Looking for gifts that hit different — or getting on top of your stocking filler game this year? Ishani from our Keys to the City newsletter gives us some pointers.
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This is the homeware edition of my very unofficial London souvenir guide: tiny, niche, London-centric objects that sit somewhere between practical and deeply unnecessary, but feel extremely right if you know the city. I’m very aware we are all living in a consumerist dystopia, but if you are going to buy a gift for a friend (or yourself), it might as well be something thoughtful, specific and actually connected to the place you’re in.
These are the kinds of things that live on your shelves, in your kitchen, or on your coffee table and do the work of saying ‘I’ve been here a while, I know what I’m into’.
Marby & Elm’s London scented inks, £18
OK, so Marby & Elm is a letter press on Exmouth Market that I pass by very frequently — usually boasting some very twee but adorable handprinted cards in the window. A lot of their stuff is absolutely beautiful, but I want to shout about their inks, because I have never seen such a thing anywhere else. She has inks for Shepherd’s Bush, Clerkenwell, Bethnal Green, Blackfriars, Greyfriars,and Leather Lane. Be forewarned that they don’t actually smell like those places; they have individual thematic traditional scents like lavender and pine. But I love a good gimmick, and she has a great one going here. Plus they come in different colours, which is super fun! Perfect for all of you calligraphy-writing Londoners out there. Find them here.
Daniel Battams’ Morley’s mug, £15
Daniel Battams is an artist who lives and works in south London, and a lot of his work is inspired by exactly that: the small, everyday institutions that give the area its texture. High on that list is Morley’s, a true south London icon (though it has some north of the river spots now).
The result is this very classy Morley’s mug, a love letter to local businesses rather than a novelty souvenir. It’s surprisingly elegant for something celebrating fried chicken. Enjoy your tea or coffee while signalling a deep, specific affection for south London. It’s perfect for south London loyalists or anyone who understands that Morley’s is absolutely a cultural landmark. Get it here.
The Natural History Museum’s Guess Who?, £20
The Natural History Museum has put out a special edition of Guess Who? Yes, it’s dinosaurs. Normally, as a board game person, I gravitate toward things a little more sophisticated, but what can I say? I also love dinosaurs, and the very existence of this edition truly makes me cackle.
It’s the perfect blend of nostalgia and London‑museum cred. I can really see myself playing this with my five-year-old nephew for literally hours (I can also see myself falling into Monopoly style purgatory when he wants to play it for the eightieth time).
It’s an instant conversation starter, especially with your local niece, nephew, or friend’s kid, and a very easy way to flex that you like London museums and prehistoric reptiles and competitive socialising, all at the same time. Here it is.
Framed broccoli, £40-£80
This is a slightly odd nostalgia point for me, but I first saw these around 2017 and they’ve been living rent-free in my head ever since. Adrian Boswell is an artist working out of Brick Lane, and his main output is — quite straightforwardly — framed broccoli.
I don’t really know how to explain why this works, but, to me, it does. It’s earnest, a bit absurd, and committed to the bit. As original art goes, it’s also affordable.
If you like the original broccoli form, there’s actually something for everyone. He does it in different colourways and themes, which somehow makes it feel less like a joke and more like a practice. Mostly, though, I think I just like that he’s still doing it. I hope he’s having fun. If you’re more of a Brussels sprouts person, it’s probably not your thing. Get ’em here.
Tube moquette cushion, £35
Ah, the moquette cushion. I think about the moquette cushion on every important day of my life. The moquette cushion is probably one of the first things I think about in the morning. You’d think I’d just buy one already! This London Transport Museum merch takes one of London’s most familiar design details and lets it sit in your home. It’s also not even a fiftieth as expensive as the TfL couch (how I covet her!) The moquette fabric patterns used across buses and trains are bold, graphic, and very familiar to all of us — so shrinking them down into a small cushion feels like the perfect scale: noticeable without taking over the room. Get one here.
Algerian Coffee Stores mug, £12
Algerian Coffee Stores is one of those London institutions you probably walk past all the time without consciously registering — but once you do, it sort of never leaves your periphery again. Tucked into Old Compton Street in Soho since 1887, it’s been roasting, blending and selling coffee from around the world for well over a century. The shelves are dense with beans — all these ultra-specific blends you didn’t know existed until you stepped inside.
And yes: they have merch. In particular, this cute cappuccino cup and saucer. The design is simple. It’s just right for 4pm flat white. It’s the kind of cup you’ll actually use, which means every morning. Get it here.
Tube roundel bottle opener, £10
I generally think the Tube roundel is a tourist marker that should not be replicated in the home. However. I like this bottle opener a lot, so make of that what you will. It’s solid, nicely weighted and pleasant to hold (slightly sharp edges, fair warning), and, most importantly: I can confirm that it does, in fact, open bottles. Sometimes you have to accept a small amount of hypocrisy in the face of a well-made object. Get one here.
Max’s Sandwich Shop book, £19
Max Halley is obsessed with sandwiches. After working in some of London’s best restaurants, he opened Max’s Sandwich Shop in Crouch End, a tiny but acclaimed spot that helped spark a bit of a renaissance in how we think about what goes between two slices of bread. His ham, egg & chips sandwich is literally award winning.
The result of all that work and then some is this book. Inside you’ll find a lot of recipes spanning breakfast to dessert, award-winning creations from his shop, clever ways to use leftovers, and all the enthusiasm of a true sandwich artist.
It’s the perfect souvenir for anyone who loves food as much as they love London itself: specific, delicious, unpretentious and full of character. Get it (secondhandish and signed, if you’re so inclined) here!
Hampstead Heath candle, £20
This candle is a moment in time for me — walking the Heath on a Sunday morning in spring with my friend Kendra, meeting a million and one dogs, both of us taking a deep breath to catch ourselves before jumping back into the world. London Refinery’s Hampstead Heath candle smells like a winter’s walk across the heath: woody cedar wood, fresh pine needles, a hit of lemon brightness. It’s the scent equivalent of boots crunching in frost and low winter sun through bare branches. This ain’t your TK Maxx candle (no shade; I love TK Maxx candles).
The burn time is around 40 hours, so it is reasonable value — long enough to fill your space with that specific Heath energy without needing to relight it every five minutes. Make your home smell heathy here.
Noble Rot corkscrew, £7.50
This is a professional grade corkscrew, i.e. carefully engineered to open a bottle with one hand. Fancy.
I don’t even drink, and yet I have one of these at home. Can I honestly tell you if it’s good at opening wine? Not really, because I don’t open the bottles at my own parties, because I don’t know which ones to open. But no one has ever complained, which counts for something. What I can tell you is that it’s cute, very high-quality as corkscrews go — and noble rot is a well-regarded place that a lot of my cooler drinking friends have bigged-up to me (I can only speak to liking their food). Cute, subtle and functional! Get one here.
Museum of the Home ruler, £6.50
You need a ruler in your life, so it may as well be a cute one. I always find I need one and then immediately forget where it is. So this one from Museum of the Home ticks that box and then some, plus it’s eye-catching enough that it’s harder to lose.
It’s just a simple, well-made wooden ruler printed with a sweet, archive-inspired design — it def feels like it belongs on your desk. Practical? Absolutely. Decorative? Also yes, conveniently. Domestically satisfying in that way only physical tools can be? You betcha. Get it here.
