This is going to be my last post about my partner’s birthday, I promise… But, I realised that, though I’ve already posted about the things I made, I haven’t yet said anything about the other 25 presents that made up the box of his 30 presents for his 30th birthday.

Some of these were a bit random but I thought that, with Christmas round the corner, some of the cooking items I bought him might provide inspiration for anyone racking their brains about what to buy the domestic god in their life…

Read on, dear follower, for my selection of the perfect presents for a gastronome.

Culinary classics

Clockwise from top left:

1. Blackbird pie bird, a classic for all those homebaked pies

2. Penguin pie bird, a hugely appealing little chum to go with the blackbird.

3. Jamie Oliver recipe tin, which comes with blank recipe cards inside and a pencil, so you can store all your best culinary creations.

4. Brabantia pot scraper (Not, I’m ready and willing to admit, the world’s sexiest present, but my other half is a fanatical cake maker, and sometimes I think it’s really nice to be given a luxury version of a basic utilitarian object that you wouldn’t necessarily buy yourself…)

5. Black and Blum lunch box, this is a fabulous stew pot, with a smaller container underneath perfect for rice or mash or whatever accompanies your steaming hot stew. Also comes with a spork. Don’t you love that word? Spork.

6. Black and blum bento box: for the non stew-type work lunches…

7. Pizza slicer, this one is by Jamie Oliver again

8. Fish kettle from John Lewis, which is incredibly huge and perhaps too big for our oven, but beautiful-looking nonetheless

9. Oxo salad spinner, one of those things that make your life just a little bit easier every time you use it…

10.  Anthropologie octopus plates. Really quite amazing, these plates!