1 Historic Heston
Chosen by Tom Kerridge, chef patron, The Hand and Flowers, Bucks
Heston Blumenthal's new book is based on historic British dishes. It looks incredible, with beautiful photography. A massive must-have.
£125. To buy for £80, including UK P&p, go to guardianbookshop.co.uk
2 Oven ready goose
Chosen by Sat Bains, chef patron, Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham
Reg Johnson is my poultry supplier but he only produces geese at Christmas. They are corn-fed birds with yellow fat all over them and make for an amazing roast. I rub loads of salt into the skin, slow cook the bird and turn the heat right up at the end to crispen the skin.
£9 per kilo, jandsgoosnargh.co.uk
3 Michael Taylor Ceramic jug
Chosen by Jeremy Lee, head chef, Quo Vadis, London
David Mellor stocks the most wonderful selection of jugs in blues, black and browns. They are exemplary examples of beautifully crafted pottery, and I lust after them all.
£25, davidmellordesign.com
4 Olive wood truffle slicer
Chosen by Simon Hopkinson, cook and author
Truffles are heaven when sliced over risotto, freshly made pasta or even a fried egg, but you need a good slicer to get the truffle wafer-thin. I prefer wooden slicers and this is a beauty.
£24, divertimenti.co.uk
5 Lalani teas
Chosen by Karam Sethi, chef patron at Gymkhana and Trishna, London
I love the freshness of Lalani teas, and the direct relationships they have with the plantations they work with. Their first flush varieties are best – like Jun Chiyabari and Darjeeling.
£44 and £32, lalaniandco.com
6 Chadwick pizza oven
Chosen by Margot Henderson, chef, Rochelle Canteen, London
A Chadwick pizza oven would be just the ticket for Boxing Day so I could knock up pizzas and home-made pitta bread for all the family, including fussy teenagers. They look wonderful, but are also practical for making pizza at home – you just put it on top of a gas stove.
£360, chadwickoven.com
7 Brie de Meaux
Chosen by Tom Kitchin, chef patron, The Kitchin, Edinburgh
All my training was with three Michelin-star chefs such as Alain Ducasse. In their restaurants, money is no object. So for me, as a young commis chef, a big ring of brie de meaux cut in half and stuffed with black truffle was the height of all extravagance.
£25.05 per kilo, lafromagerie.co.uk
8 Chocolates and a cook book
Chosen by Ruth Rogers, co-founder, River Cafe, London
Fiat chocolates awaken huge nostalgia in me. My husband Richard's family introduced them to me one winter in Florence. I'd also like a copy of the Alice B Toklas Cook Book. This was Rose Gray's [the late co-founder of The River Cafe] favourite book in the whole world, her prized possession.
£2.75 for 4, algcoffee.co.uk; £7.99 guardianbookshop.co.uk
9 Sherries and oranges
Chosen by Allan Jenkins, editor, Observer Food Monthly
I'd choose tangy clementines for the memories of stockings on Christmas morning and two incredible sherries from Equipos Navazos, a specialist négociant started by criminologist Jésus Barquín. They sell unfiltered bottles under the La Bota title, and their salty Manzanilla or nutty Palo Cortado would be a welcome find under any tree.
£40 bottle (Manzanilla) and £95 half bottle (Palo Cortado), bbr.com; 1 bag clementines (700g), £2.90 natoora.co.uk
10 A new batch of hens
Chosen by Rachel Allen,cook and author
We lost all of our hens to dogs and foxes recently. I miss them so much and would like some more. I'd love a mixture of beautiful coloured hens for diversity in egg shape, colour and size of yolk.
From £6, happychicks.co.uk
11 Mauviel M'Heritage sauteuse pan
Chosen by Chris Galvin, chef, Galvin La Chapelle, London
These look gorgeous and last a lifetime. This sauteuse with sloping sides is multipurpose. They are great for slow cooking, for sauces or poaching, and can be used in the oven as well as on the hob.
£240, divertimenti.co.uk
12 Nutcracker and nut selection
Chosen by Jacob Kenedy, chef patron, Bocca di Lupo, London
I'm asking for a nutcracker, so I can sit around the lunch table cracking walnuts, eating dates and grapes and cheeses and drinking wine.
£45 (nutcracker) and £13.95, Christmas Crunches nut selection, Fortnum and Mason store or 0845 300 1707
13 Marrons glacés
Chosen by Skye Gyngell, culinary director, Heckfield Place, Hampshire
Candied fruits carry strong connotations of feast days. The nutty, semi-sweetness of chestnuts means they candy very well and these Fortnum's ones are lovely.
£40, fortnumandmason.com
14 Bialetti Tuttocrema
Chosen by Florence Knight, head chef, Polpetto, London
My first cup of coffee of the day is really important. When I wake up, I reach for my stovetop coffee pot and Monmouth beans. If you have a milk frother, you can make a coffee that's as good as buying one out. I like the simple design of the Bialetti – and I like that it creates an even distribution of froth throughout the milk.
£23, algcoffee.co.uk
15 Ibérico Bellota grande ham set
Chosen by Isaac McHale, head chef, The Clove Club, London
Jamón Ibérico suits the grazing style of eating between Christmas and New Year and this grande ham set from Señorío de Montanera, a partnership of farmers in Extremadura, looks great on this stand – impressive for special occasions.
£700, brindisa.com
16 cocktail drinks and martini glasses
Chosen by Jared Brown, drinks historian and master distiller
I'd like to make a British answer to the French 75 cocktail, so I'm asking for some magnificent Shipwreck cider brandy, Hix Fix boozy cherries and some Nyetimber Tillington Estate 2009 English sparkling wine. The Schott Speigelau martini glasses make me think of wearing black tie in New York.
Nyetimber, £75 bbr.com; Brandy, £29.50 ciderbrandy.co.uk; cherries, £7.50 per jar at Hix restaurants, glasses, £52.50 for 6, wineware.co.uk
17 Cook's knife and rolling pin
Chosen by Nathan Outlaw, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw
If you'll be cutting lots of turkey or chicken this Christmas, then you need a knife with a good bit of weight to it. This 12-inch cook's knife is ideal. I also love the beautiful hefty wooden rolling pins made by Bertinet – old-fashioned ones like you'd see in Downton Abbey.
£56, Robert Welch knife, Selfridges stores; £9.95 thebertinetkitchen.com
18 Victorinox Rex peeler
Chosen by Henry Harris, head chef, Racine, London
These are perfect for peeling spuds because they're sharp, and have a round loop and a narrow handle that slots into the palm of your hand.
£2.50, divertimenti.co.uk
19 Marble pastry board
Chosen by Fuchsia Dunlop, food writer
I'm making more and more Chinese pastry for dumplings, dim sum, buns. For this I'd like a marble pastry board – a solid, plain, attractive addition to my kitchen which would last a lifetime.
£67.95, divertimenti.co.uk
20 Mercantile apron
Chosen by Jason Atherton, chef patron, Pollen Street Social and Berners Tavern
I spotted Dawson Denim in a magazine and have been lusting after their Mercantile apron ever since. They're made from Japanese denim but manufactured in Brighton.
£110, dawsondenim.com
