Each holiday season leaves people inundated with gift lists for family, friends, and colleagues, but gifts for those in the food and beverage industry should be easy to cross off. Food naturally lends itself to gift-giving, with U.S. food gifting sales increasing by 5% to $21 billion in 2014, according to a recent Packaged Facts report, which also predicts those sales to jump another 5% by the end of this year and 5% again in 2016.
Looking for that perfect gift for someone in the food and beverage industry? Start with these suggestions.
A real page-turner
With the food and beverage industries in constant flux, food business books can be a thoughtful gift for the entrepreneur and the established mogul. Consider these titles:
- "Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business" by Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey and Raj Sisodia (Kindle/Paperback)
- "The Future of Food Business: The Facts, The Impacts, and The Acts" by Marcos Fava Neves (Paperback)
- "The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries" by Gary J. Allen and Ken Albala (Kindle/Hardcover)
- "Raising Dough: The Complete Guide to Financing a Socially Responsible Food Business" by Elizabeth Ü (Kindle/Paperback)
- "Cooking Up a Business: Lessons from Food Lovers Who Turned Their Passion into a Career -- and How You Can, Too" by Rachel Hofstetter (Kindle/Paperback)
- "Good Food, Great Business: How to Take Your Artisan Food Idea from Concept to Marketplace" by Susie Wyshak (Kindle/Paperback)
For the food industry jetsetter
The Planon SlimScan SS100 is a credit card-sized scanner that can be used for scanning receipts for travel expense reports and slips right into a wallet when not in use.
The LithiumCard PRO is a portable hyper-speed phone charger equivalent to three wall chargers going at once for a burst of power that fully charges an iPhone 6 and is about the size of a 10 credit card stack. Writing emails, reports, and memos on the go can be easier than ever with the Zagg Pocket Foldable Keyboard, for smartphones and small tablets that folds into a thin strip to easily fit into a laptop or carryon bag.
Flashy gadgets
The JBL Clip+ can be latched onto just about anything, from key rings to a belt buckle, making it convenient to stream music from a smartphone or tablet. Plus, this portable Bluetooth speaker is splashproof.
For executives who like to write or draw on their iPad, the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus 2 makes a great gift for those who like the natural feel of brushes and pens but on a digital interface.
The Pryme Vessyl is a smart cup that tracks how much a person drinks and connects to an app to deliver tips about the user’s "personal hydration needs." Executives know how important hydration is to proper brain function, so this gift could keep them on top of their H2O intake throughout the day.
The gift that keeps on giving
Few things perk up someone faster than enticing new foods and drinks delivered to their doorstep every month. A stash of snacks to tap into in the midst of a busy day, from Graze and NatureBox for the healthy snacker or Universal Yums for snackers who'd enjoy treats from different countries each month.
To go one step further than snacks, meal-kit services like Blue Apron and Purple Carrot, which specializes in vegan foods, deliver all the premeasured ingredients needed for time-crunched executives to cook at home. The craft beer connoisseur will love the monthly delivery from Craft Beer Club, which includes 12 beers, four bottles each of three different styles, and wine lovers will appreciate the three bottles of wine from Club W, which are specially curated to suit their individual palate.
Put the fun back into food
Cooking classes are growing in popularity as more people embrace cooking and eating at home. These classes teach recipients how to better use fresh ingredients to make meals they and their families will love.