Secret Santa for male colleague £5

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

Argh! I have ended up with a male colleague I really don't know in work Secret Santa. He's approximately same age as me (mid forties) but more senior and doesn't drink so no bottle of wine. I have had a look on The Book People sticking fillers and nothing leaps out at me. Anyone got any fairly safe but not too desperately dull suggestions? I really don't want to resort to chocolates. Thank you!

Comedy present, or "nice" present?

Niace cheese with biscuits. Home made jam/chutney (who would dare complain) and crackers/ butter knife/ local honey...

I started my current job about 2 weeks before Xmas and was told I had 'john smith' in the secret Santa. This was before I had started so didnt know who he was. Given his real name, I suspected he was probably 40-60s, so I bought a mini board game.

I once got a glowing pen, when you click it, for the nib, a light would come on.

Bhs has lots of reasonably priced men's stocking fillers, like torches, handy tools, travel mugs etc.

Agree with cheese, biscuits and chutney (that's what I usually do tbh). Otherwise, moleskine notebooks or something from Muji.

I think comedy might be a bit risky when I don't know him, Middleaged. I forgot about BHS, may try to pop in there. Ideally I want to get something that isn't total tat that will go in the bin the day after, so something foodie might be the way to go. He's bookish, which is why I looked on The Book People, but it's harder than I thought to pick a book for a virtual stranger!

a Christmas tie or silly hat. Ebay has loads on there.

Paper chase have got a build your own robot/wind up dinosaur for

Does he have a beard or moustache?
You can get fun moustache combs at beardcraft.co.uk or decent soap formulated for facial hair

A mug with his initial on. This is my standby secret Santa present.

If you knew just one book he liked, it would be easy to recommend others. Any chance of you finding out?

One of those book diaries, so he can write down what he's read? Dp loves his.

One of those desk puzzles or Newton's cradles? Failing that a thermal mug? Safe choices.

Voucher for a coffee shop, if he is mid-40's & senior he really isn't going to want tat & you'd be wasting your money.

Thermal mug is a good idea. Totally agree re no tat.

Thermal mug is a good idea. Or the book journal, if I can find one in budget. Sadly no longer a Muji up here and p&p would be most of the budget! (I miss their lovely stationery - but I digress.)