The Thought That Counts: A Lifelong Gift Revisited

"I'm saying £10," said Ebbers, referring to the initial gift he had given his friend Mike. "It is the thought that counts, plus 17.99." The register chimed in, and Ebbers exclaimed, "So 80% more than you just said, but this is a lifelong gift." He felt that this new gift would open up someone's world and wanted to re-gift it in a positive way.

"I feel like I could open up somebody's world with this," Ebbers said. Mike murmured in agreement, acknowledging the value of thoughtfulness in gifts. The conversation turned to the idea that some people might not appreciate the effort put into creating something special, but the gesture itself was what truly mattered.

As they continued their discussion, a change of topic arose when Ebbers asked if his friend had seen his handwriting on the gift. Mike replied that he hadn't, and Ebbers suggested that it was like comparing apples and oranges - the original gift was empty, while the new one, a Burrows and Hare Thermal Lunch Bag, was full of goodies. The bag contained a thermos, which initially caught Mike's attention.

The lunch bag was described as "posh" by Jay, who had tested it for the channel. The bag is made from durable waxed cotton canvas with a foil thermal lining, making it suitable for various adventures, including carrying a wash bag or using it as a lunchbox. Ebbers appreciated its versatility and noted that it was big enough for a wash bag but perfect for a lunchbox.

Mike revealed that he would never use the bag himself but had grown fond of it. He acknowledged that the price point of £24.99, which matched the amount Ebbers initially spent on him, was reasonable considering the quality and craftsmanship of the item.

The conversation shifted to the idea of gifting something meaningful, rather than just throwing money at someone. Mike mentioned his love for adventure and the new lunch bag's potential to fuel those escapades. The discussion concluded with Ebbers deciding to keep the gift, despite its initial intention to be re-gifted.

A New Addition: A Slush Puppy Machine

As they continued their banter, a new topic emerged when Ebbers lifted up a cloche. Mike asked if he knew what it was, and after some anticipation, Ebbers declared, "It's the Slush Puppy machine." The music changed to bright, festive tunes as Mike exclaimed, "Yes, this takes me back."

The conversation revolved around memories of convenience shops from Mike's childhood, where they would purchase Slush Puppies. He shared a humorous anecdote about how his siblings and he used to get hyper after consuming the treats. Ebbers laughed in agreement, and their lighthearted exchange highlighted the joy that these nostalgic gifts can evoke.

In the end, the discussion came full circle as Mike took back the spotlight, and Ebbers continued to share his thoughts on gifts and the thoughtfulness behind them. The atmosphere remained playful, with a touch of nostalgia, as they delved into the world of unique gifts and re-gifting, ultimately concluding that it's not just about the gift itself but the intentions and memories tied to it.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(bowl clangs)(egg cracks)(pan sizzling)(festive music)- Hello and Merry Christmas.- It's now officially the festive season,and we all love to give andreceive at this time of year,so we have selected abunch of foodie gifts,for each other to review.- Now they're all gonna beat different price pointsso hopefully, regardless of your budget,there might be some inspiration for you.- Might. Barry.- Yes.- This is my gift to you.Please lift the cloche.(jazzy music)- Oh yeah.Straight away, familiar ground.(jar scraping)This is 1251 Spicy Chilli Jam.- This is James Cochran's restaurant,1251's Scotch Bonnet Chilli Jam.Now we're very familiarwith this, at Sorted.We're very familiar with James Cochran.Can we call him a mate?He's our mate.Amazing chef, great restaurant.And for me, this is awonderful edible gift.- First time I had this,was in that fried chicken burger,and it was a game changer for me.- I use this a lot.I stir it through mayo.I also use it with mac and cheese.Amazing.Baz, I thought,to demonstrate just thevariety that you can achieve(Ben snorts)by using.(Jamie giggling)You can't stick it on the parcel tape.You should never have pickedyour nose in the first place.- Oh no, it came off.(tape ripping)(jazzy music)- Perfect. Merry Christmas Barry.(bright festive music)(Barry laughs)This is smashed avocado-- No!- Parmesan andtruffle French toast brioche,with a cloud egg.- That's whatit's meant to look like.(Mike laughs)- If it is a stocking filler,then all of a sudden,what an excellent breakfastto start Christmas day with.- Oh.- Yes.- I quite like the ideaof like foodie gifts,things in jars,whether it's marmaladesor chutneys or relishes,buy a few and put theminto a little hamper,or a little cute box with some straw,and all of a sudden,more impressive, bigger gift,depending which budgetlevel you were going for.- Scotch Bonnet chillis, I would avoid,because it catches me out so many times,what I like about it in this sauce, is,it grows,but never gets to the pointwhere it's uncomfortable.It never takes away the flavourof what you're eating either.Just gives it a nice warmth.- Suitable for vegans.It's gluten-free,nothing artificial,and it's all made insmall batches, by hand.How much do you think that costs?- It's a premium jam.I'm gonna say near a fiver.- Bang on five pounds.(register rings)- For me, this is aperfect stocking filler.This is something that I would use,well, I do use, very regularly.- Well Baz, the question is,will you keep the giftor will you re-gift?- It's phenomenal. I'm keeping it.- Off to a flyer.(jaunty festive music)Return the favour.- I will. Please lift the cloche.- A shower drink holder.- Yes.- (Sniggering) Oh Barry.- What? I saw this ismore the secret Santa.- It's more than novelty, gets a laugh...- Novelty secret Santa.- Oh, okay.Let's say this out loud.The reality is I would genuinely use it.- Oh you wou... Sorry.- 'Cause you know, whenyou're getting readyfor a night out,I am partial to a pre drink,and then I have onedrink whilst we're out,and then that's me done. (laughs)- Let's just get this straight.Who here, drinks in the bath or shower?- I, there is something about hot water,and cold beer,in a hot tub-- Yeah.- with ice cold beer.- I get that.- Excellent.- Mike, should we, should we test it out?(can scrapes)- Yes.- You know what to do.- Shower cam.(seductive smooth blues)(water spraying)- So yeah, you're right, Mike.This is a Tooletries Shower Drink Holder,it's the ultimate in bathroom indulgence,made from 100% antibacterial silicon.- Oh nice.- It will secure to anysmooth, clean surface,including glass and tiles.Glass and tiles.And importantly,will keep your beverage safe, sound,and right at your fingertips.Oh.- Hot shower. Coldbeer, what a moment.- Ooh, lovely, what? Best Christmas ever.- Thank you.(water spraying)- Na, n-no.- Na.- No.- Don't tell methis was all for nothing.- Just checking, this, thisentire gag, we've done here,is completely pointless.- I feel like the noveltyof a secret Santa gift,is that it gets thelaugh, when you gift it.- Yeah.- In the office,no one expects you totry it, there and then.- And we've done weirder stuff.- We have, we have.- We've done weirder stuff.- So full transparency.I followed the instructions.We applied it dry, without the shower on,it fell off.Then we applied it to our shower slider.It's a plasticky glass, stuckit on there, again, dry.It didn't work.We tried sticking it to the mirror,but by the time we stuck it to the mirror,I was quite soapy and sudsy,and there was a bit ofcondensation on the mirror,it slipped off the mirror.So we have this here,we've dried this side.It says to get rid of the air bubbles,it holds, on specificsurfaces, it does work.I think we didn't reallyhave any of those surfacesin our bathroom.Now, if you have to have be that specific,I'm not sure how good a gift it is.- Maybe the problem here is,drinking in the showershouldn't be a thing.- No, no, I'm all for it.How much do you think we paid,for the Tooletries beer holder?- I would imagine between eight and £12.£12.- Between eight and 12. Yeah 10.(register chimes)- Okay.Bang on.If you can get it towork, I think it's cool.- Gift or re-gift?- Re-gift it.- Yeah. Pass it onto yourrubbish sibling or something.- Yeah.(bright jazzy festive music)- Do you know what?I've got a little something for you.- Ooh?(cloche thuds)- A recipe book.From Home To Home,a collection of guarded recipes,but there's no recipes in it.- What this is,is a lot of blank pages,but structured in a really nice way,so you can start tocollect favourite recipes.If you see recipes in cookbooksor magazines or newspapers,you can rip out and actually put them in,you can write some ofyour own and tuck them in.This is from Zara Home.And it is a recipe bookthat you can craft yourself.My parents have got something similar.It is a book full of loads of cuttings,from before the internet was a thing.And my dad would literallybe sometimes listening tothe radio, while working.And they would giverecipes out on the radio.And while he was working,he would literally scribble them down,on whatever bit of paperor wallpaper was around,cut it out, pop it in his pocket.And it's still in the collection.- And I think that's how recipeshave been handed down over centuries.It feels good quality.It's the kind of thingthat I think you'd be happyto give somebody as a gift.- How much do you reckon I spent on this?- I'm saying £10.- It is the thought that counts,plus 17.99.(register chimes)So 80% more than you just said,but this is a lifelong gift.Are you going to keep itand craft your own journey?Or are you going to re gift it?- I feel like I could open upsomebody's world with this.So I'm going to re giftit, but in a positive way.(they murmur affirmatively)- Also, to be fair, haveyou seen his handwriting?(playful festive music)- Time to return the favourLift the cloche.- Ooh. A strappy number.From this side, all Icould see was a strap.This looks nice.- So, whereas you gave mesomething that was empty,and I've actually filled this for you.- Is a lunch...Is it it's a thermos.It's a cool bag.- So Ebbers. This is a thermal Lunchbag.Previously,we only had a couple of options,when we were taking a packed lunch.You either have it in a carrier bag,or you put it in a kid's lunchbox.Nowadays,times have moved on,and we have some posh, artisan lunch bags.And this one from Burrows and Hare,I thought was right up your alley.- It is like backpacks,and people are gettingreally posh backpacks.Now it's moved on to lunchboxes and lunch bags,I think this is a good shout Jay.- Lunch beer.Without the need to shower.Well.- So there's loads ofthese up-market lunch bags,on the market now,and actually, tonnes frombrands that you would recognise.This is a more artisan onefrom Burrows and Hare HQ.It's handmade in Oxford.If you look inside,it's actually Thermos.We tested it. We putsome ice cubes in there.They stayed cold.- Well, there's an absolute feast here.- So what youshould find in there,are some king crab cocktail sandwiches-- Oh what?- Beef brisket, cheese and potato pie,allotment slaw. You're welcome.Plus my homemade cookiesand some beer pickles.- Ebbers, what'd you make this?- Well, at the moment,I'm tucking through an absolutefeast of deliciousness,but if you put the effortinto making something,or leftovers from the night before,even just a simple sandwich,rather than a very fancy one,if it's going to keep it cold,so you don't have to fight forfridge space, in the office,the only thing missing from it?A Handle,- They do sell a varietyof these lunch bags,at Burrows and Hare,they do have one that is farmore strappy than this one.It's just more expensivethan I wanted to spend.(Mike laughs)So Burrows and Hare explained,this is a really versatile piece.Can lend a hand as a lunch bag,a wash bag or anything in between.It's constructed fromdurable waxed, cotton canvas,with a foil thermal lining.It's really built for any adventure.And I know how much you love adventures.- I really like it. I really like it.- I also really like it.- It's got a Barry Taylor lookto it, actually hasn't it?- I really want it. I would never use it.But I really want it.- See, that's the thing, I would,this I would use.It's quite big for a wash bag,but it's perfect for a lunchbox.But then given we are a food channel,and not a showering channel.That makes more sense.- After this video, who knows?All right Ebbers, let's talk price.How much do you think I spenton the Burrows and Hare Thermal Lunch Bag.- Quality handmade things aren't cheap.25 to 30 quid, £25.- Ebbers, it's 24 pounds, 99 Pence.(register chimes)Woo-hoo-hoo.Is it a good gift or areyou going to re-gift?- I'm going to keep it.- Wasn't one of the options, but...it's cool(they laugh)- Okay. Michael, you'reback in the hot seat.There's no point, but lift the cloche.- Well, I don't know what it is.- It should be familiar.- Oh, oh-ho.Oh, nice.- Does this take you back?- Yeah. Properly.Yeah. We used to have like a, yeah,the convenience shop around the corner,from where I grew up, used to do these,and my mum would never let us have them,because we'd be hyper. AndI'd just punch my siblings.(they laugh)(bright music)- Yes, Mike,this is the Slush Puppy machine.\"Bring a nostalgic vibe,to parties and gatherings,with the Slush Puppy machine.Decked with our original branding.The new, improved slushie maker,is perfect for making everything,from classic fruit slushto frozen cocktails.\"- Okay.- As a kid, what was yourfavourite flavour or colour?- Blue. I don't know what flavour it was,but blue's my favourite.- Blue.- Decent!- Which is raspberry.- Two cups of salt,then the rest of the ice.More salt.You're making the metal partreally, really, really cold,it's lowering the temperaturebecause of the salt,and then this mixture willthen slowly start to freeze,become slushy.Dispense.Then add alcohol. Enjoy.(screen wipe whooshes)(machine whirring)Alright. I think it's ready.So I need to switch it to dispense.- Ooh.- Oh!- Wow.- It's got some texture.Oh my goodness.- Okay.I'm going to go rum.Any preference?- I'm going to go plain.- I'd like to go for some gin.- I'll go nude, please.- It's cold.It's slushy. It's nostalgic.And now it's got rum in it.So I'm a big fan.- The flavour takes meright back to childhood.The texture is a bit differentto how I remember it.- And it doesn't quitework the same with the,not a proper fridge.- Yeah. Most of the unitsactually have the refrigerator element.The fact that you've got thescience of the salty water,icy core, I think limits itYou probably want to puteverything in ice cold.- How much you reckon this gift cost?£35?- So the machine is £45,(register chimes)and the syrups are £7 each.- If you know the personthat you're buying foris going to appreciate it.I think you could probablyjustify that price,even though it feels steep to me.- Michael, is it a good gift?Or would you re-gift?- It's a good gift.And I would also re-gift it to someone,because I feel like itwould be a good gift for me,and another person.(slushie slurping)- Not to rub your emptynotebook in your face any more,Ebbers, but lift the cloche,I got you something else.(flashy show-biz music)- A second present. I'm so lucky.- But if you don't like it,I'm sure I can find a suitable home.- Purely based on the shape of it,and the fact that it has a chimney,I'm going to guessit's some sort of barbecuey, smokey thing.- This is a tabletop barbecue smoker.We know that you don't have a garden.You have a flat, it has a balcony.- Just,- But you don't have roomfor a full-sized barbecue.However, I know how muchyou love being outside,cooking, being with the elements,or being in your allotment.And I thought,what about a handy,portable tabletop smoker?- For an outside space, like an allotment,and something small enoughto fit in the boot of a car,to take it there.Nice.- Handle and a latch.- Oh yeah.(lid clanks)- You can carry that, there.- I actually could.- Barbecue in one hand,lunch bag in the other.So this smoker is a mini versionof the classic oil drum shape.You fill the bottom of thebarbecue with charcoal,and you can use it as aconventional barbecue,but it also has a divider in there,so you can have it as an offset smoker.So you can put all ofthe fire on one side,the fire doesn't actuallyheat the food directly,it's indirect, pushes the smoke through,and you've got your vents there,so you can control thetemperature as well.- How are we going to test it indoors?- Don't worry about that.We got Kush to test ityesterday, on our balcony,with a big fan set up,to put the smoke outside.So what we've got for you,are some pomegranateglazed chicken thighs,marinaded in pomegranate molasses,ground cumin, chilli powder,salt, honey and paprika.They're marinaded andthen put on the smoker,about 150 degrees Celsius,for about an hour and a half.- And what chips do we use?- We used whiskey chips, obviously.- Looks great. Questionis, does it actually work?- Yeah.- Okay.(Jamie laughs)Well done then.- In a word, that's delicious.I always feel like smokingis such an ancient craft,that it's one of those thingsthat you can do, anyhow.We've done it several times,in woks, tin foiled over,with a few chips inside.You can do it literallyin a wheelbarrow covered.You can do, there'slots of very basic ways.What you don't then have,is the control of thevents and the thermostat,and the ability to play with it.I think it opens up opportunitiesfor people without thespace for a big one,or not necessarily wantingto jump straight, in at the deep end.- How much do you reckon I spenton the tabletop barbecue smoker?(metal clangs)- 60 Quid.- I'm a little bit moregenerous than that.(register chimes)It's £79.- Mm. That's quite a lot,just for a bit of metal.- Is it a great gift orare you going to re gift?- I'm going to keep my little one,and I am going to use it on the allotment.- There we go.- Good gifting.- Final one Jay, lift the cloche.- Ah.- So yes, youalready know what this is,but for you guys,this is Sorted's Christmasgift option, for this year.It's one of our aprons,that you might have seen us wearing,a yellow or a blue one,one of the Sorted cookbooks,we've remastered some of thepreviously sold out books,so there's a limited run.So you can get hold of thingslike desserts and duvets,how we cook, plus thewhole back catalogue.It also includes a full year'saccess to our meal packs app,to all of our digital cookbooks,and all the hundreds of podcasts,that we've previously recorded.- So the apron, the cookbook,and the year's membershipto meal packs is £65,(register chimes)which is a lot cheaper,than if you were to buy it all separately.And we think it's a great gift option,for the foodie in your life,or for you.All the links are down below,have a very Merry Christmas.- Merry Christmas.- Merry Christmas.- Why do I feel likethat's then gonna to cutto some shower bloopers?I just feel like that's a thing.(they laugh)(production card beeps)(water dripping)(screen bangs)- Aah.- Oh no. (laughs)\n"