Gifts for Guzzlers
A last-minute gift guide for the food lover in your life
What’s this, another listicle of the best food-related gifts on the island of Ireland? Well, I’ll try my best to excite you with a selection of of publications, products, and experiences for the food lover in your life. The Gifts for Guzzlers guide is perfect for last-minute shoppers who want to impress without the fear of delayed shipping, each suggestion is based in Dublin or can be printed from the comfort of your own home.
Read: The Gourmand’s Egg - A Collection of Stories and Recipes - Indigo & Cloth, Temple Bar
The Gourmand has been championing art and food since its inception in 2012 and I have been ogling over it ever since. Despite the fact that I deplore eggs, I devoured each page of The Gourmand’s Egg - A Collection of Stories and Recipes and urge you to share the experience. The book traces the portrayal of the ovum in art through the ages with essays by leading writers from the worlds of art and food including Jennifer Higgie and Ruth Reichl.
Experience: The Scéal Sourdough for Beginners Course (limited availability)
Us humans are suckers for attempting to replace bad habits with good at the beginning of the calendar year. Encourage someone to get into the swing of sourdough bread making by gifting them a beginners course with Scéal Bakery. Homemade bread is fresher, more affordable and I can’t even begin to mention the aroma that will fill their home (the fresh bread, not the sourdough starter, of course).
Wear: Ferm Living Rose and Bright Blue Apron - Industry & Co, Drury Street
Ok, this one isn’t strictly Irish but Vanessa and the team at Industry & Co transform houses throughout Ireland with their curation of contemporary homeware. Industry & Co stock international favourites HAY and HK Living alongside Irish brands including McNutt and Bean and Goose. I adore the Ferm Living glassware but their apron is the perfect gift for that pal who saunters about with flour sprinkled on the surface of their clothing.
I also love Enrich and Endure made in Northern Ireland but get your order in before it’s too late.
Frame: Another Day, Another Shop - contact hello@guzzle.ie to arrange collection
I couldn’t write a listicle about art and food without a nod to our commissioned photography series by Rudy De Souza. Of course, this would be the perfect opportunity to promote the mag’ but stocks are low and prints are aplenty. I love Another Day, Another Shop and Milky Orange and think they would spice up any boring magnolia kitchen.
Learn: What I Know About Running Coffee Shops - online and from 3fe
In 2017, Colin Harmon shared his tips of the trade by revealing insights from the 3fe coffee conglomerate, beautifully encased in a hardback cover designed by Conor and David, who previously ran WorkGroup. Though my copy is worn from decorating a coffee table rather than being read, I suggest What I Know About Running Coffee Shops for anyone who has toyed with the idea of launching a food business. However, the book could be due a refresh considering staff shortages and escalating inflation costs for businesses.
Subscribe: Ómós Digest - Substack subscription
Cúán Greene has been hotly tipped as one to watch in the Irish food industry after a stint cheffing in Noma, Copenhagen, and previously heading the kitchen in Bastible restaurant, Dublin. More recently, Cúán has explored the landscape of Irish food through the makers and growers behind it in his regular newsletter Ómós Digest. Readers can subscribe for free or upgrade to paid memberships from €5 per month to an annual subscription of €50 per year.
Cherish: Jennifer Slattery’s Mistletoe embroidered Irish Linen napkins - Benburb Stree, Dublin 7
Tablescaping is all the rage these days but what’s the point of decking the table with kitsch imports when Ireland produces soft and sustainable linen domestically? Jennifer Slattery’s embroidered napkins will spruce up the shabbiest kitchen table while becoming an heirloom to pass down from generation to generation.
Support: Irish food publications Bia! Zine, Scoop and Guzzle (ofc) - in stockists across Dublin
When I concocted the idea for Guzzle, it didn’t occur to me that the stories of Irish food would be printed in various publications in Ireland by 2022. Victory Nwabu-Ekeoma created Bia! Zine, a digital and print publication that celebrates migrant food culture in Ireland while food writer Dee Laffan launched Scoop, platforming the people behind contemporary Irish food. If you’re reading this, then chances are you’re already familiar with Guzzle, which is an independent publication that connects with readers by telling stories through the lenses of art and food. It’s clearly been a fantastic year for female-led food publications in Ireland.
Visit: Breac House - Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal
Ireland’s rugged landscape has garnered a reputation worldwide but we inhabitants often forget the treasures on our own doorstep. The distance from Dublin to Donegal might feel far but Ireland is a tiny island and the trip to Breac House in Dunfanaghy will quickly remind your nearest and dearest of its wonder. Having fled from the world of finance, Cathrine Burke and Niall Campbell created a retreat that houses Irish art, design, and food on the Northwestern seafront of Horn Head, Co. Donegal.
Guzzle: Warehouse Food Christmas Hamper - Greenmount Avenue, Dublin 12
Rather than popping into the local offie for a bottle of plonk, visit the Warehouse Food Market and purchase a gift that supports Irish producers without even having to head into town. In addition, Warehouse’s small Christmas hamper is beautifully packaged so you won’t even have to whip out the sellotape.
Jane Gleeson is a writer, event manager, and art college graduate who pivoted into the food world after completing a Master’s in Gastronomy and Food Studies at TU Dublin. As a former gallery worker, Jane blends a background in art and design with a passion for Irish food culture.