Secret Santa gift for a colleague under £20 — ideas that won't end up in a drawer

The names have been drawn, yours says someone you mostly know from the office kitchen, and the limit is £20. Good news: that is enough for something genuinely useful. Below are ideas grouped by how much you know about the person you drew. Each section opens with a short answer.

What should I get a colleague for Secret Santa under £20?

Something to eat or drink that will be used up within a few weeks is the safest choice. It takes up no space and does not have to match their taste as precisely as a gadget.

• Whole-bean or ground coffee from a small roaster.
• Good loose-leaf tea or a box of herbal blends.
• A jar of jam, honey or nut butter from a local producer.
• Craft chocolate — quietly ask someone on the team first whether your colleague is allergic to nuts or milk.

What is a good Secret Santa gift for a colleague who loves cooking?

A small kitchen treat they would not buy for themselves. People who cook value good ingredients and well-made tools more than another apron with a slogan.

• A spice you will not find in an ordinary supermarket: smoked paprika, sumac or Sichuan pepper.
• A small bottle of extra virgin olive oil.
• A meat thermometer or a sturdy silicone spatula.
• A month of Amamable Premium as a gift — unlimited recipe import from Instagram, websites, photos and PDFs, so the recipes saved on their phone end up in one place and turn into a meal plan and a shopping list.

What to get a colleague you hardly know?

Choose by what they do after work, not by job title or gender. Toiletries bought blind are the gift most likely to be passed on. These work better:

• A travel mug that really keeps drinks hot — handy on the commute.
• A recipe notebook or a pocket-sized cookbook.
• A voucher for the café or bakery next to the office.
• A digital gift, if you know they cook for a family — more on that below.

Is a digital gift a good idea for Secret Santa?

Yes, as long as the person will actually use it. A digital gift needs no wrapping, no carrying and no guessing sizes, and it does not gather dust on a desk. You can send a month of Amamable Premium as an e-mail card on the day and at the time you choose — say, 8 am on the morning of the office party. If gifts in your office are handed over in person, pick the printable card with the code and put it in an envelope in the Secret Santa sack. Your colleague redeems the gift on the website, and Premium starts on the day it is redeemed, not the day you buy it.

What if I know nothing about the person I drew?

Go for something almost everyone uses: food, a hot drink or something that makes everyday life easier.

• A coffee and tea set — one of the two will always get used.
• A plant that survives office life, such as a ZZ plant.
• Something for the daily “what's for dinner?”. In Amamable the meal plan, shopping lists and allergen filter are free; Premium adds unlimited recipe import and a family account for up to 6 people with a shared plan and lists.

When should I buy a Secret Santa gift?

Order anything physical at least a week before the office party; a digital gift can be bought on the morning itself. December is the busiest month for couriers, and parcels do run late. An e-mail card does not have that problem: you set the date and time, and it arrives exactly then.

Looking for something for the people closest to you? See the gift guide for a husband, a wife and parents and the Christmas gift ideas for mum, dad and your mother-in-law.

Questions and answers

How much should I spend on Secret Santa for a colleague?

Whatever your team agreed — usually £10 to £20. Stick to the limit both ways: a much more expensive gift puts everyone else in an awkward spot.

What is a good Secret Santa gift under £20 for someone who cooks?

A good spice, a small bottle of olive oil, a meat thermometer or a month of Amamable Premium with unlimited recipe import.

Can you give someone a month of an app subscription?

Yes. Amamable Premium can be given for a month, a year or 2 years. The recipient does not need the app first: they redeem the gift on the website, sign up or log in, and Premium works in the app on iPhone, Android and in the browser. The gift does not renew by itself.

How do I hand over a digital gift at the office?

Choose the printable card: you get it by e-mail with the code and short instructions for redeeming it. Print it, put it in an envelope and add it to the pile with the other presents.