Author: Francesca Andrews

We persuaded LCW’s Founder to pick up his pen again for our February Newsletter.

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Valentine’s Day is one of those moments that creep up on me, catching me unprepared. Worst case, I’ve committed to a business trip, more often than not just cut it too fine. At least the former gaffe hasn’t been possible this year. For some reason though, I’ve been obsessing for weeks about what to do for this 14th February. Maybe because we’re all more aware of the central place love and our loved ones play in our lives. Plus during Lockdown any excuse to have a celebration, big or small, at least in our household.

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Image: The Waterhouse Project 

The Waterhouse Project At Home. £157 for two (including wine)

Dinner on the 14th is non-negotiable. For those who normally go out (we don’t, as faux-romantic menus and a room full of hushed whispering is not our thing), Lockdown has spawned a cornucopia of imaginative and delicious delivery options from enterprising local restauranteurs. For those of you in London, this is one of the best meal kits around – and can feed up to eight, so perfect for spreading the Love. The beetroot looks especially enticing, both baked and in the macaroons. Gauthier also do a great home option, especially The Vegan Box – which can be delivered nationwide.

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Image: Forman & Field 

H. Forman & Son Wild River Tweed Smoked Salmon. Half pound pack, £99.50

Cooking something special for that special person is wonderful at any time of year. But you don’t want to be slaving over the stove or, even worse, experimenting with a new recipe. So I suggest something simple, which you know well and can get on the table with minimum fuss and maximum attention on your Loved One. Plus this year, for those of us in multi-generational households, there’s no romantic dinner-for-two option, so easy ways to feed everyone are even more important. Hard to go wrong then starting with smoked salmon. But, as with so much else, there is a world of difference between the standard supermarket stuff and this wild salmon from Lance Forman’s pink Smokery on the banks of the Lea. Most people assume that Scotland is the ancient home of smoked salmon as well as the fish itself but actually it was immigrants like the Formans who brought the knowledge and skills of how to smoke fish with them when they arrived in the East End. I think I am right in saying Forman’s is one of the last, if not the last, from those days. The Forman farmed version is also good and much more affordable. Although if, like me, you prefer a leaner salmon, Secret Smokehouse, who are relative newcomers also keeping up the East End tradition, do a spectacularly natural and fresh farmed fish.

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Image: Laurent-Perrier 

Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Alexandra Rosé. Hedonism Wines, £215

Image: Nyetimber

Nyetimber 1086 Rosé Prestige Cuvée, £175

Keeping the food simple, means you can double down on the wine. A sparkling rosé is essential for Valentine’s Day and never more so than this year. I am biased but these two wines are outstandingly good examples in their own different ways. Maybe serve both and start the evening as you mean to go on. Both Houses also do a standard rosé, which is far from standard but easier on the wallet.

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Mary Berry’s Best Brownies Ever Recipe. From Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook, £30

Making something for your loved ones has become a sort of leitmotif of this Covid-year. So Valentine’s is another excuse to rustle up something sweet and ideally chocolaty. I made Mary Berry’s Very Best Chocolate Fudge cake last week for my younger son’s birthday but did something wrong, which was almost terminal and required all my pothole-repairing skills (plus lots of extra icing and Apricot jam). This is also from La Berry but somewhat more straightforward and just as delicious. I think brownies should be chewy, so my top tip is to add 50g of ground almonds. And take them out of the oven five minutes early.

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Image: Bread Ahead

Bread Ahead E-Learning Class: Doughnuts. £25 per person | 2.5 hours

Even better than making something with love for those you love is to make things together with them, especially if the whole family can get involved. The challenge of course is not being able to do this physically and so not being able to see what others are doing, especially when things go wrong (which is always how I learn). The good news is that Bread Ahead, with whom my son Hugo and I have learnt how to make bagels, pretzels, focaccia and all things that start with a levain, run this and other online courses. Participants download an E-workshop with recipes, ingredients and an equipment list. They can then join a live Zoom session with one of Bread Ahead’s bakers who guide them step-by-step through the process. And notch up another Covid-skill, in this case the healing power of doughnuts.

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Image: Sian Evans Jewellery

Bespoke Recycled Jewellery from Sian Evans

We tend towards exchanging tokens rather than something big but if you are someone who likes to give something more substantial on the Feast of Saint Valentine, then Sian Evans’s Bespoke Upcycling service, despite sounding somewhat municipal and utilitarian, is a lovely idea and a practical way to breathe new life into little used jewellery.

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Image: Rosa de la Cruz/ Matches Fashion

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Image: Two Rivers Paper

Four Sheet Pack of Full Imperial Oatmeal-tinted Rag Tub-Sized Watercolour Paper. Two Rivers Paper, £60

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a weakness for beautiful paper. This year even more so, with any occasion, however minor, marked by something papery. I’ve even been trying to remember my prep school watercolour classes. Pre-Covid, every trip to Tokyo I stocked up on stationary supplies, especially from the Ginza Itoya. But with these now running low, I rediscovered my family’s favourite, Smythson’s. I’ve been missing G F Smith’s wonderful Eastcastle Street showroom, where they feature an eye-dazzling range of papers, including those from James Cropper, who’ve been making paper continuously in their mill in the Lake District since 1845 (and used to supply the paper for our LCW guide). At the other end of the spectrum, Jim Pattison (who was the Heritage Craft Association’s Maker of the Year 2019) and Neil Hopkins, with one apprentice, Zoe Collis, are the craftspeople behind Two Rivers Paper who handmake papers for artists and designers in Somerset.

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One Day Introductory Calligraphy Course with Patricia Lovett MBE

Despite my love of paper, pens and wet ink, my card-making and letter writing is always let down by my illegible scribbles. So if someone was to give me a beginners Calligraphy course like this I would be scratching away at my Copperplate before you could say nib. Although I imagine my entry and exit strokes would need some considerable practice at home before being good enough for anything other than the Ocado list.

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Image: Woman In Real Life

Cricut Joy. John Lewis, £159.99

In a burst of Christmas card-making enthusiasm, I bought one of these mini bundles of joy for my partner Manoon. I’m ashamed to say, we’ve both been so busy since then that it remains in its box, as yet unused. Hopefully we can christen it for the 14th.

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Image: FLOWERBX

Large Pink Lady Orchid. FLOWERBX, £70

Finally, let’s not forget the flowers. Goodness knows what Government Guidance is on how to keep fresh flowers Covid-free but anyway better give a plant, as there’s something special about bringing something living into the home. And this beautiful orchid from Walpole Brand of Tomorrow FLOWERBX, will not only bloom for ages but do so again in six months or so if looked after properly.

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Image: Shannon Clegg

Bouquet, Shannon Clegg, £450 

Or for an alternative, Shannon Clegg’s wonderful sculptural pieces can be bought or commissioned for something different and beautiful. Maybe there’s even a way to make your Valentine’s flowers last by picking up a few tips from Shannon (who will be exhibiting at LCW this year) on how to dry and press flowers.

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Image: Franchi

Principe Borghese da Appendere Tomato Seeds. Franchi Seeds, £2.69

To finish on the renaissance theme, why not give a pack or two of these seeds, as February isn’t too early to get propagating. Just make sure to get the right varieties, as it’s pointless to go to all the effort and end up with fruit that is no better than what you can get at the supermarket. Franchi is my go-to veg seed supplier, I just hope Brexit hasn’t made getting them too complicated this year.

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Featured image courtesy of Shannon Clegg  

As we come to the end of an extraordinary year, we want to thank you for your continued support and collaboration. In these challenging times, it’s been particularly rewarding and inspiring to see such a rich and diverse range of exceptional skill and talent come together, and we are grateful to all those who made this happen.

London Craft Week was founded to give an opportunity for established and emerging craftspeople to share their stories alongside each other, allowing the unsung artists, makers and brands as much sunlight as the world-famous names. So we were really delighted that, not only were we still able to put on our London festival this year, but we also launched Create Day – a new international initiative designed to celebrate creativity in all its forms.

“Well before Covid-19, we had become somewhat isolated from each other, too busy, too narrow-focused. Yet there has never been more creativity, imagination and talent. Or people who appreciate it. In that sense, despite so much uncertainty, I believe we live in auspicious times.” – Guy Salter, Chairman, London Craft Week

Take a look below to discover some of the highlights from 2020.

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300 Objects 

300 Objects was a new physical and virtual exhibition that launched during London Craft Week 2020.  Situated in a flagship space on Regent Street and supported by St James’s, it featured an array of exceptional talent, from well-known artist-makers to those yet to be discovered – and all the works were for sale. Find out more about the exhibition and meet the makers and curators here.

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Create Day

Create Day, a new initiative presented by the team behind London Craft Week, featured 24 hours of non-stop human ingenuity live on 10 October 2020; an opportunity to pause, appreciate beauty and applaud the talent in our midst. You can still access exclusive content from makers, designers and creators from across the globe, available to watch now on createday.org.

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Watch Anya Hindmarch 

British fashion designer Anya Hindmarch’s bespoke Maud clutches are a celebration of craftsmanship. Famously used by Princess Diana, who jokingly referred to them as her ‘cleavage bags’, these little satin clutches came in useful when she stepped out of cars. In this film, see how the iconic Maud is made.

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Watch Noel Stewart

Renowned milliner Noel Stewart has created headwear for the likes of Mulberry, Erdem, Hermès, Givenchy Haute Couture and Valentino, elevating hats to high fashion with his dramatic catwalk creations. For Create Day, he spoke with milliner Leo Carlton about how working with one’s hands can foster a sense of wellbeing.

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Watch Abiola Onabulé

Abiola Onabule’s garments are inspired by her Nigerian heritage, taking cloth that holds sentimental significance and incorporating it into her designs. This film shows the Aso Oke cloth from Abiola’s time visiting the weavers in her family’s home town of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria.

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Watch Tsuchida Shuzo 

Tsuchida Shuzo Sake Brewery is situated in Kawaba, a small village in Gunma, a mountainous region northwest of Tokyo. Established in 1907, learn how this sixth-generation brewery’s sake is low intervention, spontaneous and unprocessed, incorporating local unpolished rice and Japanese koji.

Explore More Create Day Highlights 

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A Few 2021 Dates for Your Diary

 

QEST Craft Funding

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust will be accepting new applications for funding between 11 January and 15 February 2021. Talented and aspiring candidates can apply for up to £18,000 to further their education through traditional college courses, vocational training, apprenticeships or one-to-one training with master craftsmen. For further details and to apply visit qest.org.uk.

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Our Broken Planet 

Join the Natural History Museum in 2021 as they debate why and how our relationship with the natural world needs to change. This free, evolving display of 40 objects chosen by Museum scientists reveals the consequences of our actions and examines the solutions that could help mend our broken planet. The display, which opens on 25 January, will unfold in three stages across the year, with each section exploring a new theme.

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London Craft Week

London Craft Week returns to the capital for its seventh edition from 10-16 May 2021 with a programme of events celebrating exceptional creativity and craftsmanship from around the world. If you are a brand or independent maker who would like to be involved, click here for more information about the festival and details of how to apply.

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LOEWE Craft Prize

Having been postponed for 2020, the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize will take place in Spring 2021 with an ethos of renewed creativity and optimism. The fourth edition will bring together a diverse array of objects that embody a commitment to experimentation, recognising artists whose talent, vision and innovation promise to set a new standard for the future.

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Homo Faber

The new year promises a return to travel – and we’re eager to visit Venice for the 2021 edition of Homo Faber from 9-26 September. The fair will be shining a light on the living treasures of Europe and Japan, with 15 exhibitions showcasing master artisans and exceptional objects curated by a team of world-class experts. While in Italy visit Salone del Mobile in Milan from 5-10 September.

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Create Day

Join us again for Create Day and engage with over 300 artists, makers, designers and creators in real time across the globe. Keep your eyes peeled for our January newsletter where we’ll be announcing the date for 2021 and information about how to apply. In the meantime, visit our social media profile @createday2020 and follow our hashtags #CreateDay #CreativeHeroes to discover the movement.

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LCW Picks: 5 Makers to Know for 2021

 

Joao Maraschin

Joao Maraschin is a London-based Brazilian designer who established his eponymous brand in 2020. 

Community and craftsmanship are at the centre of Joao’s practices and values. This ethos is based on supporting handmade techniques like crochet and embroidery, as well as working with new discoveries in raw materials, looking at circularity, waste, purpose and human centred design.

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Soledad Christie 

Soledad Christie has lived in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, for almost 30 years. Surrounded by a vast and amazing landscape, she connects with the ancient local craft of pre-Columbian pottery.

Soledad makes one-of-a-kind handbuilt, sculptural vessels using the traditional techniques of pinching, coiling and paddling. Her work seeks to express the intuitions and sensations of inhabiting the vast Atacama Desert and Altiplano territory.

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Studio-Lani

Lani Adeoye is an artist-designer, driven by conceptual curiosity and cultural expression coupled with a thirst for innovation. Her practice, Studio-Lani, creates sculptural lighting and furniture pieces that express an organic rhythm and a sense of visual harmony.

Driven by handmade craftsmanship and cultural preservation, her pieces celebrate West African elegance with a contemporary sensibility. As a conscious design studio, she works closely with various artisans in Nigeria and strives to positively impact the community.

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Sne Tak

Sne Tak is a London-based interdisciplinary designer with a focus on innovative knit and sustainable materials. She has cultivated an artistic identity of merging high technology and archaic organic forms, challenging preconceptions of materiality and examining the potential of knitted textiles. 

Her unique and adaptable knitted vessels are drawn from a nomadic upbringing between cultures.

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Mac Collins

Mac Collins is an emerging British designer and maker, committed to creating experimental, hand crafted furniture and objects. 

Alongside his material driven approach, Mac brings personal and cultural narratives into his work. As a designer of dual heritage, celebrating both his European and Caribbean lineage, he uses his design practice to explore his own identity, creating pieces in response to issues such as African Diaspora and the slave trade.

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We wish you and your loved ones a very happy festive season and look forward to seeing you again in 2021.

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Guy Salter’s Christmas gift ideas got such a remarkable response that we prevailed on him to share a few more suggestions…

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I was blown away by how much you liked my rather random Christmas wish list, so here’s a handful of other thoughts – but less on gifts and more how to get the most out of your pandemic-constrained festivities, with a focus on things to do with your loved ones.  Apologies if it is UK-focussed and a bit food and drink-heavy but I’ve assumed your wings are as Covid-clipped as ours, so what follows can hopefully all be done at, or not far away from, home…

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Image: The Royal Albert Hall

Carols at the Royal Albert Hall. From £57.50 to join in person or £16 to join from home

I don’t know about you and your household, but Christmas just isn’t the same without at least one moment of wassailing.  For those of you who can (and feel comfortable with the precautions the Albert Hall has taken), go in person to Kensington Gore.  For those that can’t (or don’t), the concerts are live-streamed as well. 

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Image: Netflix

The Queen’s Gambit

For those of you who haven’t watched this yet, do.  My partner, Manoon, insisted I give it a try and he was spot-on.  When you do, make sure to gather your household around you.  In our house, we are aiming on watching at least one thing together each day of the holidays, as otherwise what’s the point if everyone just retreats to far flung corners with their own devices.

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Mushroom Risotto

After all the stress of worrying about what’s going to happen to Beth, nothing better for the family than some simple comfort food. Plus a great way to use leftovers but of course one of our greatest dishes in its own right and so good at any time of year, especially when made with love.  The only absolute must have is high quality stock but if you are doing a traditional Christmas you’ll have had plenty of opportunity to make some…  If you don’t eat meat, lots of the right kind of veg makes for a wonderful Unami-rich base, especially if you add a touch of miso.  I’m sure we all have our own approach but mine is simply softening some shallots in a bit of olive oil, then the mushrooms, the (arborio or similar) rice, wine and then stock, stock, stock, stir, stir, stir.  Twenty minutes later you should have a glistening unctuous rice feast fit for the Gods – and your Covid-bubble.  If you are feeling indulgent, consider adding a small bit of that alpine butter from the River Café I mentioned last time, just after it’s done and leaving in the pot with a lid on for five minutes.  I think it gets even better if you do this and it enables you to get everything else organised and so serve it piping hot.

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Image: Southbank Centre

Winter Light

I really like the idea of the growing trend for outside events which force back the winter darkness and make the most of those otherwise dreary lost hours. 

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Image: The Happy Kamper

Glow 2020 at RHS Wisley, £14.95 per adult

Tickets to this wonderful illuminated landscape are few and far between but I would strongly recommend a visit to Wisley in day light too.  It’s a gardener’s garden and stunning even in its winter colours.  Again, make sure you drag everyone along, even the kids.  Just what we need to banish Covid-gloom.  Kew does something similar.

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Image: Great West Way

Windsor Great Park

Somewhere else to visit with your Covid-bubble, although no lights this time. If you’re like me and still mostly WFH, you aim to get out at least once every day for as long a walk, run or cycle as you can.  The trouble is boredom with our usual haunts.  For a Londoner, Windsor Great Park is surprisingly quick to get to and a step up from one’s local urban green space.  It can be done by train (Egham) but if driving, probably best to park at the Savill Garden car park, as it’s a good mid-way point between the Long Walk leading to the castle and the Virginia Water lakes.  The 250 acre Valley (woodland) Gardens alone are vaut le détour, even in mid-winter the variety of trees and shrubs are impressive. If you don’t own a car, there are normally Zipcars a plenty.

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Image: Field & Flower

Creedy Carver Whole Duck. Field & Flower, £18.95

What to feed the family after these exertions, especially those who were reluctant to come out?  Seems the ducky confit in my last post inspired some culinary adventures (some more successful than others), so I’m doubling down here with a suggestion for those who do eat meat and end up turkied-out post-Christmas.  Or as a January mid-week treat.  Creedy Carver’s ducklings are so special that my advice is to try the whole bird.  Realistically this will feed four, five or six at a pinch.  Keep things simple:  salt the skin and let it air dry in the fridge for at least 24 hours (if you’re like me, you do this for chicken as well), wipe dry, then roast at about 210°C fan for thirty minutes or so until it’s clearly feeling the heat.  Then reduce to 160°C fan for about another hour and a half, less if you like your duck rarer.  Needless to say, success is crispy but not dried out, so a decent rest while you make the gravy is essential.  Pour out and keep most of the fat (for your next confit or potatoes), a little flour to bind, whatever alcohol you have to hand and of course some good stock and you’re done.  If your tastes run in that direction, add a dollop of Seville marmalade (the bitterer the better), then either leave it at that for classic, or add some five spice and soy for a more Chinese take.

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Image: The Real Flower Company

The Real Flower Company DIY Christmas Wreath, £65

Just as there’s been a run on the best free range turkeys, so good quality Christmas wreaths seem to have been a casualty of Covid, at least in Central London. Even my local go-to source (the Florist’s shop at Rassells in Earls Court Road), weren’t able to supply me with a simple well-made but undecorated one this year.  So good to see The Real Flower Company, who I have known so well ever since they were a Walpole Brand of Tomorrow, are still offering this DIY kit.  Perfect way to get the Christmas Bubble a-bubbling.

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Image: Royal Collection Trust

Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace. The Queen’s Gallery, £16 per adult

If you live in or near London and you and your extended Covid-bubble are desperate for some culture (or you just want to get away from them for a bit), consider this.  It should be a real treat to see pictures of this artistic and historic significance eye-to-eye (normally they are hung in profusion in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace, which for those of you who know it, is a magnificent ensemble but doesn’t allow for much intimacy). 

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Image: Living Architecture

Living Architecture’s Life House, about £1,000 for a mid-week stay

The only trouble with day excursions, especially now, with so many more of us around than usual, is you’re likely to find many others doing the same as you.  So this is for those of you who feel like venturing out a bit further and getting some proper seclusion, space and dirt in the soles of your Naglev’s.

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Image: WildLand

Kinloch Lodge, Sutherland. WildLand, about £16,200 a week

To really get away from it all and experience a proper Winter/Dark Sky Hit, this is a wonderful very comfortable house in an amazing part of that amazing and little known county, Sutherland.  Also means you’ll be supporting the unsung work of Anne & Anders Holch Povlsen, landowners setting a new tradition.

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Image: Kora

Kora Women’s Xenolith Sweater, £190

If you’re venturing that far north, you need the right kit.  One of you sent in this excellent-looking alternative to my mid-layer suggestion in my last post.  Quite a bit more expensive but Kora is a brilliant company making high performance fabrics using Yak wool and contributing to the local nomadic Tibetan communities who supply it.

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Image: Purdey

Swarovski CL Companion 10×30. Purdey, £950

A very special gift to unwrap around the fire after a day on the hill.  I treated myself to a pair while at Purdey during LCW this year and literally haven’t looked back.

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Image: Purling London

Purling London Bespoke Chess Set, from £6,000

One more gift idea, seeing as we are in the season of giving.  If your special loved-one has been inspired by Beth’s adventures in The Queen’s Gambit, what about this as an extra present to get 2021 started auspiciously?  The good thing about this option is it can be last minute, as there’s nothing to be delivered yet. Purling also do many other great looking sets that are very much less than going the full bespoke route.

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DIY Porchetta. Farmison & Co., £27

I can’t leave you without one more foodie suggestion.  In case you missed out on getting the family a Bronze free-range, here’s an alternative, which is great at any time of year.  Plus it’s fun making up your own version and experimenting with stuffing and flavour combinations.

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Image: Hedonism Wines

Dhondt Grellet Les Terres Fines. Hedonism Wines, £54.90

And finally something to open at a second past midnight on the thirty-first.  I’ve been addicted to single grape wines from Champagne ever since my first sip of Salon and now there are so many first class Blanc des blancs, including of course from here.  So I did wonder whether to suggest something English or one of my favourite pinot-only sparkling wines but let’s raise a glass to Savoir Faire and our shared European culture on the day the Brexit Transition ends, with this Champagne-made beauty.

A very happy Christmas & New Year to you and your loved ones and looking forward to a much better 2021.

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Obviously please check your local Covid-19 guidance.

Our Chairman & Founder, Guy Salter, shares a few last minute thoughts about what to buy that person in your life who’s super-tricky to find the right present for (or to just add to your own Wish List).

I don’t know about you, but I always cut Christmas so fine that by the time I have come up to speed in imaginative present-giving mode, some things are sold out or it’s all too much of a palaver. So here are a few pointers for gifts that (I think) are special, still easy to find, especially if you live in or near London, but can also be bought online.

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Image: The Map House

The Underground Map of London (1911) by the London Underground. The Map House, £885

Old maps are often surprisingly good value considering their age and endlessly fascinating if a place that one knows well. As a Londoner born and bred, I’ve been known to trawl the streets with an old map looking for breadcrumbs or shadows of what used to be there. It’s surprising how often pubs still act as intact reference points, churches too. Given there are maps of almost everywhere, it can be very satisfying to find one that is perfect for a particular person’s interests. This one would be spot on for my elder son who’s autistic and has always loved the tube – except he knows it so well he doesn’t need a map. What I like especially about this early one is that it shows the lines geographically before Harry Beck’s brilliant schematic 30’s version we know so well. And it shows stations like Brompton Road or Down Street that are still there below ground but we rattle past without knowing they’re there. As a child I used to live around the corner from The Map House, so I include it here partly out of nostalgia but mainly because they still have a very good reputation for all things Map.

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Image: Antonio Olmos/ The Observer

Hong Kong, 1998. First Edition. Jan Morris. Sotheran’s, £38

Hong Kong is a Home from Home and of course has been having a really tough time recently, even before the virus. Here’s a travel book by the just departed gifted and brave pioneer, Jan Morris, who captures the eve of Handover very well. I still have my copy and it is strange looking back at it now. I used to work in the same street as Sotheran’s and so own far too many obscure titles that caught my eye while popping out to pick up a Pret for lunch. Second-hand books, especially old guides, make great personalised presents for the right person. And needn’t break the bank.

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Image: Cult Beauty

Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil. Cult Beauty, £52.50

As long as they don’t take it the wrong way, giving beauty products that actually work, especially when we can’t get to the hairdresser, hopefully falls into the ‘thoughtful but useful’ category.

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Image: Sarah Myerscough Gallery

Max Bainbridge, Forest + Found, Ebonised Alder Jar, 2020. Sarah Myerscough Gallery, £1,600.

For a loved one’s collection or maybe to seed the start of a collection. Take a trip across the river to Barnes or have a quick look online: it’s hard to go wrong with Sarah Myerscough’s careful edit and knowing eye. I love Max Bainbridge’s work and own a couple of his pieces a bit like this beautiful one in green elder.

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Image: Castro Smith

Tower Of Ring. Castro Smith, £2,300

For the man in your life, a truly unique gift from a truly gifted jeweller and engraver. This suggestion is a bit different from my others in that a ring like this is made to order, so you can’t wrap it and put it under the tree. But that’s why it’s perfect for the right person. Even better, maybe give him the bespoke service, which will take even longer – but then you’re giving not just an object but an experience. Plus he gets two presents; the first when he opens his card on Christmas Day, the second when the ring is ready.

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Image: The House of Modernity

Floor Lamp “Bridge” by Severin Hansen for Haslev, 1950s. The House of Modernity, £6,800

If you’re like me and have a dangerous soft spot for Scandi mid-century design, be careful when you visit the elegant-shabby London outpost of this Stockholm gallery, as you’ll need to maintain great self-discipline.  Plus the unrestored Palladian town house is a real treat in itself  (Covid-rules allowing, the showroom will be open in the new year for private viewings, bookable on Modernity’s website).  I don’t have room for this willow-like lamp but if someone was feeling generous enough to give it to me, I’d move something to give it a starring role. Modernity’s recent collaboration with Adrian Sassoon interspersed their stunning selection of applied art amongst these classic gems. Needless to say, for someone very special in your life.

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Image: Shop The River Café

River Café Italian Alpine Butter. Shop The River Café, £7

I bought this stunning pale unsalted butter the other day, along with a freshly-made pecan pie for Thanksgiving. Browse the Shop The River Café site for inspiration, but I very much doubt a Foodie Loved One will not thank you for almost anything made by the legendary Ruthie Rogers’s team and it’s great to be supporting them now when things are so tough. Although they deliver, if you live in London combine picking it up with a walk along the river by Hammersmith Bridge, which can be surprisingly beautiful in the late winter sun. Make you sure treat yourself at the same time.

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Image: HG Walter

Homemade Scotch Quail Eggs. HG Walter, £4.95

Almost round the corner from The River Café, literally the best Scotch eggs in London from the best butcher in London. Better buy a few packs, as they don’t tend to last long. And be ready to queue, as HG Walter is no longer the Foodie secret it once was. Or buy online, as they have an excellent site.

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Image: Zaltify

Zalto Universal Wine Glasses. Wineware, set of six, £220

There’s much debate amongst a certain wine aficionado-type about the perfect wine glass but there’s not much between the top contenders. If it’s beauty, functionality and flexibility you’re after these Austrian beauties pretty much do it. And if you really enjoy wine don’t let anyone convince you not to invest in proper glasses. Anything else is a false economy – although beware, as glasses like these also show up imperfections in a less well made wine. Treat yourself to a couple while you’re at it. Or maybe splash out and get the complete set, including the white, champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux versions.

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Image: Field & Flower

Confit du Canard. Creedy Carver Duck Legs. Field & Flower, three pairs for £12

Don’t buy your confit, make your own. It’s simple. Especially if you buy the legs from Creedy Carver, whose ducks lead a charmed life until the moment comes. Ideally use a slow cooker; salt them overnight, cover them in duck fat and cook for about three hours. Pop them in a Kilner jar and top up with the fat. A hand-written label and you’ve got a very special and personal present. You just need to tell the lucky recipient how to cook them: pop them skin down in a cold Netherton Foundry-type skillet and then slowly warm them up on a low flame (as my grandmother would have said) until the skin crisps up. Serve with Puy lentils.

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Image: Sociovino

Classic Italian Reds Case. Sociovino, £79

Something to put in your Zaltos.  I came across Astrum Wine at the start of the first Lockdown, when their restaurant trade customers had dried up overnight and they’d started selling direct. This has gone so well they now have a separate consumer-facing business called Sociovino. Build your own case or try one of their pre-selections. This is a safe choice, as the strongest part of their offer is Italian. But if your oenophile friend is ready to try something new, get their advice about how to surprise them, as the full list really repays some exploration and experimentation, especially in the less well known fringes of Piedmont or South Tyrol, which are also better value.

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Image: Pesky Fish

Two Live Lobster. Pesky Fish, £38.98

No doubt some of you discovered Pesky during Lockdown One. If not, I can’t recommend them enough, whether locked-down or not. Buying fish from them means being a bit organised, as they only sell what was caught the day before between eight and nine the following morning, but you are directly supporting the fishing community of this bit of Devon and nearby. When the Joanne B sank the other day it really brought home to me how precarious a life they lead, two members of the crew are still missing, presumed drowned. Now of course buying live lobster is maybe not the most practical of gifts, so maybe treat yourself – and pair it with some of Ruthie Rogers’s alpine butter and a Verdello lemon (from Natoora in Pavilion Road). If you do go to Pavilion Road in person, celebrate being out by buying some of the best ice cream in London from Ice Cream Union (bang opposite Natoora). The good news is this is something that’s impossible to do online or wearing a mask.

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Everyday Joy Everyday

For handmade functional objects that will give pleasure every time your family or friends use them, here are a few ideas:

Image: Flow Gallery

Eva Brandt Cups. Flow Gallery, £55 each

I own a few bigger pieces by Eva Brandt but if someone gave me these beautiful cups I would be very happy. Made in her studio on Bornholm but inspired by the native American tradition in New Mexico from her time there, these engaging stoneware mugs are glazed on the inside so are also very practical. I especially like the subtle grey one but they come in all sorts of patterns and colours. Just be aware that many are sold out, so you may need to move fast. If they are, Yvonna Demczynska of Flow always has a wonderful selection of other stunning pieces at a wide range of price points, so it is a great source of inspiration at any time of year. And now has an easy to navigate e-commerce site.

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Image: Aerende

Aerende Gift Card, from £10

I only recently came across Aerende when reading the latest version of Crafts magazine but really like their selection of hand-made everyday products. Even better, they aim to support makers facing social challenges. I know sometimes giving a gift voucher can seem a bit of a cop out but actually it is a great way to let someone quietly select something they really want – and hopefully there is more than enough here to choose from. Mind you, you might need to give more than one to avoid Scrooge comparisons…

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Image: Niwaki

S-Type Secateurs. Niwaki, £159

This might seem a lot for a horticultural tool, however important the gardener in your life is to you, but at least it’s less than the magnificent hand-forged Damascus steel Hori Hori, which weighs in at an eye-watering £759. In my view, both are actually well worth it, especially these carbon steel secateurs, which sharpen well, so will I’m sure last a lifetime if looked after properly. I also love the wisteria rattan handles, which not only look great but provide grip when tackling those gnarly rose bush stems.

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Image: Netherton Foundry

Blini Pan. Netherton Foundry, £20.10

I have been addicted to cooking with spun or cast iron ever since inheriting some old pans that belonged to my grandmother, who wrote a cookery book in the 50’s, and, despite being unable to cook, had an impressive batterie de cuisine. This Netherton Foundry pan is the closest thing I’ve come across to her blini pan. Perfect pancakes every time – you just have to discard the first one. Flipping is a cinch…

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The Great Outdoors

Image: Jöttnar

Asmund Women’s Hard Shell Mountain Jacket. Jöttnar, £260

I have been meaning to share my Must-Haves for international travel but then I thought that might be tempting fate. So, while we wait until we have a better fix on the timing of vaccines and freedom, we can at least get out over Christmas. Here’s a coat for the Adventurer in your life that should cope with anything our delightful climate can throw at it, even halfway up a Munro. I’d hope to add something from Vollebak, but they don’t do womenswear for some reason.

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Image: Rab

Women’s Stretch Pro Pull-on. Rab, £110

Add a mid layer to go with it, with Rab’s Women’s Power Stretch Pro Pull-on.

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Image: Tracksmith

Turnover Tights. Tracksmith, £99

And a base layer, with Tracksmith’s Turnover Tights.

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Image: Goldwin

Graduation Beanie. Goldwin, £45

Top off with a bit of mountain panache.

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Please feel free to share this page with your family and friends – particularly if you’d like something on the list! 

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