Thank you gift for very posh, elderly man

[TR888]

By posh, I mean Oxford-educated, wealthy, speaks like nobody else I've ever met. This is relevant because I'm not from the U.K. and am completely baffled by social class conventions here. It's so easy to do the wrong thing!

This gentleman is someone I know in a professional capacity. He's has gone to significant effort to help my son find a work experience opportunity, and I'd like to say thank you. I was thinking of getting him some Hotel Chocolat chocolates, but worry this might not be well received perhaps? Alcohol doesn't seem appropriate for someone who is 80+ but I might be wrong. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Fruit basket or beautiful plant.

Hand made biscuits in nice tin and handwritten card are perfect , fine to give in person, just make sure it is in discreet bag at a work event so he doesn't get embarrassed or have to explain , maybe a plain grey gift bag sealed up? Or give at end of event.

As for delivery, if it's just a note, it would be fine to hand it over in person. If you are adding biscuits or anything, then I would wrap, then cover in tissue paper and pop into a small gift bag.

Makes it simultaneously more exciting and less pressure to investigate while you are working.

Don't give him anything bigger than a card to cart around with him at a professional event.

A card written by your son would be perfect. I'm sure he doesn't want or need anything more.

It would be lovely if after completing his work experience, your Son wrote a short letter outlining what he had done on work experience, as i am sure the Gentleman would love to know how your Son got on.

I agree with nice tea and biscuits.

Only buy alcohol if you know what he drinks - if he drinks at all.

Hotel Chocolat aren't that great imo. A relative buys me some every Xmas and I don't have the heart to tell him that most of them go uneaten.

I am big on thank yous. I'd give him the homemade goodies tomorrow. If you can get the card in the post today then I'd do that. Quality thank you-ing is a lost art.

Yes, this. If it’s at an event, or isn’t somewhere he can easily chuck it down on his desk or somewhere, don’t be handing him gift bags if it will involve him having to carry them about.

A handwritten note from you and your son will be more meaningful than any gift.

Perfect, thank you. I will just give him the card. He's invited us to his house after my son completes his work experience and it's perhaps a better time for handmade biscuits 🙂.

That sounds perfect 😊

That's perfect.

And he sounds like a real sweetheart.

He's very kind, and for some reason he's taken and interest in my family and me. I just hope my teenage son does well in his role!

Ditto the hand written note - I'd probably go for a bottle of single malt.

That's lovely!

I am sure that your son will do him proud.

What you are suggesting is very generic and bland. It is just the default approach to give chocolates/biscuits/wine or flowers. Hardly shows that you have some thoughts into it.

What are his personal interests?

If your son knows anything about what he might enjoy in his spare time (literature, music, gardening, horses, food) I would try to gift something that relates to his interests.

Hand baked biscuits or cookies are always welcome. Get your son writing a nice hand written letter to him.

I agree with pp , a hand wrote letter that uou can give to him tomorrow would be very nice .
As you will be hoping to his house at a later date I would give him the gift then.
In-between time perhaps your DS could do a little discreet asking around to find out what the kind gent likes , it would mean much more to him if he was given something that he likes.

A while ago on two separate occasions I helped a friends family out . The dad bought me a jar of Marmalade, the mum bought me a expensive box of chocolates

The chocolates were Brazil nuts coated in milk chocolate.
I can't stand Brazils !

The Marmalade was one that had come up in conversation about a month before hand and was hard to get hold of ( pineapple marmalade)

It really pays to do a bit of digging !

I agree with some PPs: if your son is old enough to be doing work experience he's old enough to write a thank you card and buy a gift (perhaps with some guidance) himself.

Great idea!