We’ve been rounding up the best Christmas gifts from Manchester makers, independents and iconic establishments. This guide contains the best food and drink gifts from makers, producers and shops in Manchester. From pre-batched margarita from one of the city’s best cocktail bars, to locally-sourced preserves, here’s what to buy for friends and loved ones with a love for all things edible, sippable and store-cupboardable.
Looking for something else? Read our other gift guides.
Manchester’s best ‘money no object’ Christmas gifts
Manchester’s best stylish Christmas gifts
Manchester’s best last minute Christmas gifts
Manchester’s best budget gifts
Stray pre-batched cocktails, £30
Stray has really made its mark on the Manchester cocktail scene since it took over the corner unit of the always-buzzing Mackie Mayor. Now you can enjoy some of their signature drinks at home, like the rhubarb and pine gimlet – available pre-mixed in 500ml bottles. Simply make sure your favourite glass is frosty cold, and enjoy. Perfect for sipping your way through the festive period, and a welcome antidote to Baileys fatigue.
Manchester Wine Tours, £80 per person
Founded by food and wine writer Kel Bishop (whose words have featured right here in Manchester’s Finest), Manchester Wine Tours is a wine tasting ‘with legs’. You get guided around some of the best wine spots in the city, while sampling amazing wines and snacks. It’s suitable for experts and amateurs alike, which makes it a great Christmas gift for you and a wine-loving relative, partner or pal.
Schofields’s Fine & Classic Cocktails, £18.99
What the Schofield brothers don’t know about cocktails isn’t worth knowing, and anyone who has paid a visit to their perfectly executed cocktail bar in Sunlight House will agree. And while you can’t replicate the slickness of the full Schofield’s experience, you can gift an extremely through A-Z of iconic drinks, from the Adonis to the Zombie, as well as an in-depth breakdown on all the other elements, from glassware to the importance of the perfect ice cube. A perfectionist’s dream.
Skof Christmas Pudding, £25
Skof is Tom Barnes’ first solo restaurant and it’s all about skill, quality ingredients and simplicity. For Christmas he and the team have made a handful of traditional puddings using a secret recipe – a heady mix of raisins, sultanas, gingerbread and black treacle, enlivened with Pedro Ximénez sherry, brandy and walnuts, plus a warm blend of spices. They suggest serving it with ice cream or brandy custard so it becomes the star of your Christmas table.
All profits go to the Multiple System Atrophy Trust, a cause close to Tom’s heart after his father’s passing in 2021. Pre‑orders are £25, available for collection only from the restaurant in mid‑December. It’s a festive treat that tastes good and does good – very Manchester, very Skof.
Anything from Stockport Provisions, various prices
Since opening earlier this year, the lads at Stockport Provisions have been making Stockport Market the place to go for cured meats, unusual cheeses and other delicious bits and bobs from local producers, as well as carefully selected suppliers from further afield. If you want to take something other than booze to your festive gatherings, they stock non-alcoholic wine and tonic from £7, as well as delicious preserves from £5.
Cheese Making Day, Chorlton Cheesemongers, £145
Chorlton Cheesemongers is a champion of sustainably made cheeses and the small producers behind them. Now they’re inviting curious food lovers into the craft itself with a full day workshop led by professional cheesemaker Katy Fenwick (of Neal’s Yard Dairy and Academy of Cheese fame).
Over seven hours you’ll learn the science and hands‑on techniques for making two very different cheeses. You’ll finish the day with a fresh cheese to take home, then receive your own hard cheese a few weeks later once they’ve matured it for you. Lunch and hot drinks are included, the class is capped at ten people, and all sessions are held in their Chorlton shop.
It’s a memorable gift for anyone who loves cheese enough to get their hands in the curds. New dates for 2026 are 8 February, 31 May and 4 October.
Sama Sama, Rare Mags, £28
A cookbook that is as beautiful as it is useful, ‘Sama Sama’ is a personal reflection on growing up in a Scottish-Malaysian home, and the abundance of comforting recipes it inspired. Find it at Stockport’s incomparable Rare Mags, an absolute treasure trove of niche and beautiful books and magazines perfect for print-lovers and admirers of beautiful objects. Be sure to block out some dedicated Rare Mags time during your next Underbanks visit, and tick off a few Christmas gifts while you’re at it.
Festive Biscuit Tin, Pollen, £36
Pollen’s Christmas baked goods offering, which is available to buy through their website and in their bakeries, is nothing short of a public service. Their festive biscuit tin is a festive, indulgent hit, featuring salted pistachio shortbread, chocolate sablés, stem ginger biscuits and more. Pollen are known for never missing when it comes to their baked goods, so this is a nice way to to share that with friends who aren’t based in Ancoats or the city centre.
Mana Gift Card, from £65
Mana is one of only two restaurants in Manchester to hold a Michelin star. Chef‑owner Simon Martin opened this Ancoats dining room in 2018 with a blank canvas and filled it with a patchwork of his life experiences. British produce meets Asian techniques in creative dishes that marry complex flavours with natural purity, all served in a room that takes sustainability seriously (think renewable energy, upcycled shellfish by‑products and ethical suppliers).
For a gift that’s as special as the food, Mana’s gift cards start from £65, are valid for 12 months, and can be sent digitally or in a sleek gift box. It’s an easy way to give someone a ticket to one of the city’s most talked‑about dining experiences – without having to guess which tasting menu they’d prefer.
Mulled Wine & Christmas Cake Set, Home by Simon Rogan, £32
Simon Rogan, the culinary mastermind behind some of the region (and country’s) best restaurants, has pulled together a selection of thoughtful, festive hampers featuring the best produce he can get his hands on. We’re particularly fond of the mulled whine and Christmas cake set, featuring everything you need to mull-your-own, as well as cake from the award-winning Ginger Bakers. A classic combo for a reason.
Pasta Baby Sweater, Circolo Popolare, £35
Definitely the most glam Italian opening of the year, Circolo Popolare are delivering when it comes to festive, carb-centric goods. We’re particularly partial to this ‘Pasta, Baby’ sweatshirt, complete with enjoyably retro embroidered design, as well as a handy recipe for a cacio e pepe – one of their signature, crowd-pleasing dishes. Stylish, and useful.
The Cut & Craft Luxury Advent Calendar, £375
The Cut & Craft, Manchester’s exceptionally glam steak restaurant, has released a fittingly high-end take on the advent calendar. Priced at £375, it includes over £700 of gifts for you to treat yourself or loved ones to throughout December. There are candles, steak knives and bottles of bubbly, as well as loads of different vouchers for food and drinks experiences at the restaurant. For someone who enjoys the finer things in life, this is a way to gift them 25 of them.
250ml Homemade Limoncello, Ciaooo, £19
The ever-creative team at Ciaooo are always finding new ways to add some festive flair to their Neapolitan pizza and tiramisu offering. They’ve created their own limoncello for the season, with handpicked lemons from Sorrento, which you can give as a gift, or enjoy as a Christmas Day digestif.
Read more:
The best things to do in Manchester this week
The best Manchester gigs and club nights in December 2025
Manchester restaurants join forces for this year’s StreetSmart campaign to support homelessness
