Yahoo News 15 best gifts to treat the great man in your life
It comes around every year, so get prepared for Father’s Day on 16 June and treat the father figure in your life to a gift more thoughtful than something you hastily picked up on a last-minute supermarket sweep.
What to get men for presents is always a dilemma as more often than not, they will just buy it for themselves, or be so incredibly picky about something that it’s almost not worth going for a surprise.
Here we’ve rounded up classic gifts, from organic socks to summery shirts, as well as little luxuries like beautifully crafted chocolates and handmade kitchen knives.
Whether he’s a gardener, enjoys cooking, a gin-lover, is in to candles or is a fashionista, we’ve found a range of gifts to make him smile. And none of them include a “World’s Best Dad” oversized mug…
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Lego Creator Volkswagen beetle: £74.99, Lego
Everyone loves a bit of childhood toy nostalgia now and then and who doesn’t love old classic car design? This Lego Beetle 1960s model brings those two together perfectly. From the brand’s Creator section, designed for 16+, this model has more than 1,000 pieces, including a surfboard, ice box, towel and a round VW badge for the front of the car – just make sure he doesn’t throw away the instructions and it will keep him occupied for hours, if not days.
Komodo organic cotton socks: £6, Komodo
Every little helps, as the saying goes, and Komodo is a sock company that wants to save the world with its socks. These should be staples for every man, woman and child: made with organic cotton, in limited designs so as not to over supply, while also supporting the Free Tibet campaign. Dad will love brightening up his sock drawer with these and the new summer designs with pale blues are also something he’ll want to show off. With every purchase, a donation is made to the Sumatran Orangutan Society to support their important work reclaiming palm forests. If only more companies were like this.
Spirit of Toad Oxford dry gin: £38.95, Masters of Malt
Coming from Oxford, what sets this gin apart form the huge swathes of brands now available is that it’s made with heritage grains grown on organic farms within a 50 mile radius of the distillery and is distilled in handmade pots. It’s also made in the first legal distillery in the city, too. With a hint of pine leaves and coriander, the gin is syrupy with notes of orange and cardamom.
Beautfort and Blake Snettisham navy searsucker shirt: £69, Beaufort and Blake
Can dad ever have too many shirts? We think not. And he won’t want to take this one off, which is made by British designers Beaufort and Blake who pride themselves on well made casual wear. The searsucker shirt – new for this year – feels like it was absolutely made to be worn on sandy shores, especially with it’s contrast turtle print inside the cuff and gusset. Also available in blue and pink.
Barbour camel Monty slippers: £59.95, Outdoor and Country
These traditional moccasin style slippers have all the essentials for a great cosy indoor shoe: a super soft and fluffy inside, a thick gripped rubber sole so dad can wear them outside too – as we all know he will – as well as a little splash of tartan. They also come in five other colours, too.
'World Atlas of Coffee: From beans to brewing – coffees explored, explained and enjoyed' by James Hoffmann, published by Mitchell Beazley: £13.93, Amazon
Split into three sections, this book is the go-to for everything he'll want to know about coffee, from the section about each of the 35 coffee producing countries, explaining the differences between their produce and process, to the other two sections which focus on everything from its history to the best way to brew it. Written by champion barista and coffee expert, James Hoffman, it’s an insiders guide to the industry that any coffee aficionado will devour.
Clarins for men moisture balm, 50ml: £30, Clarins
Ok, so it moisturises well, it's light and definitely isn’t greasy, but what’s our favourite thing about this cult-classic product? It’s the smell – a lovely clean and fresh light scent that will inspire him to use this every day. It’s also a travel friendly size too, so there will always be room for this in his wash bag.
Rococo sea salt organic milk chocolate wafer thins: £16.95, Rococo
From one of the country’s best chocolatiers, these delicate large discs of chocolate are little slices of heaven in our eyes, thanks to the silky milk chocolate and little hints of delicious sea salt: our favourite combination. It’s certainly a big step up from a chocolate orange – just don’t expect dad to share.
Skandinavisk hav sea salt scented candle: £29, Skandinavisk
If dad is a salty sea dog at heart, but doesn’t live near the water, this deliciously scented candle from Scandi inspired brand, Skandinavisk, will take him right back to the shore. “Hav” means sea in Scandinavian and it’s one of the most accurate smelling sea salt infused candles we’ve tried with notes of water flora, driftwood, sea froth and fresh air. Made with vegetable wax, it has a burning time of 50 hours.
Les Forts De Loube 75cl organic wine: £25, Daylesford
Coming from Daylesford Farm’s very own vineyard in France, Chateau Leoube, this is a full bodied red made with the syrah grape – a variety of shiraz – giving it a smooth blackberry finish. In keeping with the brand, it is of course organic.
Blenheim Forge santoku handmade knife: £315, Blenheim Forge
We think a handmade knife is the ultimate home cook’s accessory. This Japanese inspired santoku knife, handmade in south east London’s Peckham, is a firm favourite with the likes of Nigella Lawson and Mark Hix, and uses Japanese blue paper carbon steel as its core and is covered with folded iron cladding, meaning it’s super strong and very sharp. With its 180mm blade, this the most versatile knife from the brand, owing to its shape, slightly curved blade and ability to chop a multitude of ingredients. We just know he’ll love showing off his knife skills in the kitchen with this.
Orlebar Brown X Mr Porter T-shirt: £ 75, Orlebar Brown
Designed as part of the Father & Son Day Charity Initiative with The Royal Marsden NHS trust, which raises awareness of male cancer, all proceeds from the T-shirts go towards The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. There are five designs in the collection, which uses the brand’s super-soft crew-neck cotton tees in both white and navy. Our favourite is the “fathership” tee with a little boat drawing and an anchor. All of the T-shirts have the Father and Son Day branding on the back too.
Common coffee in strong, 250g: £7: Common Coffee
Started by friends who all worked in the coffee industry, Common Coffee has four roasts: strong, sweet, bright and complex. Our favourite is the first for its punchy hit and powerful but delicious flavour with beans from Brazil and Colombia that will get dad moving in the morning. We also love that the bags and labels are fully compostable and biodegradable in any environment, be it water, compost or landfill.
Le Creuset toughened non-stick 35cm rectangular roaster: £140, Le Creuset
Made from heavy aluminium, this pan spreads heat evenly thanks to the stainless steel disc on the bottom, which is cleverly suitable for all heat sources from induction to gas and will revolutionise everything from the humble Sunday roast to one-pot veggie wonders. As with all the brand's products, it should last a lifetime if well looked after. It does come with a 10-year guarantee and is dishwasher safe, so dad won’t have to spend hours scrubbing it clean in the sink.
Hattingley Valley blanc de blancs 2013 sparkling wine 12%, 75cl: £39.50, Great Western Wine
From the family owned vineyard in Hampshire which specialises in premium English sparkling wines, headed up by Emma Rice, who won winemaker of the year in 2014 and 2016, is this six-year-old sparkler. The wine’s USP is that a proportion of the wine is aged in oak barrels to ferment it. This vintage is made entirely with chardonnay grapes from a single harvest with notes of citrus fruits, peach and honey.
The verdict: Gifts for him
Lego’s Curator Volkswagen beetle is our winner because it brings together classic motor design with everyone’s favourite children’s toy that whiles away hours, and we love the detail Lego has gone into here too. For those splashing out, we love the beautifully crafted Blenheim Forge santoku handmade knife but if you’re only after a token gift, the Komodo organic socks are a great, and ethical, choice.
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