Gift ideas to sweeten this year's scaled down Yom Tov

With a Zoom Yom Tov now certain – for those outside your closest six — sending gifts has got to be a good way to show you're thinking of your (not so) nearest but dearest.

Here are a few food-related treats that may help sweeten their day:

Teatime treats:

The Biscuiteers make seriously cute — and tasty iced biscuits. They've produced a special Rosh Hashanah tin (£45) with biscuits shaped as apples, candles and even a cute shofar. They look good and taste great. (vegetarian)

For the foodie: 

Sesame Kingdom make terrific tahina and seriously good silan - all heschered kosher. I have both in my kitchen cupboard. So the foodie in your life is going to love one of their hampers, which include a breakfast hamper (£29.90) which includes vegan granola, raw tahina and silan or a larger version which pairs this with a couple of slabs of their have-to-eat halva for (£59.90). They even sell face masks! 

Charitable champs:

Give back while you're giving with Kisharon's gorgeous range of goodies. They have totally nailed it this year — with personalised honey jars (from £6.00) honey cake making kits (complete with a jar of the sweet stuff) to fabulous foodie gifts on plates and dishes they can keep. I love this steel boat bowl filled with honey, buzzy bee napkins and a range of sweet treats including nougat, marshmallows and dried fruits.  Available to order or click and collect from their Temple Fortune store in North West London. Check out the full range here.

 

For the children:

Another winner from Kisharon — this painting set (£7.50) allows them to decorate their own mini honey pot, selection of Rosh Hashanah-themed wooden shapes and even a mini bottle of grape juice. Available to order or click and collect from their Temple Fortune store in North West London.

For the keen cook:

Who doesn't love a new cookbook? And there are several around that will also be paying  profits back into supporting charities.

I particularly love To Life: Healthy Jewish Food by Judi Rose and Dr Jackie Rose, which focuses on food that will not only taste great, feel haimish but also be nutritious. (All profits to Chai Cancer, Save a Child's Heart and World Jewish Relief.) 

Or you could lend your support to one of the charitable books that have been released post-lockdown. Jane Lazare set up Facebook group What's For Dinner to bring people together during lockdown and has released a gorgeous book recording some of the best-loved recipes. £25 available by emailing whatsfordinnertonight320@gmail.com

Another Facebook group set up during the pandemic's height — You Donate, We Deliver — sent thousands of meals into NHS hospitals to feed doctors and nurses. Member, Marc Trainis, compiled this book, Feeding the NHS, has been produced of some of the recipes their members used and all proceeds of sale will go to the group - who won an award from the Prime Minister, and who are now using funds raised to support homeless and needy families. Available from Amazon or Waterstones - online only. (£20) 

However you celebrate, be safe.