Pica

All Italians really want are edibles and I think tins of branded chocolate assortments go down extremely well. We usually go with things we know they like (Italian products) and will use rather than something they're likely to regift-and possibly back to yourself once they think you've forgotten

BRIAN 1

Good idea,I forgot the OH packs tins of celebrations and quality street etc.when we drive back after xmas.They love those.I love this thread,anyone would think we're talking about a tribe of longlost headhunters in Borneo,lol.

spouse of scouse

Something you've made yourself would be very much appreciated. Preserved fruits, jams, lemon/orange/passionfruit curd, pickles etc etc etc. You can get some lovely bottles/jars in the UK very cheaply.

Pica

They make enough of those themselves and would possibly be suspicious of how safe they'd be to eat 🤣

Pica

Lol, you're not far off 😉

BRIAN 1

That's true, our neighbours give us some lovely jams and marmalades from their fruit trees.

philat98

There are plenty of sloes in the woods at the moment. I have some sloe gin maturing that should be ready for Xmas. It would make a nice change from pine grappa for your neighbours.

Serrano

Not my experience at all. At comunal dinners our stuff (usually soups, speciality breads, desserts and/or cakes) are usually the first to go. People love the unusual ingredients / ideas that we have, the very few who were a bit reserved have been persuaded by the majority. In our B&B (which caters almost exclusively to Italians) the same goes for our jams and preserves. So, I'd say, give it a try.

modicasa

Ive never failed by giving home made lemon curd, an a proper sponge cake instead of the fatless italian ones are always popular.

Sancho

Try giving them some flies' graveyards.

heritagestanley

Great thread! I've found that jars of Scottish boar pate go down well with the neighbours, though they may think it's a pretty weird thing to do with cinghiale.

ononno

My lot love Cadbury's big milk chocolate bars, Qualty street or Roses mix tins, and Walker's shortbread selections.

Lorna at Vicenza

When I was still a nanny I told my boss that one of her family members had kindly given me a boxed set of summer pyjamas for my birthday. She asked me to describe them to her so I did. Turns out that they were the exact same pyjamas that she had given the Aunt a few years earlier.

GeorgeYoung

Some excellent ideas on here, thanks all.

Sancho - I always thought the correct term was "squashed fly biscuits" but happy to stand corrected!

Phil - yours sounds an excellent idea but I wouldn't have a hope of recognising a sloe, I don't even know if they grow this far north. I remember the landlady at our old local in North Lincolnshire used to make her own sloe gin and it was bloody good, handed out to selected punters around Christmas time.

Accetturese

quality street in Italian shops costs a fortune. We brought some large 'tins' back with us last month for prezzies.
We were also asked to bring back chocolate digestives, shortbread and porage oats.
My wife makes a mean lemon curd, so we'll give that a try in future.