Gifts for foodies can feel tricky when the special person in your life is devoted to the local-food movement. Whether it’s a dedicated locavore, a passionate home cook, or that coworker who never misses the farmers’ market, finding the right present can take some thought. Luckily, we’ve rounded up a list of meaningful, locally inspired ideas perfect for placing under the tree. All that’s left is to visit your favorite market and get shopping.
1. Farmers’ Market Finds
Although it may seem like cheating, let’s be honest, everyone loves a gift card. While you might not find gift cards at every farmers’ market, market gift cards are starting to become more common. If your local farmers’ market doesn’t yet offer these tokens of good will, consider buying an item or two from several different vendors to make your own local market sampler of gifts for foodies full of cheese, jams, breads, soaps and other products offered by local farmers.
2. Seasonal CSA Shares
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, community supported agriculture (CSA) refers to a subscription to a farm where the customer buys the produce, eggs or meat upfront and picks it up periodically throughout the year, usually every week or every month. It’s possible that the locavore in your life has already joined a vegetable CSA, but buying them a year’s subscription to it could be a great gifts for foodies idea. Or there might be other CSAs in your town, such as a cheese, meat, wine, beer or local-flower CSA, that could be a nice complement to their vegetable subscription. Look online and at the markets to see what’s available nearby.
3. Cookbooks for Local-Food Lovers
Local bookstores are lined with so many excellent books that will reach right to the heart of your foodie’s world. Check out titles by famed chefs, such as Heritage by Charleston’s Sean Brock or Prune by New York’s Gabrielle Hamilton. To stick with the gifts for foodies theme, check with nearby restaurants and bookstores to see if anyone local has produced a cookbook, you’ll probably be surprised at what you find.
4. Hands-On Cooking Classes
Cooking classes are somewhat underrated gifts for foodies because, as much as people may love to take one, they aren’t likely to buy one for themselves. Keep an eye out in newspapers and ask local restaurants, chefs and even butcheries if they have any classes coming up. With just a little research, you should discover quite a few around the holidays. And they’re more fun with a partner, so don’t feel guilty when you buy yourself a spot in the class, too.
5. Local Food and Drink Tastings
Beer, wine, coffee or cheese tastings allow enthusiasts of a particular type of food learn how it’s made, meet the producers and develop skills involved in tasting it. Search online and keep an eye out for flyers on community boards. No matter where you live, there’s likely to be a local winery, brewery, cheese maker, or even coffee shop offering tastings nearby.
6. Behind-the-Scenes Farm Tours
Several farms these days offer farm tours where a customer can spend a few hours walking around a farm and listening to the farmer talk about their operation. Some farms offer tours around lambing, goat kidding or calving season so families can come out and see the baby animals. Others offer opportunities for people to come work, learn to butcher an animal, build a barn or cabin, or harvest a field. If a farm doesn’t offer public tours, it will likely make an exception with a little persuasion. Contact your favorite local farm and offer to buy a farm tour.
7. Handmade Local Kitchen Goods as Gifts for Foodies
The word “local” for the locavore can extend well beyond just food and restaurants. If you are trying to think of gifts for foodies to help at home or in the kitchen, consider seeking out local potters and artisans for wooden spoons, bowls, candles made with local beeswax, hand-forged knives, anything you think they might be able to use with pride, knowing it came from a local vendor.
8. Gifts for Foodies: Pickling & Canning Essentials
All that’s typically required to pickle or can food are some jars, a large pot of boiling water and some tongs, but there are plenty of fun accessories available to make the experience easier, tastier or more fun. Shop around and see what kinds of different jars, pressure canners, specially designed pickling spices and pickling books you can find.
9. Home Fermentation Gifts for Foodies
Fermentation is a hot topic these days, and though it doesn’t require a lot of gear to ferment something, there are a few helpful items that your foodie friend might enjoy receiving—or receiving more of. For example, air-locking lids and jars that let gas out but not in are very convenient in the fermentation world. Also, plain old mason jars make a great gift for the fermentor in your life, as does a nice antique crock.
10. DIY Brewing and Winemaking Kits
If you’re lucky enough to live near a beer or winemaking supply store––and you’d be surprised by how common there are––go in and ask about beer and winemaking kits as gifts for foodies depending on the expertise level of the person for whom you’re buying. Also, see if there are any local ingredients available––local hops for beer, honey for mead, fruit for wine, et cetera––to throw in.
Gifts for Foodies: Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best gifts for foodies who love local food?
Great options include CSA shares, farmers’ market baskets, local tastings, handmade kitchen goods, and tours of nearby farms and producers.
Are CSA subscriptions good holiday gifts?
Yes—CSA subscriptions offer fresh, seasonal food throughout the year and make an especially meaningful gift for anyone who values local agriculture.
Where can I find local-food gifts near me?
Check farmers’ markets, community boards, small boutiques, local breweries, wineries, and artisan shops. Many producers also list gift options on their websites and social media pages.
What should I give a foodie who already has everything?
Experiences are often the most memorable—try a cooking class, fermentation workshop, farm tour, or tasting event they’ve never tried before.
Are homemade or DIY food gifts a good option?
Absolutely. Homemade preserves, infused salts, baked goods, or pickled items can make thoughtful, personal gifts—especially when made with local ingredients.
Finding thoughtful gifts for the foodies in your life doesn’t have to be complicated—especially when you focus on items that celebrate local flavors and the people who produce them. Whether you choose a CSA share, a handmade kitchen tool, or a behind-the-scenes farm tour, each option supports your community while delighting the recipient. By leaning into locavore values, you’ll give a gift that tastes good, feels good, and does good.
This article about gifts for foodies was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
