If you feel you’ve spent too much time dashing in and out of shops, trawling the internet, wracking your brain for gift inspiration and still failed to tick off your list, why not consider buying a voucher or subscription? They’re easy, uncomplicated, don’t require wrapping – and you can purchase them at the very last minute. Here are some of our favourites.
PERSEPHONE BOOKS
These charming publishers and booksellers (of mostly female authors) have come up with an ingenious idea: a subscription to their A Book A Month service. For either six or 12 months, they will send your recipient one of their gorgeously bound, thought-provoking and beautifully written books every month. Stunning gift-wrapping costs extra.
L’ATELIER DES CHEFS
Give the gift of cooking with a voucher from L’Atelier des Chefs, whose brilliant cooking classes take place in two London venues. There are three gift-card options (all valid for 12 months): a 60-minute one, a 90-minute one and a Masterclass one. Among the myriad inspirational lesson themes are Burger Making, Street Food and Seasonal & Healthy Eating.
FLOWERBX
You will make someone’s year with a subscription to Flowerbx. Sign your loved one up and, weekly, fortnightly or monthly (you choose which), they will receive at their door a stunning delivery of fresh, seasonal white or coloured flowers. Heaven. Warning: there is a three-month minimum requirement and Flowerbx delivers only within London.
INTO THE BLUE
For doers and dare-devils, Into the Blue offers activity gift vouchers covering everything from a flight in a vintage Tiger Moth biplane, to a day spent careering around in heritage Jaguars, to a tandem bungee jump. All activity gift vouchers are valid for one year from the date of purchase, which gives recipients plenty of time to steady their nerves for the experience…
OXFAM UNWRAPPED
Why not make a charitable donation on behalf of those on your list who truly have everything? Oxfam Unwrapped offers 30 supremely worthwhile “unwrapped gifts”, each with an amusing e-card to send them in. Options include: “I got you… a fantastic farmyward” and “I got you… a pile of poo” and “I got you… some heroic honeybees”.
November 2018
Best Sites for Gift Vouchers & Subscriptions
Subscriptions make the perfect presents, as they don’t require wrapping and – best of all – you can buy them at the last minute.
Published December 2011