Finding the perfect gift for a foodie friend or loved one can be tough—when you’ve compared food gifts for hours, you want to know it’ll be well-received, and you want it to last a little longer than the time it takes to eat a bar of craft chocolate or to polish off a bottle of pinot.
That’s why a food gift subscription is a great option: it’s thoughtful, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving (as long as you choose wisely!).
We believe gifts should reflect our values, so we wanted to share our top 6 gift subscriptions for foodies that align with our vision for a better, healthier world.
In this article, we’ll cover…
- Why you need to consider the company’s mission and values when choosing the perfect foodie gift
- How to gift a food subscription the right way (for maximum deliciousness)
- 6 of the best gift subscriptions for foodies who want to live life to the fullest through great, sustainable food
By the end, you’ll know how to pick the perfect foodie gift subscription, and you’ll have 6 delectable options to choose from.
Why Give a Food Gift Subscription?
The real question is: why not?
One-off gifts are wonderful, but a subscription makes your gift go the extra mile:
- Your friend or loved one will receive a little extra dose of joy each month, and they’ll be reminded of how much you care.
- You can sit back and relax knowing they’re getting something they love without you needing to put in a whole lot of work trying to put together a gift yourself.
- These brands know how to create and deliver something extraordinary so that the special foodie in your life will be well looked after!
What’s not to love about something delicious being delivered to your doorstep each month, pre-paid!
Read: The Ultimate Coffee Gift Guide for Every Budget [2021 Holiday Edition]
How We Picked These Gift Subscriptions
In our modern world, where we choose to buy from can be more important than what we’re buying. And, choosing the perfect gift for a loved one means considering everything—including the company that’s behind it.
Buy Gifts That Align with Your Mission and Values
Why choose a gift from a large corporation when you can purchase from a smaller business and make a real difference with your gift? Your loved one will appreciate the care and thought behind the present, and you can both feel good knowing you’re supporting people doing great things.
When choosing our top 6, we looked for:
- Strong mission statements — businesses that know what they’re about and why. Businesses that care about their why are also far more likely to care about the quality of their product, so that’s a win-win!
- Ironclad values — clear values that resonated with us and created a connection, building trust. When you’re giving a food subscription, buying from a brand your giftee will love is important: it’ll be an ongoing relationship after all.
- Sustainable, ethical practices to back it all up — the world needs more businesses that care about their impact beyond lip service; supporting businesses with transparent, sustainable, and ethical practices is the only way to go if we want to build an amazing future.
We think gift-giving is serious business, and we want to help you make the best possible choice by looking at the big picture as well as the finer details.
6 of The Best Gift Subscriptions for Foodies
We have good news for you: you can stop your food gift subscription search! We’ve found 6 of the best food gift subscriptions that we think any foodie will love. And they’re not just delicious: they come from companies doing incredible things.
#1: Try the World
The Try the World subscription offers a chance to travel the world through food each month. The boxes feature a curated selection of gourmet foods — including ingredients, drinks, and snacks from around the world, along with periodic tips, recipes and stories to help your loved one create an authentic culinary experience at home.
This company works with small, family-owned companies that follow traditional and artisanal production methods, as they believe this is the most authentic way to discover a new culture.
What Try the World Stands For:
- Celebrating delicious, unique food from cultures around the world
- Bringing people together and enriching lives through great food
- Supporting small, family-owned businesses and artisans
Also Read: Which Country Should You Buy Coffee Beans From?
#2: Imperfect Foods
This sustainable grocery delivery service is a practical, thoughtful gift idea. Imperfect Foods is on a mission to eliminate food waste and build a better food system for everyone; they’re doing this by reimagining grocery delivery for a kinder, less wasteful world. They lovingly box up the ‘imperfect’ or ‘ugly’, farm-fresh fruit and veg that can’t be sold to grocery stores and send them to people’s homes, ready to be turned into something special.
The subscription can be tailored to the giftee’s preferences. It’s a weekly delivery, and it’s easy to order and customize. This is a time and planet-saving gift that takes away the hassle of grocery shopping — it’s well worth considering!
What Imperfect Foods Stands For:
- Eliminating food waste by saving ‘imperfect’ fruits and vegetables
- Fighting domestic hunger by donating to food banks
- Making fresh food accessible and affordable for all
Also Read: Gifting Coffee Beans: 3 Things To Do (And 3 To Avoid)
#3: Kencko
Kencko wants to improve people’s health with five fruit + veggie servings a day, the easy way. They transform fresh, organic fruits and veggies into handy single-serving powdered smoothies — all you have to do is shake with water or milk and sip away to meet your fresh food quota. They believe in healthy habits and a healthy planet. They’re reducing waste, using compostable packaging, and offsetting all emissions from shipping.
A subscription with Kencko is the perfect idea for a time-poor loved one who cares about health and wellness.
What Kencko Stands For:
- Improving people’s relationship with food
- Plant-rich diets for a healthy future for people and the planet
- Building a more inclusive, sustainable, and less wasteful economy
#4: Cured and Cultivated
Cured and Cultivated is a small, family-run business that loves all things food and wine. The Cheese & Charcuterie Club box offers hand-selected cheese, charcuterie, and other delicacies from around the world. It’s a delicious foodie gift — your loved one can savor the charcuterie on their own, or they can enjoy it with others over a wine or two.
Each month, the club box features an assortment of handpicked products, and you can choose from a one-off, 3-month, or 6-month subscription.
What Cured and Cultivated Stands For:
- Discovering new flavors from around the world
- Supporting small artisanal producers
- Slowing down to graze on good food (solo or with company!)
Also Read: How To Put Together The Perfect Coffee Gift Basket [2024 Update]
#5: OLIPOP
OLIPOP has created a new, better-for-you soda. This is healthy soda for digestive and microbiome health, and it tastes amazing. It’s a beautiful-looking product, and there are countless classic and modern flavors to choose from, like Cherry Vanilla, Vintage Cola, and Classic Root Beer.
Their subscription service is easy to customize and can be delivered to your giftee’s door every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. This is the ideal gift for someone who loves soda but likes to try new, healthier options!
What OLIPOP Stands For:
- Respecting our microbiome with nourishing food and beverages
- Constantly improving healthy sodas based on current research
- Enjoying life and sweet treats without sacrificing health
#6: Raw Spice Bar
The folks at Raw Spice Bar offer sustainably sourced spices and seasonings from around the world. Each month, they pair their fresh, handcrafted spice blends with a mouth-watering recipe to inspire home cooks to craft delicious, globally inspired meals.
Their spice blend subscription can be customized to suit your giftee’s dietary choices — with an omnivore or herbivore option, and there’s a 3-, 6-, or 12-month plan. Or, you can send an E-Gift Card and let your loved one customize it.
What Raw Spice Bar Stands For:
- Fresh, aromatic, small-batch spices that make global dishes taste incredible
- Responsibly sourcing spices from growers who care
- Spices to suit all styles of cooking and diets — including vegetarians and vegans
Also Read: 12 Gifts For The Coffee Connoisseur [2021 Update]
How to Gift a Subscription
Option 1: Have the gift sent to their residence
If you’re comfortable doing so, simply sign up for the gift subscription, adding their details to have the gift delivered straight to their doorstep each month. Give them a card to let them know the details of their subscription — or let it be a nice surprise!
Option 2: Receive the gift at your house, then deliver it personally
If you’d prefer to have the food subscription sent to your home instead, make sure you deliver it to them within a day or two of receiving it, so their foodie gift is still at its peak freshness. You don’t want to be giving them a week-old box of food — fresh is always best.
Also Read: Gifting Coffee Beans: 3 Things to Do (And 3 to Avoid)
Option 3: Get a gift card
If you purchase a gift card with the business that offers the subscription, they can activate it themselves when they’re ready; they can put their details in (less chance for errors) and customize the subscription to suit their tastes. This way they’ll also know when their subscription will arrive, so there’s less chance of things going pear-shaped and them missing a delivery.
