Three months to go before the big day.

A Cornish Christmas

My morning was much brightened when a colleague happend to mention that one of the few days he isn’t reluctant to part company with his pillow and duvet in the mornings is Christmas Day – wonderful to know that the magic of Christmas hasn’t been entirely lost due to the bombardment of festive adverts trying to lead us to believe that we need spend spend spend buying lavish gifts and mountains of food.

Festive Cornish Pasty at Christmas

I have a sneaking suspicion that my colleague is from the other side (non Devon) of the Tamar in Plymouth which makes him a Cornish chap – which prompeted this post about gifts from Cornwall.

Thoughtful Giving

In this day and age there is no reason that gifts shouldn’t be more than a hurried purchase simply to fulfil expectations. We have previously looked at the benefits of charity gifts and how easy it is to break free from traditional wedding lists top encourage giving ethical gifts and unusual wedding gifts that support charity

Here we embrace the spirit of kind gifts and in the spirit of shop local, act global we check out what gifts the South West has to offer.

Personal Gifts for Pasty Muncher

A couple of weeks ago I was delighted to find well wishers had left a Pasty gift on my desk.

Pasty Coaster

Although described as a coaster I prefer to call it a beer mat. Featuring Che Guevara with a slightly embelished quote

The revolution is not a pasty that bakes itself, you have to take it from the oven.

pasty beer mat

Checking out the awkwardly designed Raw Cornish web site eventually uncovered a cornucopia of Cornish themed gift including the PastyChe range of giftware giving the pasty celebrity status comprising of coasters, bookmarks and greetings cards. pasty fans please note the site offers no online ordering facility and appears not to feature the above coaster.

Difference between Devon and Cornwall folk?

Cream on first and then the jam

Cos he’s a zpazztic Cornishman

Many gifts from the region feature food and drink heavily – clotted cream with impossible lifespans, fudge, bloomin’ scrumpy and a range of sickly cornish liqueurs – boozey strawberry and cream.

Cornish Hampers

Some enterprising pasty munchers such as Purely Cornish have even begun to offer cornish hampers – gift baskets crammed full of local delicacies and delivered to your door.

Many people are happy to pay a little bit extra for the hamper being professionally assembled and beautifully presented – see some of the elaborate luxury hampers that leading retailers are offering but for those of you, like me, who are as tight as a gnat’s chuff, money can be saved by putting together your own Christmas hampers.

Note – purely Cornish offer a pick your own which is half way to personalising the gift.

Eat, drink and be merry – munch with the best of ’em