Christmas Gifts for the Dad Who Loves to Eat: 2026 Gift Guide

Most dads are hard to buy for until you remember what they actually enjoy, and for a lot of them it is the cheese board after lunch, a spoonful of chutney beside the ham, or something hot to put on the barbecue. Food is the easy answer for Christmas gifts for dad. It gets used, it gets shared, and nothing needs a spot on the shelf afterwards.

So we have put together a foodie Christmas gift guide for 2026, with Christmas gift ideas for dad from one producer we rate highly. Cottage Delight has been making jams, chutneys, pickles and marmalades by hand in the Staffordshire Moorlands since 1974, in small batches and to the same traditional recipes. Here are seven gift packs for the dad who loves to eat, from a $29.95 stocking filler up to the box he will be working through well into January.

1. The Deli Cheese Platter, for the dad who runs the cheese board

If he is the one who gets the cheese out at 3pm on Christmas Day and stays nearby, start here. The Deli Cheese Platter Gift Pack ($79.95) is a ready-made cheese board kit: two chutneys and a box of crackers, so all he needs to add is the cheese.

The Deli Cheese Platter includes:

• Sweet Apple Chutney
• Caramelised Onion Chutney
• Classic Biscuits for Cheese

The caramelised onion is made for a sharp cheddar, and the sweet apple, made with Bramley apples, sits well with a soft, creamy brie. Our Christmas cheese board guide covers how much cheese to buy per person.

2. The Cheese Tree, for the dad who hosts

For the dad with a full house over the holidays, the Cheese Tree Gift Pack ($79.95) is the generous one. It is close to a kilo of chutneys and pickles, stacked in the shape of a Christmas tree, and it looks the part under the real one.

The Cheese Tree includes:

• Cheese Board Chutney
• English Cider Chutney
• Caramelised Onion Chutney
• Tomato, Garlic & Ginger Chutney
• Cheese Maker's Pickle
• Sweet Apple Chutney

Six jars means one for the cheese board, one for the cold meats, one for the Boxing Day sandwiches and three still in the pantry in February. The Cheese Maker's Pickle is a chunky one with carrot, onion and rhubarb, made for a ploughman's plate.

3. The Magic of Christmas, for the traditionalist

If Christmas lunch at his place means a glazed ham and toast with marmalade the next morning, The Magic of Christmas Gift Pack ($79.95) covers both ends of the day.

The Magic of Christmas includes:

• Orange & Scotch Whisky Thick Cut Marmalade
• Classic Cranberry Sauce
• Strawberry & Marc de Champagne Jam
• Cheese Board Chutney
• Buck's Fizz Marmalade
• Festive Fig & Port Chutney

The cranberry sauce goes with the turkey, and the whisky marmalade makes a good base for a ham glaze. Our guide to glazing a Christmas ham walks through it, and what to serve with Christmas ham covers the rest of the plate.

4. Twice the Spice, for the dad who likes the heat

For the dad who puts chilli on everything, Twice the Spice ($29.95) is a two-jar hit of warmth for the Christmas barbecue and the rest of summer.

Twice the Spice includes:

• Sweet Chilli Jam
• Spicy Mango & Ginger Chutney

The sweet chilli jam is made with habanero, so it has more bite than the bottled kind. Brush it over chicken wings or prawns in the last few minutes on the grill. The mango and ginger chutney belongs beside a curry, a cheese toastie or a cold leg of ham.

5. Cheer Up Your Cheese, the cheese board on a smaller budget

Cheer Up Your Cheese ($29.95) is the cheese board gift for under $30, and it is a good one to pair with a wedge of his favourite cheese and a box of crackers.

Cheer Up Your Cheese includes:

• Sweet Apple Chutney
• Cheese Board Chutney

The Cheese Board Chutney is apple and fig with stem ginger, and it suits a vintage cheddar or a blue. If you are not sure which crackers to add, here is which cracker goes with which cheese.

6. Christmas Couple, the stocking filler

The Christmas Couple Gift Pack ($29.95) is small enough for a stocking and festive enough to feel like Christmas.

Christmas Couple includes:

• Buck's Fizz Marmalade
• Festive Fig & Port Chutney

One for Christmas morning toast, one for the cheese board that night. The fig and port chutney is rich enough to stand up to a strong blue cheese.

7. Afternoon Tea Delights, for the dad with a sweet tooth

Not every dad is a chutney dad. For the one who heads straight for the scones, Afternoon Tea Delights ($29.95) has two classic preserves.

Afternoon Tea Delights includes:

• Original Strawberry Whole Fruit Jam
• Classic Lemon Curd

The strawberry jam goes on scones with cream or into a Victoria sponge. The lemon curd does the same for a lemon tart, or straight onto hot buttered toast on Boxing Day morning.

Getting it to him in time

Order before 12pm on a weekday and your gift is packed by hand in Geelong and sent the same day, with tracked delivery Australia-wide and a free personalised gift card. Shipping is free on orders over $100, so two or three of these packs together often cost less delivered than one on its own. Check our Christmas delivery cut-off dates before you leave it late.

Buying for both parents? Our guide to Christmas presents for mum and dad has more ideas, and you can browse more gifts for him or the full range of Christmas hampers.

Questions about Christmas gifts for dad

What do you get a dad who loves food for Christmas?

Something he would not buy for himself: a better version of what he already eats. A gift pack of small-batch chutneys for the cheese board, a hot chilli jam for the barbecue or a festive marmalade for Christmas morning all get used, and none of it needs a place on the shelf.

What is a good Christmas gift for dad under $30?

Cottage Delight's Twice the Spice, Cheer Up Your Cheese, Christmas Couple and Afternoon Tea Delights packs are all $29.95. Pick the one that matches what he eats most: the barbecue, the cheese board, toast or scones.

Where is Cottage Delight made?

In the Staffordshire Moorlands in England, where the family-run business has made its jams, chutneys and preserves by hand in small batches since 1974. See the full Cottage Delight range.