This year, Father’s Day falls on 21 June, which also happens to be the summer solstice. The Arb’s running-mad, chocolate-loving, kitchen-dwelling technophile Ollie Pickup has road-tested some choice gifts to make the old man’s longest day his best yet…
Set sail with Isle of Wight Distillery’s Mermaid Spiced Rum
I’m a sucker for spiced rum at the best of times, but Mermaid has a head start: I’ve visited the Isle of Wight Distillery, and it’s a genuinely magical spot that turns out some of the loveliest bottles you’ll find on a shelf. The rum earns its keep, too. A blend of Trinidadian and Dominican rum, column-distilled and aged between two and five years in ex-bourbon oak, it’s then infused on the island with rock samphire, local honey, black salt from the floodtides, holy grass, cassia and vanilla.
The result is smooth but complex, with a whisper of sea air. Created in tribute to the island’s shipwreck history, it’s £41.50, currently 10% off at £37.35 at John Lewis. Raise a glass to island folklore at www.johnlewis.com. More info to be found, including ideas for serves, at www.isleofwightdistillery.com.
Tune out the world with Logitech’s Zone Wireless 2 ES
For the father who takes his meetings wherever the day takes him, this is a neat bit of kit. The Zone Wireless 2 ES headphones slip into a laptop bag without a tangle of cables to wrestle with, and their adaptive hybrid noise cancellation is seriously impressive, making them ideal for the calls you end up taking in a heaving coffee shop.
The 40mm drivers handle music and conversation with equal aplomb, while the noise-cancelling mics ensure that, whatever the racket around you, the people on the other end hear you and not the barista. At £149.99, it’s a smart upgrade for any dad who works on the move. Cut the cord and the chatter at www.logitech.com.
Shine a light on tired eyes with The Daylight Company’s Lumi
Staying with the sunshine theme, here’s a lamp built around the science of better light. The Daylight Company has been at this since 1987, and the Lumi is designed to make close work – reading, hobbies, squinting at the small print – far kinder on the eyes.
Its large shade adjusts vertically, horizontally and laterally to sit exactly where you need it, while a 95+ CRI rating renders colours faithfully, and two brightness levels cut glare and fatigue during long stints at the desk. For a father whose eyes aren’t quite what they were (whose are?), it’s a thoughtful one. It’s £119.99, in white or black. Brighten his day at www.daylightcompany.com.
Spark a kitchen revival with Cermalon’s Matt Blue cookware set
There comes a point when you look at your pans and realise they’ve quietly become archaeological artefacts: battered, grimy and somehow still in the cupboard. A new set is the perfect nudge to cook more, and Cermalon’s handsome Matt Blue five-piece is exactly that. You get two frying pans (20cm and 24cm), a 16cm milk pan and two lidded saucepans (18cm and 20cm), all in lightweight aluminium with heat-resistant handles and an added base plate for even heating.
The patented grey-sparkle ceramic non-stick coating means you can skip the oil, and the whole lot is PTFE- and PFOA-free, induction-ready and happy on every hob going. Reduced from £79.99 to £59.99, it’s keenly priced, too. Also available in cream, blush pink and teal. Get cooking at www.kitchenways.co.uk.
Cook with confidence using GOOD PHATS’ four-strong fat set
Now the pans are sorted, the cooking needs the right fat for the job, and GOOD PHATS’ Cooking Bundle covers every base. The set brings together four kitchen workhorses: Spanish extra virgin olive oil for drizzling and finishing, organic British grass-fed ghee and beef tallow for high-heat roasting and frying, and a light avocado oil for everything in between.
For the father who likes to think of himself as handy at the stove, it’s a gift that flatters the ego and improves the food in equal measure. The bundle is £52.80, currently 15% off at £44.88. Stock up the larder at www.goodphats.com.
Feed the brain with Puresport’s Cognitive Performance Bundle
As someone who tries to keep fit, I have a soft spot for a well-made supplement, and Puresport’s sporting range is worth a look. This one, though, is for the head rather than the hamstrings. The Cognitive Performance Bundle pairs the brand’s Ultra Ashwagandha, which targets stress and hormone balance, with Lion’s Mane – the mushroom the wellness world has fallen for, prized for focus and mental clarity.
Together, they promise to keep a busy dad sharp when the day gets noisy. Whether or not mushrooms are the future, it’s an intriguing gift for the father who enjoys tinkering with his own marginal gains. It’s £60, reduced to £45. Sharpen up at www.puresport.co.
Temper expectations (and chocolate) at Melt’s Master Class
As a certified chocoholic, I find Melt’s Master Class genuinely tempting: three hours alongside the Notting Hill chocolatier’s chefs, taking cocoa beans through roasting, cracking, grinding, tempering and enrobing until you’ve made your own bars, bonbons and pralines from scratch.
Lauded by the likes of The New York Times and CNN, it’s a proper sensory education, and far more comprehensive than other classes, literally going from bean to bar – and all for £149. Best of all, you leave with three 45g bars, 10 bonbons and 18 pralines worth £60 – though whether the father shares the haul with his children is, frankly, a different matter entirely. Book a sweet session at www.meltchocolates.com.
