Presents for team. Is there really anything better than chocolate or booze?

[Nyedilemma]

Or maybe biscuits or a plant?

I have about 10 people to buy for so £10 each is about the budget.

I can try and get thoughtful individual gifts, but I know some of them better than others and the ones I know best, I don't think I know on a choose something they'll love level. I know one runs, one plays golf, one is a foodie, I know how many kids they have and what their husband's names are, but I don't claim to be good friends with any of them. I do think think they'd want me to be.

So on that basis is it best to go for chocolate/wine/plant which shows little thought and which they may or may not like but is at least easy to pass on or put more effort into trying to do something thoughtful, which is also unlikely to be a huge hit?

Why not the gift of time? A late start, early finish, half day. To be cashed in when they chose.

I think this thread shows that you can't please everyone so you might as well just get them whatever you think is best!

I do that quite often anyway and I never say no to l a request to see the nativity etc but they wouldn't see that as a gift from me.

If you’ve only got ten people on your team i think it’s odd that you don’t know them well enough to know whether they’d appreciate wine or chocolates!

It’s always nice to get a gift from the boss. I’d just play it safe and buy a big box of chocolates for each person. Easy to regift if they don’t want it. Most people like chocolates and better than a candle etc which is quite a personal choice.

You cant please everyone, but i'd be wary of booze. So many people dont drink.

I could definitely choose the best of wine or chocolate for each of them. i couldn't choose a decorative object for their home or something connected to their hobby and know they'd love it.

There's one who doesn't drink and can't have lots of food groups though.

I think more and more people don't drink these days.

Out of the suggestions, I'd love a little houseplant.

Or a tub of really fancy hot chocolate!

At least you know about the dietary requirements. If you “play safe” with a box of chocolates please get ones they can actually eat. Ask them if there any any particular brand they are safe to eat.
I’ve lost count of how many times at work I’ve received nothing or had to just pass my gift onto someone else because “there wasn’t anything Dairy Free”

I really don't like chocolate and I have a bit of a problem with alcohol so would rather not have it as a gift. Seriously, Greggs cards go down really well, they've got a good vegan range, loads of stores and the coffee is nice.

Greggs gift card would be sad for me to receive - I'm gluten free and they do not cater for us in any meaningful way. The staff member who has several food allergies - I'd bet gluten is one of them.

I'd give a voucher because you can't please everyone. Food and drink is a minefield these days with allergies and preferences.

Does your company offer a benefits or perks scheme? Some allow you to send boosts for Christmas gifts. We use WithJuno.com which is awesome because it is focused on wellbeing (lots of options which most really appreciate) rather than a voucher to fritter in tesco or regift

Set of chutneys for the Christmas cheese sweats

I think wine is the easiest thing to regift if you don’t want it (no use by dates!). Chocolates (posh, with a long date) are a close second. Vouchers can be a headache to use (though M&S or John Lewis/Waitrose May be the exception if there is a branch near your work?), plants are another thing to look after and smelly candles aren’t as universally beloved in real life as mumsnet suggests. But one thing I’ve learnt from mumsnet gift ideas threads is that there is no perfect generic gift so regifting potential is worth considering. Or buy them lunch??

Hyacinth bulbs in a nice pot (M&S do some, or a local garden centre might have them in an artsy zinc tub or wooden box.) They'll just be coming into flower by Christmas and will look and smell lovely.

I've gotten my team these things over the years:

-jam/preserves
-red pepper jelly
-sponge candy
-tinned candles
-tea/hot chocolate
-specialty popcorn
-chocolate of course

Nothing major but a token of appreciation and a card with a personal message aimed at the individual

M and S voucher

@FixItUpChappie what is sponge candy? I've never heard of it :)

You could get breakfast one morning instead? One of our bosses does that every now and again and it always goes down well, sometimes it’s an hour off and a sit down at a cafe and others she takes orders and gets breakfast baps.

How about cheese? Always a nice treat at Christmas and relatively 'safe', can always be regifted if they don't want to keep it (or they are vegan!). Also under £10.

www.snowdoniacheese.co.uk/product/black-bomber-balsamic-caramelised-onion-chutney-gift-pack/

Good luck, as pps have said, hard to please everyone! 🙂

Grimchmas

We call it sponge candy where I'm from but might call it honeycomb candy in the UK....?

Looks like this

Greggs for Christmas 🤣🤣🤣. Its hardly a festive treat. While I do like a nice sausage roll I wouldnt go out my way to a Greggs in town to get £10 worth. Another voucher which would go unspent by most.

There is a reason people give booze and chocolate, it is popular either for the receiver or there is always someone they know so easily regifted if not wanted. I'd be hard pushed to find someone to offload a jar of chutney or "specialty popcorn" too. They are all a little bit try too hard.

A M&S or Boots gift voucher?

My boss once got us all pens with our names and the year engraved on them. Not posh, expensive pens but nice ones. They write smoothly. I think he got them from Amazon.

I think it is hard to cater for everyone so I think a voucher for a tenner for M&S, John Lewis/Waitrose etc.

If that doesnt work, a nice pen. In some ways it is the token thinking of them that counts.

Go to Marks & Spencer's. Buy each of them a £10 box of chocolates. Job done. If you get them different things then someone will prefer someone else's gift. It will be obvious who you know well and who you don't. Just get them all the same thing.