’ll find milk chocolate eggs, yes, but there’s also enough here for those whose eyes don’t light up at the thought of chocolate. Simnel loaf cake, shortbread cookies, lemon crinkle biscuits and more. Available from Melrose and Morgan (£90).
The idea of a fresh bagel delivery on a weekend morning over the Easter week is too good to pass up… This new bundle from Papos bagels, available on DELLI, includes an everything bagel, plain bagel, sesame bagel and poppy bagel. Their Everything Mix Bagel seasoning is also delicious on eggs or avocado on toast… Available from DELLI ( just £6).
Isle of Mull bakery’s lemon biscuits
Melt-in-the-mouth organic biscuits, made in the Isle of Mull in a bakery powered entirely by renewable energy. So many wins! These delicate morsels are scented with lemon and half-dipped in just the right amount of white chocolate. A proper treat in a beautiful tin. Available from Island Bakery (180g tin lemon melts, £11.82; 133g carton, £3.95).
Yeti drinking bottle
Yeti has become known for their products durability and strength, and these drinking bottles are no different. We love the range of cheering colours and think these make a great gift for Easter, just as the season is easing into spring from winter, and longer walks and picnics start to come on the cards. Available from Yeti (£30).
The Colomba di Pasqua, or the “Easter Dove’ is Italy’s traditional Easter cake. It has much in common with the Christmastime panettone and pandoro, with the same fluffy texture, buttery richness, and time and care of preparation. This recipe from Muzzi is made in Umbria with the butter coming from cows whose milk is enriched by the open grasslands they graze on. And it shows! Available from Sous Chef, £27.99.
Dabbadrop was inspired by by co-founder Anshu’s family recipes from all over South Asia, and the team brings you plant-based dinners to your door, like this: their Hyderbadi menu kits. Inside, you’ll find aloo aur mirch ka salan, a dish made with roast potatoes, green peppers, ground peanuts, and sweet spices. Alongside, you’ll find a sweetcorn and spinach sundal and a mung bean dal. Available from Dabbadrop (£22).
The Datery Experience Signature box
Okay, we’re kind of cheating with this one. But it’s more about the date than the chocolate here. It’s hard to improve on the succulent caramel sweetness of a quality date – but that’s what The Datery does, enrobing them in chocolate spiked with hazelnut, coconut, pistachio and more. Its smart giftsets are popular for Ramadan, in which dates hold special significance, with a stunning mosaic-inspired chocolate Ultimate Experience platter (£49.95) for Eid Al-Fitr (2-3 May this year) available too. Available from The Datery, £22.95.
A platter is a kitchen essential: for salads (way better for showing off ingredients than a bowl), or for cakes… This large, attractively-priced Pom Pom platter in palest grey stoneware – robust and dishwasher safe – is perfect for your Easter roast. Available from Truly Gifted (£38).
And if it’s just chocolate you want, we are happy to bring you our tried and tested Easter egg guide too.