Secret Santa Gift Guide: Part Two

Playing Secret Santa with a budget under Rs. 500 can be tricky. While you don’t want something random or cheap-looking that’ll make for an awkward unwrapping, you’re also not looking to make a grand gesture or go overboard. You want something small that is useful, fun, and safe enough to give to a colleague, that still lets you stick to the budget!

Well, challenge accepted. Our sister site, Souk, gives you Part Two of their Secret Santa Gift Guide: More excellent holiday gifts (all priced under Rs. 500) that’ll work for both workplace Secret Santa exchanges and low-stakes ‘Friendsmas’ group swaps!

01 Raw & Small-batch Olive Honey

We were today years old when we found out there were olive groves in Rajasthan that produced olive honey. Made when bees collect nectar from olive blossoms, this honey is raw and unpasteurised, with a light herby flavour that the makers suggest would work well with yogurt, hot cereal, puddings, or in teas and coffees. We suggest pairing a jar of this with a lacquered honey spoon from Khamir for an unexpected and genuinely interesting gift!

02 Assorted Tea Collection Box

In the early 1900s, Sheo Parsad, ran a modest provisions shop in Dehra Dun, where he also sold tea sourced from Goodrich Tea Estate in Kaulagarh. In 1917, the owner of Goodrich Tea Estate, Darbar Sahib, was on the verge of losing his estate to the British as collateral for unpaid dues. Seizing the moment, Sheo Parsad stepped in, covering the debt under the condition that the estate be leased to them. Fueled by the success of this venture, the family expanded its holdings, eventually earning the respected title of the ‘Chaiwalas.’ By 1960, the Chaiwala tea estates spanned across India, producing an impressive 10 million kilograms of tea annually. Wah Tea Estate was established in 1857 in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, by the British. In 1953, the Chaiwala family took over Wah Tea Estate, and today, it is nurtured by the third and fourth generations. This sampler gift box contains a collection of their best selling varieties of flavoured teas which includes Chamomile, Masala, Kashmiri Kahwa, Rose, Orange Cinnamon and Jasmine teas, making it the perfect gift for a tea-loving friend or colleague.

03 Star Lily

Setsugo’s Star Lilly comes as 158 small interlocking pieces that you assemble into a sculptural flower. One can even collect a bunch of different flower designs and put them together in a vase. It looks great on a shelf or desk and, unlike real flowers, does not wilt, shed, or need replacing. It’s a great gift for someone who enjoys Lego or 3D jigsaw puzzles.

For the full list of Secret Santa gift options under Rs. 500, head over to Souk!