If you’re already dreading typing in “gifts for foodies” to find the perfect present for your loved one who has every gadget, cookbook, and exotic ingredient you can imagine, step away from the keyboard or phone. No one needs another pair of herb scissors or seasoning shaker. What they’ll actually remember is an experience; a flavour, a moment, a place, and the story that goes with it. This Christmas, give the gift of experience – from an off-grid dinner in the wild to a luxury oyster weekend, here are five unforgettable ways to spoil the food-obsessed people in your life (and hopefully, they bring you along too!).

Dine in the sky: A Culinary Safari at Blue Duck Station

Nestled deep in the Whanganui wilderness, this experience combines adventure and indulgence like nowhere else in New Zealand. Your afternoon begins with a two-hour ATV bush safari through rainforest, rivers, and ridgelines, where you’ll see remote beauty beyond your imagination, and you’ll finish up at The Chef’s Table, located on one of the highest points of the station with views of Tongariro and Whanganui National Parks. The evening will unfold over a three-to-four-hour tasting menu of ingredients grown, farmed or foraged right on the land – think venison from the station, house-baked sourdough, vegetables pulled from the garden that morning, and wines from the Central Plateau. After dinner, settle into one of the cosy cabins overlooking the bush. Breakfast is waiting in the morning before you’re transported back to Blue Duck Station Central – full, happy, and undoubtedly planning your return visit. https://www.thechefstable.co.nz/

Coastal Escape: A weekend of seafood with two of the country’s top food personalities

For the true seafood devotee, this is the ultimate long weekend for oyster and champagne lovers from The Only Table, Cuisine’s new immersive travel arm. A three-day culinary escape hosted by Cuisine editor Kelli Brett and chef Martin Bosley, The World Is Your Oyster brings together the best seafood and the best bubbles (Méthode Marlborough pairings) in coastal luxury at the stunning McCallum Residence in Clevedon. Guests will shuck oysters at the source, learn from seafood master Martin Bosley in an intimate masterclass, and enjoy long lunches with sea views. With just eight suites, each with its own butler and private view, this is a relaxed and intimate experience with great food and lots of laughs guaranteed. www.theonlytable.com/oyster. 

The Art of Slow: A Culinary Retreat Dedicated To Slow Food In the Coromandel

Follow the winding road through Karangahake Gorge and you’ll find a place where the pace of life and cooking slows right down. At The Falls Retreat, owners Emma Walton and Brad King have built a tiny haven dedicated to seasonal, sustainable food – where wood-fired sourdough, house-made pasta, and produce plucked from their garden form the backbone of long-table feasts served beneath twinkling lights. Guests can stay overnight in bush-clad cottages and take part in cooking and growing workshops to make it a whole weekend of food. The only challenge is returning to normal modern life afterwards. https://www.fallsretreat.co.nz/

Cast Away: A True Sea-To-Table Adventure with Gravity Fishing

A trip to Stewart Island is like a journey back to a simpler time, where untouched nature rules and you forget what the word ‘stress’ even means. Gravity Fishing knows what food lovers like and takes guests out on trips to catch their own food, totally sustainably, to be cooked by chefs on board the boat. Stay overnight and wake up to the gentle sway of the ocean and a perfectly cooked breakfast. Does it actually get any better than this? https://gravityfishing.co.nz/

Looking for a smaller gift?

If you’d rather give something that lasts all year (and fits neatly in an envelope), a Cuisine magazine subscription is the perfect pressie for the food lover in your life. Every issue delivers a taste of New Zealand’s best chefs, producers and places. It’s inspiration, discovery, and a reason to slow down with a glass of wine and dream up the next adventure, one delicious page at a time: subscribe to Cuisine here.