The wait is over: Flanders Today's holiday Gift Guide is here
Welcome to the Flanders Today Gift Guide, your essential companion to finding the best gifts of the season for family and friends
Top 20 for 2015
1 Senz storm umbrella
Calling an umbrella storm-proof is tempting fate in Belgium, but Dutch company Senz says its aerodynamic design will stay right-way around regardless of how gusty it gets. And it looks pretty cool, too (€54.95-€64.95)
Buy it at: Hopono
This bright store in the Elsene commune is full of everyday items that have been ingeniously rethought, from kitchenware and other household wares to lunch boxes, flasks and picnic sets. Baljuwstraat 48, Brussels, hopono-shop.com
2 Red Winter Punch Tea
When the weather turns chilly and wet (as it does), what could be better than curling up with a nice, hot cuppa? This seasonal blend is fruity and fragrant with apple, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom – plus it’s herbal, so you can enjoy it into the evening (€6.21/100g)
Buy it at: Teastation
With two locations, this speciality shop carries 170 teas, helpfully colour-coded by category: black, green and white for types of tea leaves, red for rooibos and blue for herbal infusions. It also stocks a selection of teapots and other paraphernalia. Aldestraat 13, Hasselt; Ketelstraat 13, Diest, teastation.eu
3 Noodoll
Noodoll is a whimsical and playful brand with a line of stationery and adorable cuddly toys for kids. The designs from this London-based brand range from monsters and forest friends to fruit and veg, but all of them are delightfully happy-go-lucky (€21.95)
Buy it at: Wolf en Wolkje
Opened by the duo behind the award-winning interior design blog Woonblog, Wolf en Wolkje is aimed predominantly at kids and their hipster parents, filled as it is with an eclectic range of cool toys and gadgets. Hertoginstraat 2A, Antwerp, wolfenwolkje.be
4 The Inner Circle of Europe
Young Flemish photographer Gert Verbelen visited 18 small communities across the Eurozone to create this fascinating collage of the continent, where familiar images are not always found closest to home (€39.50)
Buy it at: Theoria
A smartly stocked, dangerously browsable bookshop, with shelves that mix international essentials with the best of Flanders. Leave time to linger in the cafe, which doubles as a comic book and vinyl store. Onze Lieve Vrouwestraat 22, Kortrijk, theoria.be
5 Tomorrowland cap
As you know, the Tomorrowland summer dance music festival in Boom is one of the biggest and best of its kind in the world. Revellers from all over the globe for the event, so the official cap is not only a trendy piece of headgear, it’s the ideal gift for music and festival lovers everywhere (€35)
Buy it at: Tomorrowland Boutique
This pop-up shop in the heart of Antwerp’s fashion district is the place to be for dance-inspired fashion and limited-edition items. It’s a unique store that doubles as a celebration and history of the festival and will only be open until 3 January. Kammenstraat 43, Antwerp, boutique.tomorrowland.com
6 Pure tableware
However you feel about Flemish cookbook scribe Pascale Naessens’ brand of healthy, low-cal cooking, it’s hard not to love her line of ceramic bowls in earthy greens and browns. A trained potter, she really did design them herself (€10.95-€65.95)
Buy it at: Oil & Vinegar
With nearly 20 locations across Flanders, this chain specialises in fancy olive oils and vinegars with flavours like black truffle and passion fruit. You can choose one of their endless styles of empty bottles and fill them up yourself. Other fancy-schmancy dips and spices make this a great place to put together a gift basket. Across Flanders and Brussels, oilvinegar.com
7 Handmade earrings
Jewellery is a great gift, but how to choose the right thing? You cannot go wrong with these local designs in silver or gold, each more beautiful and unique than the next. All of them are handmade in the shop; custom designs upon request (from €25)
But it at: Sofie Vanoosthuyse
In perhaps the tiniest shop in Leuven, Sofie sells her works of art. She creates stunning jewellery, much of which is one-of-a-kind. She often works with customers to create exactly what they want, including wedding rings. Parijsstraat 42, Leuven, sofievanoosthuyse.be
8 Layercake table
Made from layers of wood scraps that have been laminated together and sculpted, this occasional table is both beautiful and functional. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and handmade in Turnhout by ResourceLab (€180)
Buy it at: Hendrikshuis
Shop Unique. Be Unique. That’s the motto of this shop-cum-social enterprise, which employs disadvantaged workers and stocks vintage clothes, limited-edition pieces from local artists and products made from recycled materials. Minderbroederstraat 56, Hasselt, hendrikshuis.be
9 Retro thermos & lunchbox
There’s nothing handier in these winter months than a thermos to take your warm drinks with you everywhere. Produced by Rex International, these come in various vintage designs, each one with a lid that doubles as a portable mug. There are matching tin lunchboxes, too (thermos: €16.50; lunchboxes: €6.50)
Buy it at: Oplus
Just a short walk from Oude Markt, this shop appears to have everything: You can spend hours browsing through vintage accessories and kitchen supplies, colourful leather handbags, unique costume jewellery and all kinds of gadgets and games. Joris Helleputteplein 1, Leuven, oplus-leuven.be
10 Love Box
The GingerLove hot drink created by Antwerp’s legendary lunch bar Lombardia is a ginger tea without the tea. Aromatic spices, zesty citrus and a touch of sugar has made this powdery mix a household favourite, and now it’s available in a gift set with cute cups and saucers (€38.50)
Buy it at: Lombardia
Lombardia is an organic and fairtrade hotspot in the heart of Antwerp. A long-time restaurant of veggie eats, it’s as known for its kitschy tropical interior as its great comfort food, and also runs a small shop stocked with organic products. Lombardenvest 78, Antwerp, lombardia.be
11 Gone Rural placemats
Colourful and sophisticated, these sturdy placemats with matching coasters are hand woven by a co-operative of more than 700 rural women in Swaziland. Three colour patterns available (€50/set of six)
But it at: KuDu Home
Brussels expat Thandi Mbali Renaldi is of British/South African descent and sources every product available in her online shop of gorgeous kitchen and homeware direct from Africa. She targets hand-made products from fair-trade, co-operative producers. kuduhome.com
12 Mixed box of speciality coffee
Het is altijd koffietijd is a phrase you commonly hear in Dutch. As it is, indeed, always time for coffee, keep your friends well supplied with this delicious variety of speciality blends (€25/box)
Buy it at: Koffie Onan
In this cosy shop right in the heart of the city centre, customers are confronted with an overwhelming array of specialty coffees and teas either to take home or to sit with in a comfortable chair and enjoy with a piece of chocolate. Parijsstraat 28, Leuven, koffieonan.be
13 Cuisipro egg poachers
Are your loved ones still tossing raw eggs into a pot of boiling water? Change their lives with these good-looking little gadgets, which deliver perfect poached eggs every time. Then invite yourself over for New Year’s brunch (€19.95/pair)
Buy it at: Kokino
This large and bright shop that stocks all manner of designer kitchenware is a breath of fresh air amid the big-box stores lining the suburban thoroughfare between Ghent and Deinze. Lovely items of both the practical and more decorative variety. Kortrijksesteenweg 1092, Ghent, kokino.be
14 Keiemtaler cheese
Produced by ’t Dischhof organic dairy in Keiem, West Flanders, Keiemtaler has enough holes to pass for a Swiss cheese but a distinctive creamy consistency and nutty tang. It’s a treat and a talking point for any cheese board (€22.85/kg)
Buy it at: Jacques Defrenne
Jacques Defrenne fills his market stall with choice cheeses and other delicious dairy products, with the accent on those made from organic and raw milk. Find him at Flagey market each weekend and at Kasteleinsplein market on Wednesdays.
15 Bird bingo
The holiday is a great time – and for some families, the only time – for a board game to find its way down from the shelf. Bird Bingo is a gorgeously illustrated twist on the traditional game where you learn the names and colourings of dozens of common and exotic feathered friends. (€35)
Buy it at ’t Stad leest
This beautiful book shop in the centre of Antwerp offers a wide selection of paper goods, gadgets and visually enticing books. If you’re looking for special editions or gloriously illustrated reading material, this is the place to be. Steenhouwersvest 16, Antwerp, facebook.com/tstadleest
16 Ammonites
The true beauty of ammonites is only revealed when they are cut in half. Inside each fossilised shellfish is an intricate swirl of chambers, full of crystal colours. And that's 160,000,000 years in your hands (€6 for two halves)
Buy it at: Steen en Been
Find beauty and beasties in this fascinating store, from fossils for dinosaur-mad kids to mounted butterflies for design-conscious adults. There are also insects, shells, minerals, skeletons and all sorts of other curios. Volkstraat 59, Antwerp, steenenbeen.be
17 Ginderella
Ghent city ecologist, Geert Heyneman, is famous among the sustainable living set for his guided walks in which he points out which plants along the roadside or in local forests are fit for eating. He makes this gin – which goes down mild and smooth – with herbs he gathers around Flanders (€30/70cl)
Buy it at: Paard van Troje
This is the well-read Gentenaar’s first choice in bookshop, with a selective stock of new books, CDs and DVDs and a few choice bottles of wine and spirits. There is an English section in fiction and English titles mixed in among the non-fiction. Settle down with your purchases in the attached coffee shop. Kouter 113, Ghent, paardvantroje.be
18 Tiffany breakfast tray
Breakfast in bed will no longer be a dream with this stylish solid oak serving tray. It’s simple, contemporary design will appeal to anyone looking for a practical yet romantic (and sturdy) gift. A timeless classic (€39)
Buy it at Habitat
For the past 50 years, Habitat has brought us elegant, functional designs in furniture and accessories, with comfort its top priority. With two shops in Belgium, there’s no better place to pop in to if you love affordable yet beautifully crafted interior titbits. Stadsfeestzaal, Meir 78, Antwerp; Woluwe Shopping Centre, Brussels, habitat.be
19 Snoep (sweets)
It’s not just about chocolate: Flanders has many of its own traditional sweets, like kussentjes (named after their resemblance to pillows), fruitsnoep (sporting little pictures of the fruit in question) and cuberdons (oozing purple syrup with every bite)
Buy it at: Zucchero
Stuff their stockings with sweets from this bright pink shop in Bruges, which makes you feel like a kid again. Tables are loaded with packs of sweets, tins line the walls. You can watch the owners hand chop sweet sticks and choose from an endless array of lollies. Holiday cheer guaranteed. OLV Kerkhof-Zuid 18 or Philipstockstraat 24, Bruges, confiserie-zucchero.be
20 Owlcraft bike jacket
Fed up with ugly, shapeless high-viz cycling jackets? Owlcraft vests – designed and made in Belgium – combine snazzy reflective outers with stylish linings and tie at the front for ease of use (€55)
Buy it at: Bel’Arte
Tucked away in Brussels’ Dansaert district, this temple to Belgian creativity is packed with jewellery and accessories, with a smattering of notebooks, cards, candles and lamps for good measure. Vlaamsesteenweg 53, bel-arte.be
This Gift Guide has been brought to you by Rebecca Benoot, Lisa Bradshaw, Samantha Clark, Diana Goodwin and Ian Mundell
