Present for a couple - need new ideas

[OMGitsnotgood]

Attempts to stop buying for this couple have been met with ‘oh we love your gifts, please let’s carry on’. So we do.

I know it’s still August but this is the gift that always causes me the most stress (apart from DH but that's a whole other thread!)

Budget c £50, but I am happy to my several smaller gifts up to that value

Having bought for years, I am out of ideas.

Things I’ve bought before, more than once some of them, so don’t want to buy again:
Shrub for the garden
Plant in a ceramic pot for the garden
Gluten free goodies selection
Jam/chutney selection (I would never normally gift this but it arose from a conversation about how they liked good jams and chutneys)
Cheese platter and gluten free crackers
Woven placemats and napkins
Books related to their specific interests
Wine (very often)
Their favourite spirit
Photo frames
Various cookery books
Good quality notebooks
Tea/coffee
Scarves
Chocolate and gluten free confectionery

I don’t want to buy/need to avoid:
vouchers
chocolate; gluten; toiletries (allergies)
‘Stuff’ that they really don’t need eg ornaments etc
Candles (they have tons!)
House plants (they are away for long stretches so can’t water them. If I could find a really good artificial plant that might be an option but has failed me so far)

Thank you

If they like jams and chutneys I would just get them a nice hamper every year, add in some wine if you want, or other food they like. Basically though, just a food hamper every time.

Cook book and a few specialist ingredients.
Two artisan mugs and a bag of coffee beans.

Thank you - yes as per both your suggestions I could just repeat what I've already bought, I shouldn't rule that out I guess! Still would be good if I could find some different ideas.

Paella pan, ingredients and recipe?

I recently bought my cousin an A4 hand drawn picture of the front of her house. It was £60. She loved it.

Spice rack and spices
Interesting and good quality oils/vinegars
Panetone

Can you find ideas from what they have bought you over the years? People often buys gifts that they would like to receive!

I've never managed to find a gluten free panettone unfortunately, but if I can find one that's not unreasonably price inflated that isn't a bad idea.

With olive oil being so expensive these days , a decent bottle is a good idea with an unusual vinegar (rather than the usual balsamic that tends to come in sets - thank you)

They already have a spice rack but some unusual spices might go nicely with oil and vinegar. So that is a possibility, thank you

Yeah I tend to do that anyway but that's definitely a good tip. We know them really quite well so I know what they would/wouldn't appreciate, just difficult to think of something different.

I saw this at someone else's house and loved it!

I would stick with the food hamper theme, but you could mix it up. 'film night' box with popcorn, posh sweets and drinks. 'pizza night' with a recipe book, gluten free dough mix, bottle of wine, basil plant. Maybe a hamper themed around a place they're planning a holiday to or have been recently?
And I know you said you want to avoid vouchers but our go-to for couples is vouchers to their nearest independent cinema which often goes down well.

Giving a gift should be an act of generosity, thoughtfulness and love. If giving this gift causes you stress then you should not give it. You've tried to stop giving and been faced with 'oh we love your gifts, please let's carry on', but that in itself is selfish.
You don't need anyone's permission to not give a gift. You can simply not give one if you don't want to give one. You can announce, not ask. You don't need a reason but if it makes you feel better you can have one "I am not giving gifts this year because I can't afford it/it causes me stress/I have too much stuff/whatever else".
I do give gifts to immediate family because I want to, it's my choice. With close friends, instead of exchanging gifts we spend time together - a meal out, a day trip, a weekend away, something we both enjoy. The gift is the time shared and doing something different from day to day.

Nearer Christmas M&S do a hamper box which you can buy and fill yourself. I always find these good as can tailor it to the specific person/couple and also gradually buy bits in.

I find IKEA artificial plants pretty good, and not expensive. We have quite a few in our house (admittedly mixed in with real ones ... good trick this!) but they are still pretty good anyway.

A cheese box, I use the Courtyard Dairy (thecourtyarddairy.co.uk) they are excellent.

Automatic plant waterer. You can either buy or if crafts are your thing make one

Board game, snacks and drinks hamper for a games night?

A couple of years ago I did a night in box for my sister in law & her "difficult to buy for" man.
I got them both jammies, things I knew they like to eat (a packet of custard creams for him as that's all he would eat - Not even kidding), a bottle of wine, & a dvd.

A Christmassy bouquet of flowers

More of the same!

Lambswool hat/gloves each
If they are at all outdoorsy, Darn Tough socks are expensive, excellent and much appreciated presents to my outdoorsy friends

Cheese subscription
Curry spice subscription

Private Eye subscription (or New Scientist, Runners World etc, whatever floats their boat

I'd always welcome good food, but not specifically Christmas food, because I have that in anyway.

Who are these people? Just tell them you're cutting back on gifts and it won't be happening anymore

If they are foodies which it sounds like they are, look on the sous chef website. They have all manner of unusual ingredients, treats and gadgets. It’s where I buy a lot of gifts including for a close friend who is a chef!

Wildlife camera for the garden

Posh picnic backpack

Tickets for a show, comedy or gig but obviously not a expensive one!

Can’t believe they basically told you that you have to keep buying for them
I hope their gifts to you are good?
could you buy them something rubbish the next 2/3 years then suggest stopping again…
or just tell them you’ll do a meal out instead of exchanging this year, don’t ask

If not, food hampers, some sort of subscription, something to make travelling comfier? Nice photo albums with printed photos of their trips (assuming they’ve shared photos), house plant ( or herbs?) with automated feeder/waterer

We don't live near each other so get together at some point in December for a meal and exchange presents - I think it's as much that the present exchange drives us to do that. I do enjoy present buying, love it in fact, so don't mind, it's just finding new things that I enjoy. With the man having various food and skin restrictions, it limits some of the things I might otherwise have bought.
They do buy lovely presents back - often a different gin for me and a brandy or whisky for DH. Don't like to give wine as we always take decent wines whenever we visit and often give them a bottle for birthdays etc.
there are plenty of things on my 'already given' list that I could repeat, would just like something different it possible