Unwrapping Belgium: A unique wish list of gifts for last-minute shoppers

With Christmas around the corner, the frenzy of the annual shopping season has begun. But sometimes it's hard to find inspiration.

Last-minute shoppers look no further: The Brussels Times has created a wish list of Belgian presents to gift your loved ones this festive season.

Food and drink

Belgian brewery experience

As the capital of beer, Brussels is a home to a number of breweries which usually offer tours and tasting sessions. There are several to choose from, but we recommend the artisanal micro-brewery Beerstorming in the heart of Saint-Gilles.

Credit: Wecandoo

This includes a tour of the micro-brewery, an introduction to beer tasting and four draught beers, as well as leaving with a six-pack of your favourite beer. At just €30, this is an affordable and truly unique Belgian gift for friends or family.

Find more information here. For other 'experience' gifts, from pottery workshops to candle-making, see the Wecandoo website.

Mary chocolates

While Neuhaus and Leonidas might be household names, this long-standing female-led chocolate chain is the perfect place to get your loved ones a box of high-quality Belgian chocolates this Christmas.

Founder and chocolate aficionado Mary Delluc opened her first shop on Rue Royale in Brussels in 1919, which was frequented daily by the King and other members of the aristocracy. It then became an Art Deco tea salon and Mary kept a list of every customer's favourite chocolates in a guestbook. In 1942, she received the title of Belgian Royal Warrant Holder.

Credit: Mary Chocolatier / Facebook

Mary's artisan chocolatiers still handcraft their Belgian truffles and pralines daily in their shops across Belgium, Japan and Saudi Arabia, filling them with ganache, praline, caramel, cream and marzipan.

Find more information here.

GIMBER

Non-alcoholic and made with 100% organic ingredients, GIMBER was created in the kitchen of founder Dimitri in November 2017. A unique blend of zingy ginger, lemon, herbs & spices, the "golden elixir" also boasts all the benefits of a nutritious superfood and is incredibly versatile: it can be added to mocktails, cocktails, hot drinks and even recipes.

The Belgian company prides itself on using a sustainable approach, supporting Peruvian families in the process and ensuring they earn a fair income.

Credit: GIMBER

GIMBER has a full gift range currently on sale, including the limited edition collaboration with fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg, as well as individual bottles.

Find more information here.

Manneken Pis Liquor Dispenser

A slightly more unusual gift, but nevertheless inherently Bruxellois: a liquor dispenser in the shape of Belgium's most beloved statue.

Credit: True Brands

With this novelty gift, simply press the button and watch Manneken Pis excrete your drink of choice.

Find more information here.

Books

Belgian Solutions - David Helbich

Brussels-based artist David Helbich began collecting photos of peculiar, hilarious, nonsensical 'Belgian solutions' in 2006. He started sharing them on Facebook and other social media platforms in 2009 and has amassed over 35,000 followers over the years.

Credit: Isabella Vivian / David Helbich / Dorine Moerman

With Volumes 1 and 2 of the best Belgian solution becoming an instant success (in 2013 and 2015, respectively), Helbich published his third photo book in October last year: "302 photos of weird everyday scenes showing that not every solution is an answer to a problem."

Find more information here.

Weird things in Brussels - Cato Beljaars

In a similar (and more bizarre) vein, Weird Things in Brussels is a photo book specific to the Belgian capital, uncovering remarkable peculiarities spotted around the city.

Credit: @weirdthingsinbrussels / Instagram / Borgerhoff & Lamberigts

Having also established an Instagram page with over 90,000 followers, Cato Beljaars roams the streets of Brussels, recording "absurdity, humour, creativity and joyful chaos" with her camera.

Find more information here.

BRUXELLES - 100 chefs, 100 recettes végétariennes - Brussels' Kitchen

After the success of their first edition, Brussels' Kitchen has once again pulled out all the stops with its newest cookbook and iconic restaurant guide celebrating vegetarian cooking. Launched in October, this is a vegetarian feast of 100 recipes, with the very best of Brussels' culinary scene on the menu.

Credit: Racine / Brussels Kitchen

Readers don't have to be vegetarian to appreciate this book's delicious recipes: from crunchy nachos at Brasserie Surréaliste to Korean kimchi crêpes at Bap & Dak, cheese and broccoli mochi at Tokidoki to homemade carbonara ravioli and fried artichokes at Racines, there is something for everyone.

Find more information here.

Will - Jeroen Olyslaegers (translated by David Colmer)

Inspired by the author's own family history and set in Nazi-occupied Antwerp during World War Two, novice police officer and frustrated writer Wilfried Wils just wants to keep his head down.

But when his friend draws him into the growing resistance movement and an SS commander forces him into betraying his fellow police officers, he faces difficult decisions with devastating consequences.

Credit: Pushkin Press / Screenshot from film 'Wil'

Olyslaegers' gripping and gut-wrenching fictional novel challenges the boundaries between good and evil and was transformed into a hugely successful Flemish film earlier this year.

Find more information here.

#ExpatsofBrussels - Anne Cruyt and Cemali Bas

A stunning collection of inspiring stories and people of different backgrounds, ages and nationalities, who ended up in Brussels and fell in love with the city.

Credit: Living in Brussels

The Belgian capital is the second most cosmopolitan city in the world and Cruyt's beautiful photo book illustrates this perfectly; "it's a love letter to Brussels," she told The Brussels Times.

Find more information here.

Other

Belgian football merchandise

Any footie fans are in luck this Christmas, as it is possible to buy all the Red Devils and Red Flames merchandise and home and away kits on the official RBFA online shop.

Red Flames and Red Devils, Belgium's national football teams. Credit: Belga

Find shirts with the names of every Belgian player on, such as sporting legends Tessa Wullaert and Kevin De Bruyne, as well as hoodies, sweatshirts, accessories and even baby wear.

Find more information here.

Related News

Brussels Monopoly

Boardgames are a Christmas staple, bringing the whole family together. What better way to celebrate the season than with the Brussels version of classic Monopoly? Rediscover the Belgian capital and buy all your favourite, familiar places as you work your way around the board, including the Atomium, city museums, Rue Neuve and Manneken Pis.

Credit: Monopoly Store Belgium

Monopoly also has plenty of other Belgian editions, including Bruges, Hasselt, Kortrijk, Antwerp, Pairi Daiza zoo and a Jommeke comic strip-inspired version.

Find more information here.

'In Bruges'

'In Bruges' is a 2008 black comedy thriller directed and written by Martin McDonagh, starring Colin Farrell (Ray) and Brendan Gleeson (Ken) as two Irish hitmen hiding in the fairytale town of Bruges awaiting their next mission. Ralph Fiennes (Harry) plays their brutal boss. When the mission is finally revealed to Ken, it is not what he expects.

Credit: IMDB / Canva

The Belgian city has since been included in the world's most beautiful film locations, thanks to its medieval bell tower and quaint architecture. This stocking filler is the perfect way to relive a day trip in the comfort of your home.

Find more information here.