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One day in Rome
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Celebrations · Birthday gifts
These 40th birthday gift ideas are for a group of friends who would rather pool their money for one thing worth having than hand over a pile of small presents. Ten of you at £100 each is £1,000. Here is what about £200, £500, £1,000 or £2,000 buys that they will actually remember.
Lachlan Rennie, Unsplash
The short answer
Prices checked 19 October 2026
Our ten 40th birthday gift ideas, cheapest first: a falconry day for two in Kent (£260), private fly fishing tuition in Hampshire (£265), two days at Rick Stein's Cookery School (£400), a night with a Michelin-starred dinner at Gravetye Manor (from £725), the L'Enclume tasting menu with wine for two (£790), a Smythson leather briefcase (£1,050), the British Pullman to Highclere Castle for two (from £1,500), a Globe-Trotter suitcase (£1,695), a Longines Mini DolceVita (£1,750) and a Tudor Royal (£2,160).
Split ten ways, that is £26 to £216 each. Six are things to do and four are things to keep. Every one can be bought now and handed over on the day, as a voucher, a printed booking or a box to unwrap.
Forty is the birthday where a group tends to go bigger than at 30, so the list starts where our 30th page tops out. The experiences lean towards travel: a Sussex country house, Cartmel in the Lake District, Padstow in Cornwall and a day out of London Victoria on the British Pullman.
Every price is the seller's own, or a gift site's where the seller does not sell vouchers, read on 19 October 2026. Where a price is a 'from' figure, depends on the date or has a code on the day, we say so under the item. If a day on track suits them better, our supercar page prices those properly.
Planning the trip around it? Start with 30th birthday gift ideas, the sister page, for a smaller budget and supercar driving experiences, for a day on track instead and luxury train journeys, if the British Pullman day leaves them wanting a night on board.
About £200
About £26 each, for 10
About £1,000
About £75 to £105 each, for 10
£2,000 and up
About £150 to £216 each, for 10
Pick what suits the birthday person and we will show the gifts that fit.
The ten
01A falconry day for two at The Hawking Centre£26 each, for 10
02Private fly fishing tuition in Hampshire£26.50 each, for 10
03Two days at Rick Stein's Cookery School£40 each, for 10
04A night at Gravetye Manor, with dinner£72.50 each, for 10
05The L'Enclume tasting menu, with wine£79 each, for 10
06Smythson Panama slim leather briefcase£105 each, for 10
07The British Pullman to Highclere Castle, for two£150 each, for 10
08Globe-Trotter Centenary Carry-On£169.50 each, for 10
09Longines Mini DolceVita£175 each, for 10
10Tudor Royal 38mm£216 each, for 10Photos are illustrative placeholders, not the gifts themselves.
01 · The Hawking Centre, Ashford, Kent, sold by Red Letter Days
For two · two vouchers, six hours each with lunch
A full day, not a quick photo with an owl: about six hours across the estate, flying owls, hawks, a Chilean eagle and Maggie the vulture to the glove, with a VIP tour, tea or coffee and a light buffet lunch. Groups are capped at ten including the handler, so it never feels like a crowd.
Skip it if they have limited mobility. There is a fair amount of walking over uneven ground and it is not suitable for wheelchair users. Summer weekends fill first, so book weeks ahead.
How to give it
Buy two of the one-person vouchers so they can bring someone; each arrives instantly by email to print or forward. Tell them to bring wellies or walking boots. A third person can come along to watch for £50, paid on the day, lunch included.
Red Letter Days listed the voucher at £130, or £104 with a 20% code on the day we checked. The experience is sold for one person; we price two vouchers.
Sources: Red Letter Days: six-hour falconry experience with lunch and a VIP tour at The Hawking Centre
02 · Nether Wallop, near Stockbridge, sold by Red Letter Days
For one · a private half day on the lake and the Wallop Brook
About four hours one to one with an instructor at Nether Wallop near Stockbridge, fishing a stocked lake and the Wallop Brook. All the tackle is provided, there is a fishing cabin and light refreshments, and they can take home anything they catch. A new skill at 40 is a better present than another thing.
Skip it if the birthday falls in winter and they want to go straight away: it runs April to October only. There is no disabled access, and it is for one person.
How to give it
Buy the e-voucher, which arrives instantly, and put it in a card. They choose a date between April and October. Tell them to dress for the outdoors; everything else is supplied.
Red Letter Days listed £265, or £212 with a 20% code on the day we checked.
Sources: Red Letter Days: private half-day fly fishing tuition for one, Nether Wallop
03 · Rick Stein's Cookery School, Padstow, Cornwall
For one · Two-Day Fish and Shellfish course, lunch with wine both days
Two full days on fish and shellfish at the school on the riverside in Padstow, finishing at 4pm each day. Lunch is at a long shared table overlooking the Camel Estuary with a glass or two of wine, there is a chef demonstration in the afternoon, and they leave with a certificate, a recipe folder and a voucher for the shop.
Skip it if they cannot get to north Cornwall. The course price does not include somewhere to stay, so add that to the budget, or keep the change from a bigger pot for it.
How to give it
Book a date in their name on rickstein.com, or buy a Cookery School gift card from the Rick Stein shop if you would rather they pick. Booking two places takes 10% off, so £720 sends them with a partner.
The school lists the two-day course at £400 a place and offers 10% off when two places are booked together. Gift card values and validity were not shown on the page.
Sources: Rick Stein's Cookery School: Two-Day Fish and Shellfish · Rick Stein's Cookery School: courses, prices and the two-place discount
04 · Gravetye Manor, West Hoathly, Sussex
For two · a room, a three-course Michelin-starred dinner and breakfast
"still showing the rest how it's done"
Holly Kirkwood, Country Life
The country-house night done properly: a room, a three-course dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant and a full English breakfast. The house dates from 1598, the gardener William Robinson bought it in 1884, and it became one of the first country house hotels in the UK in 1958. The gardens are the reason to go.
Skip it if they want a big spa or a place for the children. Children must be over seven, there are no pets, and men usually wear a jacket at dinner.
How to give it
Book the date for them, or buy a monetary gift voucher from the hotel's gift voucher site and let them choose. A room booking reserves their dinner table automatically. Cancelling inside 24 hours costs £50 a person.
From £725 is the hotel's 'Charming British Escape' rate for 'this Autumn'; the page does not give a year or an end date, so check the price for the night you want.
Sources: Gravetye Manor: Charming British Escape (room, Michelin-starred dinner and breakfast) · Country Life: Gravetye Manor hotel review (Holly Kirkwood, March 2012)
05 · L'Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria (Simon Rogan)
For two · the full tasting menu with the Taster wine pairing
Simon Rogan's restaurant in a 13th-century blacksmith's workshop in Cartmel, with three Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star, cooking mostly from its own 12-acre farm. The voucher covers the whole tasting menu for two with a wine pairing chosen by the sommelier team. It is the most serious meal on this list, and the Lake District is the bonus.
Skip it if they will not travel for dinner. Cartmel is a trip from most of the country, and the voucher can only be moved to Aulis in Cartmel, not to a London restaurant. Service is not included.
How to give it
Buy the voucher with the Taster pairing for two guests. Email delivery is free and instant; a printed voucher is £7.50 by first class post and can take up to ten days, so order early. They book as far ahead as they can and quote the reference.
The pairings step up: Taster £790 for two, Signature £890, Select £1,130. Without wine the voucher is £550 for two.
Sources: Simon Rogan: L'Enclume tasting menu gift voucher · Classic Cottages: Michelin-star restaurants in the Lake District and Cumbria, 2026
06 · Smythson, sold by Selfridges
To keep · grained leather, in fawn or navy
Smythson's Panama is its lightweight, hard-wearing cross-grain leather, and this is the slim briefcase in it: about 39 by 41cm and only 7cm deep, with silver-toned hardware. Slim is the point: it suits someone who has stopped carrying everything.
Skip it if they work from home and travel light. A bag that sits in a cupboard is the worst kind of group gift; the Globe-Trotter or a watch will get more use.
How to give it
Order on Selfridges to the organiser's address, or pick it up free in store, so the colour can be checked before wrapping. Tell Selfridges within 14 days if it needs to go back.
Sources: Selfridges: Smythson Panama slim leather briefcase · Smythson: Passport Sleeve in Panama (about the Panama leather)
07 · Belmond British Pullman, from London Victoria
For two · brunch out, a private castle tour, dinner with wine back
A full day out of London Victoria: a three-course brunch on the way, a private guided tour of Highclere Castle, the house used for Downton Abbey, with time for the Egyptian Exhibition and gardens, then a three-course dinner with the sommelier's wine on the way home. It runs from about 9.30am to 8.15pm.
Skip it if they would rather have the train itself than a destination; the 30th page's Sunday lunch is a shorter, cheaper day. Highclere runs only a few dates a year, so it needs planning.
How to give it
Choose a date with them and book a table for two on belmond.com. If the date is not settled, buy a Luxury Train Club 'Ticket To Ride' voucher (from £150, valid a year) to the value and let them book through the Club.
£750 is Belmond's from-price per adult at a table for two. The Luxury Train Club listed the same journey from £690 a person and notes Belmond uses dynamic pricing, so the price moves with the date.
Sources: Belmond: British Pullman journeys and from-prices · Belmond: Highclere Castle on the British Pullman (timings, what is included) · The Luxury Train Club: British Pullman to Highclere Castle, and its gift voucher · Belles Demeures: Highclere Castle opens its doors to British Pullman passengers (August 2019)
08 · Globe-Trotter, sold direct
To keep · vulcanised fibreboard with leather corners, two wheels
The body is vulcanised fibreboard, 14 layers of recycled paper bonded with zinc, with burgundy leather corners, handles and straps, chrome fittings and carbon steel locks. It comes with a five-year guarantee. For a travel-minded 40th it is the present that goes on every trip afterwards.
Skip it if they check in hard-shell bags and throw them on carousels. It wants a little care, and initials make it non-returnable, so only add them if you are sure.
How to give it
Order to the organiser so it can be wrapped, and leave personalisation off unless the group is certain; plain, it can be returned within 28 days. In-stock bags leave in two to three working days.
The page did not list the case's size or weight; check the carry-on rules of their usual airline before ordering.
09 · Longines, sold by Beaverbrooks
To keep · 29mm steel quartz watch on a bracelet
Longines' small rectangular watch, in steel on a steel bracelet with a three-fold clasp, with a quartz L178 movement so it is never stopped in a drawer. It is water resistant to 30m and comes with a five-year manufacturer's warranty. A classic shape, not a fashion piece, which is what you want when ten people are paying.
Skip it if they want a mechanical watch or a sports watch. Thirty metres means rain and hand-washing, not swimming.
How to give it
Order to the organiser and keep the box and papers together for the warranty. Check the bracelet size against a watch they already wear; jewellers will adjust it.
Beaverbrooks' page names it a 30mm watch in the title and lists the case as 29mm in the specifications.
Sources: Beaverbrooks: Longines Mini DolceVita ladies' watch
10 · Tudor, sold by Beaverbrooks
To keep · 38mm steel automatic on an integrated bracelet
"the Royal is an excellent buy"
JX Su, WatchesbySJX
The top of the list and the one most likely to be worn at their 60th. A 38mm steel case on an integrated bracelet, a T601 self-winding movement with about 38 hours of reserve, and 100m of water resistance. It is an everyday steel watch with a notched bezel: no dive bezel, no fuss.
Skip it if the pot tops out under £2,000; at 20 people it is £108 each, at 30 it is £72. It is also stock 'due in soon', so leave time before the party.
How to give it
Ring or reserve with Beaverbrooks well ahead of the date, then order to the organiser's address so it can be wrapped. Keep the receipt and papers in the box for the guarantee.
Beaverbrooks listed the Royal 38mm (M28500-0001) at £2,160 with stock 'due in soon'. The page does not state the warranty term; ask at purchase.
Sources: Beaverbrooks: Tudor Royal 38mm automatic · WatchesbySJX: Tudor introduces the Royal (JX Su, July 2020)
The price ladder
The full price of each gift. Split ten ways, that is £26 to £216 each.
Split the cost
Move the slider to the number of friends putting in, and see what each of you pays for six of the gifts. Every price is the full price of the gift, for two people where it is a night or a day out.
Sources: Rick Stein's Cookery School: Two-Day Fish and Shellfish · Gravetye Manor: Charming British Escape (room, Michelin-starred dinner and breakfast) · Simon Rogan: L'Enclume tasting menu gift voucher · Belmond: British Pullman journeys and from-prices · Beaverbrooks: Longines Mini DolceVita ladies' watch · Beaverbrooks: Tudor Royal 38mm automatic
The numbers
The full price, what each of ten friends pays, who it suits and where to buy it.
| Gift | Price | Each, for 10 | Good for | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falconry for two, Kent | £260 | £26 | A day outdoors | Red Letter Days |
| Fly fishing tuition, Hampshire | £265 | £26.50 | A new skill | Red Letter Days |
| Rick Stein's Cookery School, two days | £400 | £40 | The cook | rickstein.com |
| Gravetye Manor night for two | from £725 | £72.50 | A night off | gravetyemanor.co.uk |
| L'Enclume tasting menu for two, with wine | £790 | £79 | A serious meal | simonrogan.co.uk |
| Smythson Panama slim briefcase | £1,050 | £105 | Work | Selfridges |
| British Pullman to Highclere for two | from £1,500 | £150 | An occasion | belmond.com |
| Globe-Trotter Centenary Carry-On | £1,695 | £169.50 | Every trip after | globe-trotter.com |
| Longines Mini DolceVita | £1,750 | £175 | An everyday watch | Beaverbrooks |
| Tudor Royal 38mm | £2,160 | £216 | A first Swiss watch | Beaverbrooks |
Sources: Red Letter Days: six-hour falconry experience with lunch and a VIP tour at The Hawking Centre · Red Letter Days: private half-day fly fishing tuition for one, Nether Wallop · Rick Stein's Cookery School: Two-Day Fish and Shellfish · Gravetye Manor: Charming British Escape (room, Michelin-starred dinner and breakfast) · Simon Rogan: L'Enclume tasting menu gift voucher · Selfridges: Smythson Panama slim leather briefcase · Belmond: British Pullman journeys and from-prices · Globe-Trotter: Centenary Carry-On, 2 wheels · Beaverbrooks: Longines Mini DolceVita ladies' watch · Beaverbrooks: Tudor Royal 38mm automatic
Side by side
| An experience | Something to keep | |
|---|---|---|
| Our picks | Falconry, fly fishing, Rick Stein's school, Gravetye Manor, L'Enclume, the British Pullman | The Smythson briefcase, the Globe-Trotter, the Longines, the Tudor |
| Price range here | £260 to £1,500 | £1,050 to £2,160 |
| Good for | A day or a night they share with someone, and a story afterwards | Something they use for twenty years and remember who gave it |
| On the day | A voucher or a booking in a card | A box to unwrap |
| Watch for | Seasons, set departure dates and travel to the place | Sizes, stock and personalisation that cannot be returned |
| Best when | They already own the things they want | They have been meaning to buy one for years |
Questions
Something they would not book or buy for themselves. For a group, that usually means one bigger present: a night at Gravetye Manor with dinner (from £725), the L'Enclume tasting menu with wine for two (£790) or a Tudor Royal (£2,160). On a smaller pot, a falconry day for two (£260) or fly fishing tuition (£265) is a day out they will talk about.
From our ten: the Tudor Royal (£2,160) if he does not own a proper watch yet, the Smythson slim briefcase (£1,050) if he still goes into an office, and fly fishing tuition (£265) if he has always meant to learn. None of them is only for men, and the Globe-Trotter suits anyone who travels.
From our ten: the Longines Mini DolceVita (£1,750) for something to keep, the British Pullman to Highclere for two (from £1,500) for an occasion, or a night at Gravetye Manor (from £725) for time off. The same rule applies as for anyone: buy for what she does, not for the gender on the card.
There is no rule. In a survey of 1,000 UK adults for the card company thortful, 15% of millennials said they spend £101 to £150 on a birthday present, and 39.3% of all respondents said gifts should be kept for milestone birthdays. Chipping in changes the sum: £100 each from ten friends is £1,000, enough for L'Enclume or the briefcase.
There is no fixed one for birthdays that we could find. Ruby is the traditional and modern gift for a 40th wedding anniversary, so it is the obvious borrow, and it is also the July birthstone. If a ruby feels too much, none of our ten is traditional, but every one is chosen to last longer than the party.
One person organises. Agree the gift and a fixed amount per head first, collect the money before buying, then buy in the organiser's name with delivery to the organiser. For experiences, choose a voucher with 12 months to use and check the booking rules: Highclere runs on set dates and L'Enclume books up early. Sign one card from everyone.
Yes, and many restaurants sell their own vouchers. L'Enclume in Cartmel, which holds three Michelin stars, sells a tasting menu voucher for two at £550, or £790 with the Taster wine pairing. It is valid for 12 months and arrives free by email or for £7.50 by post.
Sources: thortful: how much do milestone celebrations cost? (survey of 1,000 UK adults) · Fink's Jewelers: the ruby as the 40th anniversary gift (July 2023) · Aquamarise: July's birthstone is ruby · Simon Rogan: L'Enclume tasting menu gift voucher · Beaverbrooks: Tudor Royal 38mm automatic
How we chose: 40th birthday gift ideas that a group of friends can buy together, each one real, bought or booked in the UK, from a named seller with a published price, read on the seller's page or a gift site's, and split ten ways. Nothing novelty, nothing personalised for the sake of it. No one paid to be included. Every price and specification links to where we checked it on 19 October 2026. How we choose.
The journey · RailLuxury train journeysFive great trains, from the Orient Express to the Andes.
Pair it withThe Orient Express, month by monthAt its best: Mar, Apr, Jul, Aug, Nov.
Pair it withJapan, month by monthAt its best: Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov.
Where to stayKyoto ryokan: the shortlist11 ryokan, each one recognised by named judges.
