Last Minute Foodie Gift Ideas You Don’t Have To Wrap

December is my favorite time to reflect on the adventures of years past. Whether it be a new local food shop, just opened bakery or cool new product, nothing gets me more excited than finding new favorite discoveries.

This year was the trend of delivery or subscription based food services. Whether you got your fruits and veggies delivered straight from the farm, a new razor from Dollar Shave Club or a package of just roasted, artisan coffee, there’s a service out there for pretty much everyone. Just click and order — it’s the gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. Read on for some great last minute and out-of-the-box gift ideas. PLUS, learn how you can WIN one of these cool items below!

via maddiebakes.blogspot.com

Here’s a short list of just a few of my favorite subscription based services which I think would make great holiday gifts.

The Arclight is stepping up it’s food and drink game with a new menu in the theater restaurant, AND an upstairs bar for 21-and over movie watching. They often feature special dishes inspired by current movies which make for a very fun dinner and a movie night. But don’t just gift a movie ticket, go a step further and gift someone special with an Arclight member subscription. For just $15 they can accrue points for discounted concessions and get free movies year round. Read on to see how you can get one FREE.

The Salumi Society delivers various cured meats straight to the heart of that salami lover in your life. You’ll get a “Sacchetto” (a small box) every month, containing an assortment of fresh sausages and salumi selected from among 20+ varieties of artisan meats.

via www.bbc.co.uk

Know someone who really loves coffee? Gift them with a month or two subscription to a artisan coffee delivery service. Mustache Coffee Club delivers freshly roasted craft coffees (Intelligentsia, Portola Coffee Lab, etc.,) right to your doorstep. Read about it HERE and use this LINK to get a $5 discount.

Do the buzzwords LOCAL, FRESH and ORGANIC make you green with delight? Farm Fresh To You delivers fresh just-off-the-farm produce. In-season fruits and/or veggies are delivered weekly by a little ninja who quietly leaves a box on your doorstep in the middle of the night. Mysterious… and tasty! Get $10 off your first order when you use promo code 6164 and mention that Backyard Bite referred you, that’s me! (Amy Shuster).

Out of fresh dinner ideas? Blue Apron provides meals and recipes delivered ready to cook – easy enough for any kitchen novice. They provide all the ingredients you need, along with an easy to follow recipes. About $10 bucks per meal.

Another “cool” delivery service is Cool Haus which delivers ice cream monthly. Each month, the Pint of the Month or Sammie of the Month Club members receive a hand-packed pint of ice cream or pack of ice cream sandwiches. Need I say more?

Taste Trunk delivers monthly handcrafted gourmet gifts — everything fit for a chocoholic, coffee snob, meat lover, spice fan, BBQ aficionado or more. You can create your own trunk or choose from a number of custom made themes. I just love these artisan crafty finds. Perfect for a foodie!

via www.tastetrunk.com

The Art of Tea  hand blends custom craft organic teas and botanicals. They offer a subscription based delivery tea service that’s perfect for any true tea aficionado. You’ll receive expert tips along with your specialty curated selection of loose leaf, iced, sachet teabags, wellness, signature teas and caffeine free options. Use code “BLEND10″ for 10% off.

When in doubt, I always default to gift certificates for cooking classes. I personally like the dessert classes from Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories, the New School of Cooking for more elevated stylings, Food Story for Japanese style cooking and etiquette or SurLaTable.        

Now here’s my gift to YOU!

WIN an Arclight Membership by following @backyardbite on Twitter or Instagram and using the hashtag #backyardbiteWINS to tell me what was your favorite foodie discovery this year. Was it a restaurant, food service or a dish? I wanna know! I’ll announce a winner by December 31st and send off a snazzy new Arclight Membership card. Check back to see if you’ve won!