6 Drool-Worthy Valentine's Day Gifts for Foodies That Aren't Food — And Last Way Longer
When you want to your message of love to stick around longer than a picked-over box of chocolates.
If your loved one seriously loves food, you'd best be steering clear of a last-minute Valentine's Day gift from the picked-over candy aisle at the drugstore. (Word to the wise: A cellophane-wrapped teddy bear clutching a chocolate foil-wrapped rose is the gift that says, "I care enough to grab this at 6 P.M. on the way home from work," no matter the culinary discernment quotient of the recipient.) And anyway, this Valentine's Day is the first in 153 years that iconic conversation hearts aren't for sale — so it's time to get creative.
This year, give your foodie Valentine a gift that honors their love of elevated food and drinks... but in a form that lasts longer than one champagne-fueled binge fest (that they may or may not actually remember afterward). Consider these gift ideas — ranging from budget friendly to seal-the-deal splurges for THE ONE — that will keep your thoughtfulness on their mind for way longer than one night.
1. Hennessy x Opening Ceremony Travel Bag — $350
If your Valentine loves fine spirits — not to mention travel and fashun! — they'll love this collaboration between Opening Ceremony and Hennessy, born from a celebration of family traditions and world travels. The vibrant gold leather crossbody packs a punch that says, "I love you." And also says, "I will love strutting through the airport with you on the way to the bar." Alcohol not included...
...so yeah, you might as well throw in the booze, too.
To go with their Hennessy collab bag, give them a bottle of Master Blender's Selection No. 3. It's a single batch, rare blend available for a limited time, priced at $120. It will never be made again.
2. VENA Wellness Tincture — $44.95
The Feast asked Tamra and Eddie Judge: What's the best Valentine's Day gift to give a loved one from their new CBD product line, VENA Wellness? In short, you can't go wrong with any cream, capsules, or tinctures from the line (really show your love by getting one of each, Tamra suggested!) but the tincture makes an elegant, easy-to-wrap gift — in classic Valentine's Day red. "Just drop the CBD oil under your tongue and it absorbs just a little bit faster than the capsules," Eddie told The Feast. The conscious foodie will appreciate that the entire line is non-GMO, all natural, and grown in the U.S.A.
3. Weleda Skin Food — $8.70
Speaking of conscious foodies... If they're concerned about what goes in their body, they ought to be concerned about what goes on it too. (After all, skin is our biggest organ!) Weleda's Skin Food Original is nearly a nearly century-old salve for dry, rough skin on faces, elbows, hands, and feet. It includes extracts of pansy, calendula, and chamomile in a beeswax base — so a teeny dab will do, and the gift will last and last. Weleda's whole line embraces fair trade practices and biodynamic farming — so, if they look out for those concepts in their food, they'll be into it in their products, too. And this one's a bargain.
4. Kypris Face Oil — $225
Into those same ethical, sustainable concepts... but not so much into a bargain gift? Go for the ultimate luxury with a gift from Kypris, such as the beauty oil Beauty Elixir I: 1,000 Roses. It's kinda like a dozen roses — or a cheesy foil-wrapped rose clutched by a drugstore teddy bear — but condensed into an elegant glass dropper jar. And just all around way better. Kypris' ingredients are all co-op grown, sustainably procured, vegan — and from small, woman-owned farms. How's that for a big message in a little jar?
5. Baby Gold Message Ring — $400
Maybe she's a mama — like your mama, or your baby's mama — who loves food and pretty things. Great! Then scoop up this pave "MAMA" ring just as it is. But if she's really a devoted foodie, how about going for Baby Gold's custom option that uses the four-letter template to spell out "TACO" or "ROSÉ" in 14-karat recycled gold? Talk about a statement ring everyone will want to talk about. Or should we say... taco bout? The ring pictured is currently on Valentine's Day sale for 20 percent off, bringing it down to $400.
6. Tenth Street Hats Panama Hat
Sure, you could give a bottle of rum — or whip up a batch of fried plantains — to remind your foodie partner about that fabulous tropical trip you ate your way through together. (Or the one you have planned, or want to plan...) Or you could give something longer lasting that says: "I'll forever be your rum-drinking buddy on the beach." For that, we're going with an evocative topper, such as Tenth Street Hats' "Quito" Panama straw fedora.
Now grab your Valentine — and your hat and your gold crossbody — and head off into the sunset together.
