The best gifts for friends to show them how much you appreciate them

Whether they’re a veritable Heston Blumenthal or more prone to the blue soup of Bridget Jones, a keen cook should always have somewhere more formal than a scrap of paper to write down their recipes. Enter Papier and its outrageously satisfying Recipe Journal complete with space for ingredients, portion sizes, hints and other categories for the proud (whether justified or not) chef.

Those who chip, dip and margarita together, stay together, but you've got even more of a chance when the centrepiece to your carb-fuelled deep ‘n’ meaningfuls looks like this.

One of our top choices of potion from one of our favourite grooming destinations, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is fast-absorbing, fragrance-free and lightweight. A moisturiser for every kind of face and a skincare grail you can actually afford.

Did you know that some of our favourite ever watches aren't even £100? Casio was cool in 1987 and it's cool now, with the gold A168WG-9EF edition a gloriously timeless option that works for any gender and with any outfit (trust us, we've done the research).

It feels almost as though Harvey Nichols has mis-priced this alcohol hamper of wine. For less than £40, your giftee will get three full-size bottles of wine: one white, one red and one rosé. Also ideal for a housewarming.

The grown-up equivalent of giving each other a dead arm? A hot sauce that’s almost too much to handle. This one by the appropriately named “Hot Sauces” is called, not so subtly, “Pain 100%” and contains an indecent level of habanero peppers and Capsaicin extract.

A weekly visit to the local pub certainly counts as an experience and picking up the bill a gift, but if you’d like to explore more of what the world of experience gifts has to offer then a rage room is one of our top picks. There’s something remarkably bonding about taking a baseball bat to an old computer monitor together.

Chocolate that looks like other things may sound niche but we’ve found it to be a remarkably popular gift for a relatively low price: more than a block of Cadbury Dairy Milk, of course, but less than a high-end box of truffles. This Choc on Choc favourite imitates a cheese board, with brie, cheddar, blue cheese, grapes and mouse all present and correct.

As we’ve already highlighted, personalised pressies are some of the best things to choose for a particularly special occasion — or a particularly special person. A unique gift in the category comes in the form of these Uncommon Goods tumbled marble coasters, which can be designed with a custom map. The town centre or campus of your shared university town, perhaps?

A sock is a sock is a sock. Unless it’s not. Unless it has Pokémon characters on it, as these three pairs from Asos do. Prime gifting real estate for the friend you’ve had so long you remember trading them a shiny Bulbasaur.

A tasteful wash bag-like companion for tech, Nordstrom’s Bellroy case will organise wires, chargers, flash drives and the like so that your friend will never again find themselves rooting around in the bottom of a suitcase for that elusive pair of headphones or USB-C connector.

Having lots of indoor plants is one reasonable millennial trope, and if they too are enamoured with collecting succulent friends, a BloomBox subscription could be right on the money. Coming once a month in ceramic pots or whimsical baskets, this gift will make them giddy with excitement every single month.

Happy birthday from Blondie's Kitchen, which is serving up gigantic cookies as an alternative to the boring old Victoria sponge cake. Ringed by vanilla icing, peppered with white chocolate chips and finished with hundreds and thousands, all you need do is add candles.

How delicious could a cocktail in a box really be? Take it from us, if you’re buying from Nio Cocktails then the answer is: “very”. This selection from the brand (whose name stands for ‘Needs Ice Only’) compiles its most popular whiskey-based tipples: two old fashioneds, two whiskey sours and two Manhattans.

You can tell that the folks at Jellycat have a lot of fun with their inventions, which don’t only include stuffed animals such as rabbits and bears but run the gamut of smiling inanimate objects. You can buy almost any foodstuff in soft plushie form, but this aubergine is our top pick.

The category of hampers can seem overwhelming at first glance, but when you narrow it down to a classic like this Fortnum & Mason Grosvenor basket, you’re set for an ideal friendship gift. The F&M Grosvenor is more than well supplied with two bottles of wine, tea, truffles, biscuits and jams. It’s like the best of Fortnum’s food hall all enclosed in classic monogrammed wicker.

Men, women, children…even dogs love a good pub, and if you're the kind to base your weekend plans around the humble public houses of Britain then this National Trust book is a must for your next group outing. Inside you'll find a century of walks to, from and around pubs located up and down the length of the UK.

Buying a whole new video console for a friend is a little much (unless you’re in love with them, that is) but for the mate who already has a Switch — and prefers to play it through the telly — a new controller is a reasonable and much appreciated buy.

Their partner may well disagree, but a person can never have too many hooded sweatshirts, and this Weekday classic is a soft, durable option in a style that can be worn for style points, thrown over sportswear for the gym or chosen for a night on the settee. A reasonable price and available in a slew of colours, it’s a top tier choice and an always-appreciated gift.

It’s a piece of pasta; it’s a candle; it is, ladies and gents, a piece of pasta-shaped candle. A giant wax rigatoni made to be burned as the real carbs get cooked, the novelty candle is a great alternative to the scented type that your friend may already have in spades. Also available in macaroni.

Find Your Friends can only go so far: what about when the friend who loses everything finally misplaces their keys and phone? Step in before disaster strikes and keep them flush in AirTags. Perfect for the one you always lose — and who always loses their gadgets — on nights out.

A hosting centrepiece or an indulgent solo night in: whichever it is, Hotel Chocolat’s molten chocolate spread offers the opportunity to coat everything from gianduja balls to almond biscuits in ramekins of milk, dark, white and caramel liquid chocolate. Dip it, dip it real good.

Water bottles — in particular, large, stainless steel water bottles that make a racket when dropped — have never had more cultural cachet. To rule them all: the many-coloured litre-size Stanley tumbler.

James Patterson on writing; Bill Clinton on inclusive leadership; Lewis Hamilton on having a winning mindset… Masterclass is bursting with experts in every category you can imagine, and they’re all available to learn from. Is your friend a budding writer, musician, artist, makeup artist, scientist, yogi? Whatever their niche, there’s likely a Masterclass for them to explore.

Who knew beavers could brew such a good IPA? And not just one kind either, but several, from your pub’s favourite Neck Oil to the tropical zaps of Gamma Ray. In this case of the best, 24 cans from across the brewery’s vibrant roster.

Making and breaking habits is not an easy business, but having a place that keeps you accountable makes it a lot more manageable. That’s where the LSW Habit Notes journal comes in, encouraging daily check-ins without being unreasonable in its prompts. Perfect for the mate who's always insisting they're going to download Duolingo.

Buying a bunch of flowers and adding a brand new vase to go along with it is in the top tier as far as great gifts go, especially now flower delivery services are so exceptional. We love this diminutive one in heart-stamped glass. Add a sprig of dried flowers from Lisa Angel for something a little different.

Football fans often have very short memories (many Chelsea fans, for example, suffer collective amnesia for anything that happened on the pitch before 2004; for Manchester City, football was invented around 2011). What better way to help your friend remember the glory days – or indeed their club’s time in the doldrums – with a print comprising the classic strips of yesteryear?

Fondant fancies, Battenbergs and cherry bakewells may no longer be your go-to snacks, but boy do they look pretty painted on a mug Emma Bridgewater style. Add your own line or take the brand’s cue with the cutesy “Fancy a Slice?” (Sadly, no profanity is permitted.)

A subscription service is a great gifting option since it keeps on giving well after their birthday ends. A bunch of Bloom & Wild flowers a month is just about the most delightful thing to receive, and since the blooms or plants get packed carefully in boxes, they can easily slot through their letterbox. In other words, this is a low-effort gift with high levels of joy guaranteed; it even works for long-distance friendships.

It’s only been 18 months since Salman Rushdie was stabbed on stage in New York, but the generation-defining talent has already written a book about it. Available to pre-order now, Knife is destined to be a riveting read.

Not all fragrances are created equal, and nor are all price tags. Calvin Klein's masculine Defy eau de parfum is one of our top picks for fresh wearability — and you can deliver this shot of vetiver and citrus via a very reasonable sum of your English pounds.

Even staunch monogamists know the value of variety in everything else life has to offer, and ClassPass has diversity in spades, giving you (or in this case, your mate) the opportunity to visit all sorts of classes and gyms in your local area. Maybe they’ll finally join you at that hot yoga class.

Diffusers are the best new way to add fragrance to the home and our fave is this White Company edition in a smooth ceramic lovely enough to take pride of place on a side table. An object of self-care and home decor in one.

You’ve heard of letterbox flowers. Now get ready for letterbox biscuits, as exemplified by Biscuiteers and its perfectly baked, impeccably iced wares. In this masterful box in particular, your lucky mate will find five lemon-flavoured biscuits masquerading as GnTs with lime.

A simple signet ring is a menswear staple as much as a woman’s delicate chain pendant. No need to go crazy about it either: this one from Lost Souls does the job nicely.

For those seeking something that nobody else has, look outside the gift box with this Cowboys of Habit velour cushion disguised as an old joke shop classic. A silly gift for a Best Man that their partner won't mind displaying on the settee.

Once you hear of the concept of fresh chocolates, you’ll wonder why you never thought of it before; once you taste Russell & Atwell’s game-changing creations, you’ll be seeking that same high forever. Chocolate has always been more than just a Christmas gift.

Something special for a newly-wed mate, this Monica Vinader bangle is one of our favourite demi-fine trinkets. Club together to buy it, add an engraving and you have the perfect gift for a very important occasion.

Malin + Goetz continues its quest to make delectable scents out of things it shouldn’t. Having already made Cannabis one of our favourite — and the brand’s most popular — scents, it’s turning its hand to rum, with notes of plum, leather and bergamot combining in this new triumph in vegetable wax.

Since The Great British Bake Off only airs for two months of every year, your dessert-loving friends may well need something to fill the hole. Set them on the path to appearing on the series themselves with Mon Dessert, a subscription service that delivers all the ingredients and instructions needed to construct your very own showstopper. If they ever get a Paul Hollywood handshake it’ll feel like you’ve earned it too.

Japanese whisky is having a moment, but it isn’t only Suntory’s single malt that has us (and brand ambassador Keanu Reeves) turning our head. Its vodka, christened Haku, is quite a win too. In this context, a bottle works perfectly as an alternative to the Smirnoff you usually pick up for a housewarming

Aside from the fact that Taskmaster is objectively one of the best shows ever made, its board game manifestation is also some of the most fun to be had this Christmas. Suitable for three or more players, it’s the perfect antidote for the inevitable post-turkey coma. Pour everyone a few more drinks, crack it open, and let the games begin. Your time starts now…

A sinuous slip of chain link gold, this Missoma chain bracelet represents everything classy about late 20th century dressing. A style that will always charm, this one comes in 18-carat gold plated sterling silver and represents your best shot at choosing a piece of jewellery that’ll please everyone.

Candles are the ideal gift we often rely on: they’re always desirable, and since they’re perishable, there's always a good chance another it's high on their wishlist. This Urban Outfitters number may burn away but it’ll leave your giftee with a cutesy vintage-style mushroom ornament at the end of it all, too. An interior double whammy in one.

Are their ears pierced? Great: that’s probably the only prerequisite for your mate loving a pair of these Olivia & Peal earrings, which combine the classicism of a perfectly-formed pearl with the eclecticism of an additional decorative back.

Brimming with the good stuff, this 40% authentic Kentucky bourbon is enhanced with the tantalising taste of natural banana flavour for a smooth, ever-so-drinkable tipple that’ll get the conversation flowing. The Official Flavoured Whiskey of the UFC (how’s that for a super-specific accolade), it’s best served as a shot — though it’ll make for a superb base for a sweet-kick cocktail. Yes, it’ll have whiskey snobs up in arms, but that’s their loss. Cheers.