Updated on Oct. 02, 2024
You can spread cheer all year by gifting a food of the month club subscription. Find standout ideas for satisfying that sweet tooth, experimenting with new sippers and enjoying seriously good snacks.
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One of the beautiful things about this recent obsession with subscription boxes is that they open you up to a world of flavors—all without leaving the house. Try wines from famed growing regions, entrees from restaurants with miles-long waiting lists and delicacies from around the world. The best part? Buying one of the best food of the month club options means they arrive right at your doorstep!
Food of the month clubs are that elusive combination of convenient, useful and fun. You needn’t do much work for your favorite foods to fall into your lap, and you get to explore new flavors, recipes and creations. And let’s not forget that a gift of the month club is the gift that keeps on giving during holidays, birthdays or “just because.” It delivers a delicious surprise to loved ones’ homes to delight their palates and ensure that mealtime is never dull.
According to to Michelle Hensley, gifting expert and founder of Nifty Package Co, a food of the month club is perfect for anyone who enjoys culinary exploration and the anticipation of trying something new every month.
“It’s an ideal gift for foodies, adventurous eaters or those who appreciate the finer things in life but may not have the time to seek them out themselves,” she says. “Each delivery is a delightful surprise, bringing with it the excitement of discovering a new flavor or delicacy. It’s the perfect way to show someone you care, by giving them a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year.”
We tracked down some of the best food clubs to satisfy your cravings. If you’re a snacker, you’ll find indulgent and healthy snacks to keep your pantry stocked. A bit of a gourmet? We found subscription boxes to upgrade your wine nights or add a cheesy spin to happy hour. And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, we’ve got you covered, too.
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For those who want to give the gift of variety but don’t know where to begin, the Goldbelly monthly club is our top recommendation. Goldbelly is home to some of the best food subscription boxes and famous foods. Its myriad options span everything from JFK’s wedding cake to Shake Shack burgers, Ina Garten’s coconut cake and rare tropical produce from a company called Miami Fruit. Each monthly delivery contains at least four servings of goodies from one of its hundreds of partner shops across the globe.
“Fun—that’s the word that comes to mind when reflecting on my experience with the 3-month Goldbelly subscription box,” says Product Testing Manager Annamarie Higley, who tested the subscription. “Some items were sweet; others savory. Some businesses were historical; others trendy. A few items were seasonal; others were mainstays. But they were all pleasant surprises to me.”
In our two separate tests of the three-month subscription, we enjoyed a Piecaken, world-famous barbecue, pies, peaches and classic deli sandwiches, among other sweet and savory flavors. The sheer variety is enough to impress even the most skeptical recipients. Fair warning: once you try these tantalizing treats, it’s difficult to stop dreaming about them!
Goldbelly offers several subscription boxes, from pizzas to sandwiches to ice cream—but our favorite is definitely their classic box. Each month is a new surprise, so you don’t know what’s in store until you receive your monthly shipment email. If you’re curious about the kinds of eats we received during our 2023 and 2024 three-month subscriptions, take a look at our full Goldbelly subscription review.
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Tea clubs are a great way to try new brew methods and flavors, and there are tons of options out there. One of our favorites is Verdant Tea, which caters to true tea lovers who want to take the next step in their experimentation journey. Partnering with small tea farmers, Verdant’s mission is to connect tea lovers with brands and blends that expand their horizons and support small growers. If you know a tea person who loves tasting new and exciting blends, this is the gift for them.
The box contains up to 10 bespoke teas, each one hyper-seasonal or from fresh, limited harvests chosen by a single farmer to showcase their family’s work. To test this subscription box, we turned to David-Christopher Galhea, a devout tea enthusiast who shares the history, processing and tasting notes of popular teas (with a heavy dose of irreverent humor) on his YouTube channel, Strip Teas.
David-Christopher describes Verdant’s selection of white, green, black and oolong teas as “diverse in their varieties but with more unique twists on the conventional types seen in the West.” He explains, “Dragon pearls are commonly rolled balls of green tea, but Verdant tea provided pearls in both white and pu’er varieties, which were a ton of fun to explore.”
He was impressed by Verdant’s teaware, too: “The gaiwan (porcelain steeping cup) was beautiful, exquisitely crafted and perfect for the gongfu steeping method, which prioritizes short steeps and small sips for deeper appreciation and a calm, meditative drinking experience.”
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A baking club is a fun way to expand your baking horizons or give the baker in your life an unexpected new way to explore their hobby. Typically, they come with a new recipe each month, pre-portioned ingredients and sometimes even a new baking tool. While some focus on family-friendly recipes that even the kids can enjoy, others—like the Bake Eat Love box—cater to bakers who want to learn new and useful techniques.
Whether you’re just starting your baking journey or are a seasoned expert, Bake Eat Love’s monthly shipment is a great excuse to enjoy new treats each month. It includes easy-to-follow recipes along with pictures illustrating key steps. You can look forward to tackling recipes like s’mores baked Alaska, birthday cake macarons and lavender panna cotta. Each box comes with a baking tool or other bonus item, too!
My box arrived with a recipe for banana Foster sticky buns. Like their other boxes, this one boasts several servings inside. Nearly all the required ingredients—minus milk, butter and bananas—came pre-portioned in bags. I also received a small wooden rolling pin, which is a perfect backup for the holiday cookie rush. Ingredients for both the buns and topping come packaged separately, so it’s easy to see exactly what to use for which step at a glance.
Each instruction sheet includes a QR code with video tutorials. The recipe even has actual measurements for the ingredients in case I want to make these again (believe me, I will). As someone who has never made any kind of sticky bun from scratch, Bake Eat Love’s detailed instructions and easy-to-mimic steps made me so much more confident in my baking skills.
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Whether you’re a big-time hophead or interested in expanding your palate, a beer club makes the process of seeking out new brews so much easier. This food of the month club comes in many iterations, from picks that cater to IPA fans to fully customizable shipments that contain sours, lights and fruity options. But for casual beer fans, there’s no better box than the Great Clubs beer of the month club.
Each box arrives with 12 beers from bespoke breweries across the nation, with the option to upgrade to a 24-pack. In total, subscribers enjoy a monthly shipment of three servings of four different beers. Types and tastes differ each month, though quality remains consistently high. Tester and Content Director Nicole Doster notes that her box contained a good amount of variety, ranging from a super light summer ale to a heavier, hoppier mountain ale. She also tried two options from the same brewery for a fun comparison.
“The 12-pack was perfect for entertaining. I invited some friends over to help taste test. The group enjoyed the UFO White Ale the best as it tasted like a fancier Blue Moon—light with hints of orange peel. It was perfect for a summer afternoon,” she says.
“I was definitely tickled by the old-school printed newsletter that came with the box. It was full of tasting notes, descriptions of the breweries and interesting facts about beer. It was really fun to read as we drank through the box. The newsletter even had a place to rate the beer on color, clarity, head, smell, taste and aftertaste, which helped us pick apart why we liked each beer.”
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When true java junkies can’t secure bespoke beans at their local grocer, it pays to try a coffee club. Our top pick is Atlas Coffee Club, which offers a peek into some of the world’s most popular coffee destinations. This caffeine-heavy food of the month club takes you on a monthly journey with new beans, brews and bold flavors each month.
One of our expert writers, Camryn Rabideau, put Atlas to the test and confirmed it’s a global delight. “For my delivery, I was lucky enough to receive coffee from the Yunnan region of China,” Camryn says. “I opted for ground beans that I could use in my drip coffee machine, and I received the coffee in medium and light roast.”
Each subscription begins by offering the recipient a coffee type preference quiz, which includes grind type, roast preference, number of bags and delivery cadence. You can also choose from whole beans, ground or even K-Cups for your monthly fix. And the customization doesn’t stop there. Choosing from seven different grind types makes it easy to enjoy each shipment however you brew it, whether you prefer expresso, drip or pour-over.
“Each bag was carefully packaged in its box and came with a postcard featuring facts about Chinese culture,” Camryn says. “The coffee bag itself was absolutely beautiful. It featured a vibrant yellow and blue print with a dragon tail, red flowers and Chinese lanterns. It would jump off the shelf at you, but you’d never find these particular coffee beans at the store. Additionally, there was a pamphlet with information about the coffee beans, tasting notes and brew recommendations.”
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For those who have dietary restrictions, there’s still a way to enjoy a sweet treat each month with a fruit club. Because setting up a delivery is as simple as a few clicks, they even make a fast, thoughtful gift for those who enjoy the sweeter things. These services source quality produce from across the country, package it up and ship it directly to your door. Of the ones we tested, the Fruit Gift of the Month club is one of our top picks.
At under $50 per month, it’s one of the most budget-friendly options. Every four weeks, enjoy a shipment containing up to 13 pieces (or 5 pounds) of two different types of fruit, picked fresh and shipped directly from one of the brand’s farms across the globe. Each and every piece is harvested by hand, so you can always expect the most luscious, ripe picks.
Each box also includes a copy of the monthly Fruit Expeditions newsletter, which contains valuable information on the produce, fun facts and other insights. As an added bonus, shipping is free each month, and you can choose which date you’d like to receive your first shipment.
“I appreciate that my shipment included three different types of pears,” says Senior Shopping Editor Caitlyn Fitzpatrick, who tested the box. “It allowed me to find which variety I like best. I didn’t dislike any of the varieties, but if I did, at least I would have others to snack on, and the whole box wouldn’t be a wash. And each month, there are at least two types of fruit included, so that’s something I can look forward to each time.”
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Nothing brightens up a lengthy work week like a small glass of wine, but the same-old bottles get boring fast. Winc is one of the best rated wine clubs that has it all, offering four bottles per month for only $60 (or $15 per bottle). Diverse selections—including sake, rosé, sparkling, whites and reds—make up their ever-expanding catalog.
Deputy Shopping Editor Reina Galhea, who’s a self-proclaimed “mid-shelf wine drinker,” has been a steadfast subscriber since 2020. “Variety and discovery are what keep me coming back,” she says. “The quality is exactly what I’d expect from a medium-priced wine, with the occasional wow-worthy wine I can’t believe isn’t more expensive.”
Recipients can select wines themselves or fill out a survey to have bottles specially curated for them—no additional shopping is required. We love that this option lets you enjoy as much (or as little) surprise as you like! While it doesn’t come with tasting notes or other supplemental information in the box, all of that is easily available on their website.
For folks who want to stick with Winc long term, you can even rate wines you’ve already received for even more customization. If you don’t like a bottle, they’ll also send you a different option as a replacement—no questions asked. Talk about great customer service!
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With charcuterie enjoying a renaissance, a cheese of the month club is a cool way to shake up the usual cheddar or brie boards. Of all the options we’ve tried, Murray’s reigns supreme for its cheese of the month club. Rather, its cheese of the month clubs. Our favorite is the Cheese Explorer’s Club, which contains three different cheeses from a variety of cheesemakers across the globe each month.
We love the brand’s bold, outside-the-box cheeses from domestic and global cheesemakers. This box doesn’t boast any bells or whistles—just consistently excellent (and sometimes surprising) cheese picks. Fun facts and serving tips are included in each box, so you can wax philosophical about your favorite Fourme d’Ambert while you nibble.
“I got three herby Vermont Creamery Goat Cheeses in the first box of the month. The second month’s box had more variety: Murray’s Gemma Di Langa, Meredith Dairy Sheep and Goat Cheese and Alisios,” says Senior Editor Caroline Lubinsky of her three-month subscription. Even more notably, each box arrived completely chilled. Shipping cheese isn’t an easy business, but throughout her summertime subscription, Caroline never once encountered a spoiled package.
“The cheese was sent in an insulated cardboard box with reusable ice packs. I did not have any issues with the cheese being damaged during delivery,” she says.
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Those seeking a classic food of the month club experience can’t go wrong with a snack club. Whether it’s savory or sweet, a box full of delicious treats is a surefire way to show your favorite foodie you care. Bokksu is a Japanese snack subscription with an elevated look and feel. The sheer variety means it isn’t limited to Japanese snack lovers. It also offers a snack experience that goes beyond a full belly.
Each box is built around the included culture guide, which details the contents and highlights each snack’s region of origin. It also details valuable information on each snack, including its history, significance and noted allergens. This is definitely the best food gift for those with wanderlust.
What really stands out to me about this food of the month club is the sheer variety included in the box. Most flavors go far beyond what’s available in the U.S. Some of my favorites in my box include the Yokohama butter cookie with images of the city printed on it and the Iburigakko smoky chips. I never thought that I’d enjoy the pickled radish flavor, but I’m hooked!
Each inclusion tastes fresh and feels cohesive, and there’s a good balance between familiar flavors and more bespoke inclusions. You also get a great mix of savory and sweet, so each box has something for every palate. If you find something you particularly enjoy, head over to the Bokksu Boutique to snag extras. There, you’ll also find a trove of goodies, including past boxes and specialty releases.
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Nothing says “I love you” or comforts like a cookie club. Heck, you don’t even need an excuse to enjoy a box of cookies shipped right to your door—we’re all adults, after all! Out of the cookie clubs we’ve tried, Cheryl’s Flavor of the Month club is a definite standout. Each month includes 12 cookies in one of the brand’s famous, true-to-life flavors. Think s’mores, cinnamon pumpkin and cookies ‘n cream among a handful of other fresh offerings.
“I was so impressed by how pronounced and true-to-life the flavors were, especially in the maple, butter pecan and candy cane cookies,” says Annamarie in her Cheryl’s review. “The candy cane cookie reminded me of Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s from Trader Joe’s—a holiday staple in my household. And the butter pecan cookie was reminiscent of the iconic ice cream flavor in the very best way. I’d have to say this nutty cookie was my top pick. I would’ve never guessed!”
And for those who feel less adventurous, they also offer a buttercream-frosted cookie club that contains 24 of their classic vanilla-frosted sugar cookies. We already love Cheryl’s as a gift idea for almost anyone, and they have even more varieties available as one-time shipments.
“Cheryl’s most famous cookies are cutout sugar cookies with buttercream frosting of various flavors,” says Annamarie. “Some examples are s’mores, maple, cookie dough, cinnamon roll, triple chocolate and key lime. Additionally, Cheryl’s also sells unfrosted favorites such as oatmeal raisin, red velvet, snickerdoodle and classic chocolate chip. Not to mention the non-cookie offerings, such as cupcakes, crumb bars and brownies.”
Food of the month clubs arrive expertly curated for gifting. They typically have a more gift-conscious look, boasting premiere packaging and lots of care towards the included literature and overall feel. However, because they function in a similar way as a subscription box, they’re also a great gift for yourself if you want to try something new!
“When choosing a food of the month club as a gift, consider the recipient’s tastes, allergies and preferences,” says Michelle. “This is important because someone might be deathly allergic to nuts, so make sure you know this ahead of time and let that recipient know you thought about it! Look for a club that offers high-quality, artisanal products and flexibility in subscription options. It’s also important to consider the shipping schedule and ensure that the products will be delivered fresh and in optimal condition.”
To find the best food of the month club, we considered our own extensive testing with gift clubs. From there, we researched other popular and under-the-radar options that looked like a great fit and boasted excellent reviews. Over the course of testing for other lists, we compiled our “best overall” picks to inform this piece. Our expert team of editors and product testers thoroughly tested and evaluated each option in our own homes, and we took notes on the following aspects:
I’ve tested dozens of foods and drinks for Taste of Home, informing pieces like the best coffee concentrates, puzzle subscriptions and candle of the month clubs. Not only am I Taste of Home’s resident food and drinks expert, but I’m also a big fan of food clubs. For this piece, I personally tested upwards of 10 different food clubs. I also enlisted the assistance of my fellow editors and product testers on the Taste of Home team. Overall, we tried over 50 different gift of the month clubs!
For this piece, I also spoke to Michelle Hensley for insight into what makes a great food gift. Michelle is the founder and creative force behind Nifty Package Co, a luxury gift basket business specializing in curated, high-end collections for discerning clients. With an eye for detail and a passion for quality, Michelle has built a reputation for creating stunning, personalized gift baskets that make every occasion memorable.
