While Valentine’s Day may look a little bit different than previous years, unless you’re continuously alone and bitter like our Editor (we jest) it’s still a time to show just how much someone means to you; after the year we have all just had, the more love the better we say! And we have come a long way from gas-station flowers and leftover Christmas chocolates that have just been slapped with a pretty floral design and hiked up in price. We are in a world where foodies want to reinvent themselves and show their love, through their love for good food - and boy do we have a whole heap of goodies for you. Hand-picked and carefully selected by our resident Food and Drinks Writer Adam (who knows a thing or two about picking the perfect gift) and ranges from the hopelessly romantic to spicing things up in the kitchen and everything in between.

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and this one is going to be just a little bit different - without the ability to browse the shops for the perfect gift, or to book the best and most romantic restaurant most of us are turning to the internet for inspiration.

And let's face it… we all need a bit of happiness in our lives right now - whether it's ordering a meal kit so that someone else does the cooking for you, or sharing the perfect box of macarons together.

I've always had a mixed relationship with Valentine's Day, mainly because I've never understood why “all your love must be saved and shared only on one day of the year”, but if the past 12 months has shown us anything, it's that we need to cherish any special moments we can - so let's do just that; in preparation for the big day, I've found 13 of the best gifts for the male foodie in your life - as usual, these are in no particular order, but I think you'll know which ones are my absolute favourites when you get there, as I’m sure they will be yours too.

The Edible Museum - Chocolate Heart

I'm a little bit of a gore fan and things that make you go “what, on earth, is that?”, and this anatomically correct chocolate heart from the Edible Museum ticks both of those boxes.

Created by Sarah Hardy, this is probably the most unique product I've seen in a long time - although to be fair, her entire range is incredible. But, very often with novelty things such as this, you'll find it's all style and no substance.

Not with these! Not only do they look incredible - as incredible as you would expect a 15cm chocolate heart to do so, but the chocolate used also tastes really good too. And to make it even better, it's all palm oil free and hand made in The Edible Museum’s small, Essex based chocolate studio.

The perfect gift to leave an impact on that someone special.

£25, from ediblemuseum.com

Harry’s Cider’s Pub Night In

As people can’t go out to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, craft cider producer and Somerset-based Harry’s Cider has put together a box of treats that brings the pub to you instead.

The gift pack contains some of the best of British award-winning ciders - Original Dry Sparkling Cider, Applemoor Medium Sparkling Cider, and Dabinett Single Variety Sparkling Cider, a Raspberry and Blackcurrant Still Cider, as well as two Harry’s Cider branded glass, a very strong Barbers 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar Cheese and lots of other tasty nibbles, treats and goodies.

At a time when the pub industry needs us the most, this is a great way of supporting it - while giving the male foodie in your life the perfect excuse to go to the pub, from the comfort of their couch.

£39 from Harry's Cider Company

Get Yer Macaron

I love macarons. And I love these macarons more than any macaron I've ever had anywhere in the world. And, yes, I've had them in Paris, before you start, and these were far better.

The person behind the company, Kelly, started it during the first lockdown, after losing her job. And it's a talent she kept hidden for a long time, although I wish she hadn't! I've had several of her fantastic boxes and flavours over the last few months, and they're all incredible - there is literally no weak-link flavour.

Her Valentine’s boxes come in sizes of 10, 15 or 24, with flavours including her signature Lindt Chocolate Salted Caramel, Red Velvet, Passionfruit, the most amazing Sticky Toffee Pudding, Strawberries & Cream, Cookies 'n' Cream, Nutella, Lotus Biscoff, Creme Brûlée and Black Forest Gateau.

Plus, for an extra £2.50, you can have a home-made Belgium Hot Chocolate Bag, made with Callebaut Belgium dark chocolate.

Various prices, from Get Yer Macaron

Good Cake Day - Valentine’s Gift Set

I'm not joking when I say that Good Cake Day's brownies are the best I've ever eaten. Their Valentine's Gift Set comes with six of the most moreish, flavourful and indulgent brownies you'll ever have; a personalised heart-puzzle cookie and really cool tin which cane be reused as a baking tin, too.

Flavours vary from Gooey Bea, which is dark chocolate brownie baked with handmade salted caramel sauce; Boujee Bea which includes white chocolate chunks; Classy Bea with milk chocolate and caramel centre, and so many more; they're all just damn good.

Plus, the good people at GCD are donating £5 from every order to Magic Breakfast, which provides a free highly nutritious breakfast for 14 children at risk of hunger.

A lot can be said about the Hallmark-ness of Valentine's Day, but buying this product from GCD proves that wrong - you'll make any foodie very happy, while doing something really good for the most needy in today's harsh world.

Prices start from start from £37 from goodcakeday.com

Blue Coffee Box

Recommending coffee subscription packs has become somewhat of a habit for me - but I'm a big champion of them, and this one from Blue Coffee Box has some of the best, ethically-sourced coffees around.

The coffees chosen by BCB are from farmers and local cooperatives around the world using the Direct Trade model, which means farmers are paid 30% more than Fair trade prices - and the beans are then hand-roasted by the UK’s best coffee roasters. And, let's face it, everyone needs coffee right now, and the male foodie in your life would be more appreciative of this than you realise!

Various prices, from bluecoffeebox.com

Chunk of Devon - Valentine’s Pasty

What's the best pub food? A pasty. What's the best half time at a football match food? A pasty. What's the best snack at a rugby game? You guessed it - a pasty.

What are the three things your male food person can't do right now? Go to the pub, a football match or a rugby game. Step forward Chunk of Devon, with their HEART-SHAPED PASTY, yes, you read that right. A. Heart. Shaped. Pasty.

Chunks of Devon have twice won the accolade of Britainís Best Pasty, and their huge Valentine’s pasty will be accompanied by four smaller pasties - which is sure to make anyone smile. I asked head hunk (no, that's not a joke), Simon Byron-Edmond to explain why this would make a good male foodie gift and this is what he had to say: “Nothing says ‘I love you’ like an extra large pasty delivered to your door. Big enough to satisfy any pasty-lover or perfect for sharing with your other half - our Valentine's pasty comes with a choice of fillings to suit all palates. It is the perfect lockdown love token.”

These limited edition gift boxes include a Valentine’s pasty filled with either steak, cheddar and onion or roast veg, which is suitable for vegans.

£25 from Chunk of Devon

Spice Kitchen - Subscription

Something else we're missing in these lockdown days is the ability to have an Indian meal in an Indian restaurant. But… as we've so often had to find out over the last year or so, cooking one yourself, at home, could often be a more rewarding experience, especially for the one you love.

And that's where Spice Kitchen UK come in. Their Spice Subscription Kits (which was a unique first for me), is sure to give the man who likes to cook a leg up when it comes to making the perfect Indian dish at home, and a tasty dish for you.

And it's not just Indian food, either, as the variety of spices you get could be used for Mexican, Chinese, Japanese and other global cuisines. It's incredibly versatile and each box comes with a free recipe guide with 12 recipes from around the world.

Various prices, from Spice Kitchen UK

Dr Trouble

Let's get saucy (sorry, not sorry). Dr Trouble’s artisan sauces are utterly brilliant. I've never tasted anything quite as unique as these and there's just enough spice to make it pop.

Handmade in small batches in Zimbabwe, the independent brand produces two flavours - Oak Smoked Chilli Sauce (milder) and African Lemon Chilli Sauce (medium-hot). Ethically sourced and completely natural, vegan, organic and gluten free, the sauces can be used on their own as hot sauce for the spice lovers, but they’re also great to cook with and produce a unique depth of flavour when used in recipes - a perfect addition to any romantic dinner dates.

The packaging, too, makes it a great looking gift for the spice-fiend in your life and proceeds from the sale of every bottle goes back to support education and wildlife conservation initiatives in the village where the sauces are made - so they’re a gift which make a difference.

Prices vary, from Dr Trouble Sauces.

Stauning Whisky

I still, to this day, do not understand what Hygge is or means, but Stauning Whisky is connected to this new-found fad that keeps reappearing in the UK every year.

HOWEVER, these whiskies are far from a fad. For any whisky-loving male, the Stauning Rye, Stauning KAOS and Stauning Peat are three of the best whiskies on the market.

The premium Danish whisky was launched by a group of nine friends with a passion for whisky, with differing backgrounds, who joined together to push the boundaries of whisky-making; to create whiskies reflective of their heritage with distinct Danish character.

And they are FIERY, like...blow your head off fiery, but with a great flavour.

My personal favourite was the Rye, which the makers compare to a liquid fresh Danish rye bread, and they're not wrong. It's unique and well worth getting someone as an impressive gift. Trust us, it's become a favourite tipple in the Cailler household.

Various prices, from Master of Malt

Noble House Prepared - Love at First Bite

It’s Valentine’s Day - the last thing you want to be doing is spending all night cooking.

So, Noble House Prepared has created a Love At First Bite meal package, to do all the hard work for you. The package includes mains such as Harissa & Pomegranate Chicken, Chateaubriand Beef Fillet and Butternut Squash & Goats Cheese Pithivier, sides and desserts.

I tried the pumpkin box - which was fantastic. It involves little more than putting it in the oven, or microwave, and then binning the package. It's also worth checking out their entire range, because some of the dishes are incredible, and unique - such as the Swedish meatballs, mash and Lingonberry jam, or the pomegranate and harissa poussin dinner package.

Various prices, Noble House Prepared

Sharpham Cheese - Brie Mine

We've already featured chocolate hearts and a heart-shaped pasty, so let me introduce you to the heart-shaped cheese.

Made by the excellent team at Sharpham Cheese (who do some of the best cheese you'll find anywhere in this, and any other country), the heart-shaped Brie is a fantastic gift. It’s one of the sharpest, and most intense ones you'll find, which you would expect for something that's been made to the same recipe since 1981, using milk from Jersey cows. It also won a gold medal at the Food and Drink Devon awards in 2019, so you know you're getting something special for the cheese lover in your life.

It also comes in a rustic flavour, which I can only describe as something like a goats/feta cross, which is great on sourdough.

Various prices, from Sharpham Cheese

Heck - Lockdown Love Bundle

I've talked about HECK in the past, and I'm a big fan of the entire range. But… where does this fit in with Valentine's Day, I hear you ask? (go on, ask it...)

Well, the great team down at HECK have made the perfect gift for you to get a male foodie - their own meal kit.

Back by popular demand, the PECK heart-shaped patties form part of a limited edition Love Burger Meal Kit for two, which can be delivered direct to your door anywhere in the UK.

But you don't just get a burger. The kit contains two PECK Chicken Italia heart-shaped burgers, two heart-shaped buns, two fresh sweet potatoes, dried fried onions, Cheddar cheese slices, sweet chilli and mayo, salt, pepper and paprika - and a 48-piece jigsaw, because why not?

This brilliant gift is available in a VERY limited amount, so don't miss it.

£16.50 from Heck Food

Gibson’s Goodology

Everyone needs to relax right now, so here’s something totally original for Valentine’s Day, especially in today’s reality. Gibson’s Goodology specialise in CBD infused sparkling teas and has made the stress of finding the perfect gift easy, and relaxing, thanks to the 25mg CBD isolate - the highest dosage available on the premium market to date - in every can.

Containing original flavours, Blueberry and Shiso Tea, Passionfruit and Green Tea, and Rhubarb and Jasmine Tea. The premium gift packs has been created to give you an exquisite drinking experience, leaving you with a warm glow inside.

I was a bit weary of CBD products at first, but I'm a definite convert and it makes a great drink alternative for the special day.

GG's Jenn Hartzler told me, ‘while previously our customer base has been primarily women, an increased proportion of our orders are now from men, including a strong trend towards fathers in particular. Gibson's Goodology is especially popular with this demographic as a non-ABV way to de-stress in the evening" and if you can’t de-stress on Valentine’s Day - when can you?

Various prices, from Gibson’s Goodology

13 Gifts Men Really Want This Valentine's Day