We often give and receive useless gifts, and Bongo coupons usually stay in the closet. Why not give a Belgian food entrepreneur a gift: how about a dinner party, or a Belgian product that you can also use in the kitchen? We list three original concepts for under the Christmas tree, and you immediately support the Belgian catering and food entrepreneurs.
Think Tomato – Belgian tomato sauce
Think Tomato sells healthy and tasty tomato sauce. © Think Tomato
For those who love tomato sauce and want to be able to quickly prepare tasty dishes without sacrificing health, is Think Tomato a good idea for under the Christmas tree. Four years ago, Julie D’heygere launched her own tomato sauce: it started with a small webshop, but quickly grew into a brand that is available in more than 600 stores.
“I love tomatoes and always made my own tomato sauce,” says Julie. “Until I became a mother and had less time to cook: I was no longer able to make tomato sauce myself, so I bought ready-made jars at the market. I have tried many, but I always came to the conclusion that there is a huge difference with homemade tomato sauce. Not only in terms of taste, but also in terms of nutritional values: ready-made sauce contains much more sugars, salt and preservatives.”
I only work with cherry tomatoes: the smaller, the better.
Julie D’heygere
So Julie started stockpiling her homemade tomato sauce for her own use. “I packaged the sauce immediately, which ensured a long shelf life without preservatives. It was my husband who told me to do something with it: the sauce is just as tasty as freshly made sauce, but you can still keep it for a long time. Think Tomato was born.”
“What is unique about Think Tomato’s sauce is that I use a lot of tomatoes: each jar contains 500 grams of cherry tomatoes. I only work with cherry tomatoes: the smaller, the better. They are sweeter, so I don’t have to add sugar.”
“I started with the ‘original’ tomato sauce, but I now also have a spicy variant, ideal for scampi diabolique, for example. There is also a version with thyme, delicious with fish or spaghetti bolognese, and a winter edition with winter herbs such as smoked paprika, cinnamon and star anise. The latter has a very rich flavor palette and is ideal in winter dishes such as stews, tagine or moussaka.”
The Think Tomato gift box contains four flavors and an inspiration book. © Think Tomato
At Think Tomato you can buy a jar of tomato sauce for 6.20 to 7 euros, but the gift package for 45.45 euros with four flavors and an inspiration book is ideal for the holidays. “It contains 42 recipes that you can prepare quickly and easily,” says Julie.
“Another idea for under the Christmas tree is a subscription from 47.60 euros where you will receive eight jars of tomato sauce each time over a period of your choosing. You can also have your jar of tomato sauce personalized, such as ‘Think Julie’ for 9.85 euros: also a nice gift for the holidays.”
Our Daily Bottle – wijnabonnement
Our Daily Bottle is a wine subscription that you can give as a gift. © Shari Ruzzi
The wine subscription is for wine lovers Our Daily Bottle then an original gift. Seven years ago, Isabeau Sas started Belgium’s first online wine subscription, after having lived in wine regions in South Africa, Bordeaux and California for many years.
“Subscribers receive a box with two bottles of wine and a magazine about wine every month,” says Isabeau. You can choose a three, six or twelve month formula. We have a special promotion during the holidays. With six deliveries you get access to a video course about wine and with twelve deliveries you receive a book that will make you a wine connoisseur in thirty days.”
“There is still an air of snobbery surrounding wine: we try to bring the product closer to the consumer in a fun way. We keep it accessible, you learn about wine in an accessible way.”
(read more below the photo)
For a premium subscription you pay 33 euros per month and you can expect wines with a more special cuvée, says Isabeau Sas from Our Daily Bottle. © Shari Ruzzi
A standard subscription costs 23 euros per month, for two wines with good value for money. For a premium subscription you pay 33 euros per month and you can expect wines with a more special cuvée. The wines come from all over the world: from Spain and Italy to South Africa and Chile.
The person you give a subscription to will think of you every month.
Isabeau Sas
“Every month you have a surprise in your mailbox,” says Isabeau. “With Our Daily Bottle you not only give the gift of delicious wine, but also an experience. You usually don’t drink a bottle of wine alone.”
“The person to whom you give a subscription as a gift will also think of you every month: it is a gift that repeats itself, so that in the cold winter months after the Christmas period, a great package always arrives that invites you to enjoy pleasant moments together. There are people who give Our Daily Bottle as a gift to their grandfather in a retirement home, to their mother who likes to drink wine or to their sweetheart: the target group is very diverse.”
DinnerGift – gift vouchers for restaurant visits
With DinnerGift you give a voucher for a restaurant visit as a gift. © Joke De Nef
Bongo vouchers often remain in the cupboard: a voucher from DinnerGift is a better idea for foodies who like to go to restaurants. With DinnerGift you give the gift of a meal with a gift voucher. Dinnergift is a family business: three sisters – Astrid, Charlotte and Laurien Van den Broeck – started the concept in 2017 out of love for the catering world.
When you receive a gift voucher from DinnerGift, you know you’re going to a fancy restaurant.
Timothy Verhaeghe
“On our website you can choose from around 200 restaurants in Flanders: we know most of the chefs personally,” says Timothy Verhaeghe, who recently joined the DinnerGift team. “Each restaurant has something unique: they are located on the water, have a nice terrace or are known for their vegetarian food. The most important thing is that they deliver quality: if you receive a gift voucher from DinnerGift, you know you are going to a decent restaurant.”
Astrid, Laurien, Charlotte and Timothy from DinnerGift: “It is an ideal gift for foodies”. © Joke De Nef
You can choose the price of the gift voucher yourself. The amount of the voucher will be deducted from the bill after the dinner. “This is an ideal gift for foodies, and you also give them a nice experience,” says Verhaeghe. “You provide atmosphere, conviviality and a moment with good food, ideal for the gourmets among us.”
“At DinnerGift you can choose whether you give a voucher for a specific restaurant, or opt for the DinnerGift Experience: the recipient can choose from our list of restaurants. We’re also perfect for a last minute gift as it’s so easy to order online. Our best day of the year is Christmas Eve, and even Christmas night.”
Also read:
“My wife has one job”: this is how these 3 Flemish people approach their festive menu (well in advance) (+)
If you want to order a party box for Christmas, time is running out: we are testing 5 (+)
13 chefs and foodies reveal what they simply buy in the store for their festive menu: “There is nothing wrong with a ‘potteke’ sauce” (+)
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2023-12-19 19:00:29
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