Gifts for your Host

Summertime entertaining – Ideas for a thoughtful thank you.

As we embark on the summer months, diaries are filling up with plans for the holidays, BBQ gatherings, summer parties and events or plans to stay with friends for the weekend.  It is naturally a thoughtful and considerate gesture to take a little something along with you to say thank you for the hospitality.  Hosting friends and family can be a time consuming endeavour, from planning food and refreshments, cooking and cleaning  to organising sleeping arrangements, it is a labour of love and one that we think deserves a little something to express your appreciation and gratitude.

Historically bringing a gift for the host upon arrival was a way to contribute to the event and share in the communal experience as well as enhancing and strengthening social bonds.  In many cultures, arriving empty-handed to a gathering was considered impolite or disrespectful. Generally we tend to opt for flowers or a bottle of wine as a thank you gesture both of which have historical meaning.  Giving flowers has long been associated with conveying good wishes, beauty, and positive sentiments. In Victorian times, the "language of flowers" allowed people to communicate specific messages and emotions through different types of blooms. Wine has historically been a symbol of celebration and hospitality. In ancient cultures, wine was often shared during feasts and gatherings representing conviviality and abundance.

In this article we have assembled some alternative and creative ideas you may like try gifting to your hosts this summer.  To be honest anything goes really but as with most gift giving something personal and thoughtful is always a winner and on people appreciate the sentiment.  There is no need to spend a great deal of money either, in fact some of these ideas cost nothing at all.

1. Homemade gifts: jar jam, chutney, a packet of seeds from your own garden, baked goods, dried herbs packaged up in paper bags or reuse an old store-bought jar and make a label.

2. Gifts from your travels, proactively bought in advance such as: olive oil, vinegar, spices, soaps, pottery, kitchenware etc.  This is a great excuse to go shopping while you are away, you can grab some unusual bits your host wouldn’t not readily get their hands on as a thoughtful gift.  Keep in mind luggage allowance however!

3. ‘Buy 2 give one away’ This idea comes from sharing your favourite things, perhaps your local farm shop sells an amazing local ketchup or kimchi or even cheese and you love it.  When you buy one for yourself, pop an extra one in the basket for your host.  The beauty of this is option, you’ve done the research you know it’s great because you love it and they will be touched that you thought of getting something you love, for them as a gift.

4. Hampers/ collated gifts – perhaps you have been invited to stay for a long weekend and a jar of homemade chutney doesn’t feel quite enough of a thank you, think about a few of the ideas laid out in this article and display them creatively using the concept of a hamper.  There is no need to fill an entire hamper, but you might like to lay your gifts out in a pretty basket, a large bowl, an attractive plant pot, really any reusable vessel will do, it doesn’t have to be brand new.  You could add tissue paper and a ribbon to lay out your offerings.

5. A beautiful coffee table book or cookery book would make a fantastic gift for your host. The book can double up as a thank you card and you could write a touching note of thanks on the inside, your host will always remember the time you spent together when they open up the book again in future,  perhaps add the date too. There are beautiful bookshops in most nearby towns, many stocking niche or unusual options to choose from.  Books can be expensive especially coffee table ones so you could have a look around local car boot sales, charity shops etc or very often National Trust have brilliant bookshops.

6. Another option could be to take along a game or a puzzle, something you could play together during your stay and they can keep when you have left.  As with the books there are many options for games and puzzles available in shops, you could try charity shops and boot sales to keep costs down but it is a risky business with possible missing pieces.

7. A bottle of wine is the go-to host gift for a reason it ticks all the boxes, something to share, a generous though etc and there is nothing wrong with wine as an option,this article is simply suggesting additional options.  Keeping with the drinks theme, you could package up a cocktail box or basket.  This could be alcoholic or non alcholic. You could even write out a recipe card and add that to the box then fill the box with the ingredients needed to make the cocktail. We love the Peach and Turmeric Blini Link The ingredients for this would look lovely presented in a bag or basket for your host.

Whatever you have planned this summer, we hope you have a magical time with your friends and family.  Hopefully we have helped conjure up some worthy thank you gift ideas.  If you go ahead and use one of the ideas in this article, let us know if it was well received, also share any other ideas for summer host gifting.  Subscribe to our newsletter for even more interior and lifestyle content.