Edible Gifts

If you are giving something edible as a gift, the golden rule is to make sure it is nice! It sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed how many people buy sweets, chocolates, mints or biscuits without ever trying them first. The truth is they are not all the same in terms of quality, with ingredient and additive varying wildly. So here are some pointers as to what to look out for on the most common items: Jelly Beans Look out for the Jelly Bean Factory or Jelly Belly beans. There are other retail brands around that are good too, but these are the quality jelly beans that are widely available in the promotional market and that won't let you down. They are available in a broad range of colours and flavours to help you get your branding right. Failing that look out for German made beans from Jung or Kalfany, but avoid those that have no provenance - not only can they taste unpleasant, but you'll spend the reset of the day trying to pick them out of your teeth! Mints There is no question that the Dutch are among the best at making mints, so make sure you know where yours are from. It is easy to knock Far East imports, but the truth is that they are mostly as bit pasty and not as good at the Dutch mints. Try and you will see the difference. Chocolate German, Swiss and Belgium chocolate is widely available as promotional gifts, but remember that UK chocolate is different to the European alternative - and not always better from an ingredients point of view! But equally European chocolate is not always to the UK palette, so it is definitely as case of trying before buying. Biscuits and Cakes Again the try before you buy rule is a must. Ingredients and baking styles can vary greatly, so you need to be sure of what you are getting. Be aware too that biscuits, in particular, have a relatively short shelf life so don't plan to give them out over a long period of time. Better to buy small quantities as and when you need them. Other items Not all edible gifts have to be sweet. Spices (see our separate news item), sauces, fruits, nuts, salts and even pasta are all available as promotional gifts. So think about your audience and what they would appreciate and buy accordingly. In summary, be choosy and take time to get it right. A simple gesture can easily be undermined by a lack of care in the selection process. Think too about the packaging. If you want to 'stick around on the desk top'. consider paying the extra to have your sweet delights packaged in a tin that will have a use long after the sweets are gone. There are many, many options and a good promotional distributor should be able to advise you, provide a selection of samples and will above all allow you to take your time. They can't know every product that is out there but they will be able to research the market and provide you with detailed proposals. Good luck!

For more information on Edible Gifts talk to Promobox Ltd