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Hands holding open a personalised cookbook at Finn's beef and ale stew with dumplings, beside a photo of Finn on a ski slope

For the dad who does the Sunday roast

For the dad who thinks he invented the Sunday roast

Collect his best recipes, the family favourites and a few contributions from the people who have been taste-testing for years.

  • Free to start
  • No minimum order
  • No account needed for contributors

Rebecca

“My brother made this recipe book for our wedding gift. Every recipe came with a memory, moments shared with family and friends, along with a heartfelt note about why it matters to them and when they love to cook it. Some made us laugh out loud, others made us cry, even recipes from relatives who are no longer with us. We have no post-wedding blues because we are now going through each recipe making it, listening to the music each person chose to accompany it and enjoying the food as a bonus.”

The review

Rating
5 out of 5
For
Wedding gift
1 of 2

Why dads love it

Whether he has one legendary dish or a full repertoire he swears by, a personalised cookbook is the gift that finally gives his cooking the recognition it deserves. Family and friends add their favourite recipes of his - plus their own contributions - and it all comes together in a professionally bound book that he can actually use.

His recipes, properly recorded
That barbecue marinade he guards with his life and the chilli that takes all day, finally written down before the secret dies with him.
Stories from the whole family
Everyone adds a recipe and a note. The result is a collection of memories that go well beyond food.
Built to last
A professionally bound book on the kitchen shelf that beats a card in the recycling bin. This is a gift he will actually pick up and use.
An open personalised cookbook showing one of his signature recipes beside a full-page photo of it served at the table

What goes inside

Ingredients

  • His signature recipes
  • Contributions from family & friends
  • Stories behind his legendary dishes
  • Photos & family memories
  • A personal dedication page
  • Your chosen cover design

Method

  1. Gather the recipes. Add your own, or send one link so family and friends can add theirs. About five minutes each, and no account needed.
  2. Choose a cover and size. Every page is laid out for you, with chapters, a contents page and an index.
  3. Check every page, then approve. You see the whole book before anything goes to print.
  4. Printed and delivered. Bound professionally and delivered gift-ready, usually 7-10 working days after you approve it.
Start the book

Look inside Pass the Tongs, Dad

Turn the pages of a sample. Yours can include your recipes, notes and photos, in a design you choose.

Front cover of Pass the Tongs, Dad: barbecue favourites and Sunday classics from your kids, beside a photo of bacon cheeseburgers
Pages 1 of 9
Front cover of Pass the Tongs, Dad: barbecue favourites and Sunday classics from your kids, beside a photo of bacon cheeseburgers
To the man at the grill: a letter from his children, above a photo of a barbecue
Contents: Fired Up and Sunday Best
Chapter opener: Fired Up - Saturdays, sun or no sun
Dad's Bacon Cheeseburgers, contributed by Tom, beside a photo of the burgers
Dad's Bacon Cheeseburgers method, with Dad's burger sauce
Honey Mustard Bangers, contributed by Sam, beside a photo of sausages on the grill
Honey Mustard Bangers method, with Sam's tip
Charred Asparagus with Lemon Butter, contributed by Mum
Chapter opener: Sunday Best - long lie-ins and longer lunches
Ribeye with Red Wine Gravy, contributed by Ellie, beside a photo of the steak
Ribeye with Red Wine Gravy method
Grandma Jean's Roast Beef & Yorkshires
Back cover: Happy Father's Day - love, Ellie, Tom and Sam
Page 1 of 14

Cover design inspiration

A few directions a cover can take. Every book starts from a professionally designed template, and the colours, fonts and layout are all yours to change.

  • workshop cover design for a personalised Father's Day cookbook Workshop
  • smoke cover design for a personalised Father's Day cookbook Smoke
  • fine dining cover design for a personalised Father's Day cookbook Fine Dining

When do you need it?

Put in the day you're giving it and we'll work back to the dates that matter.

Who is adding recipes?
Start your book

    Dates skip weekends but not bank holidays, and delivery times are estimates.

    Common questions

    When do I need to order for Father's Day?

    Work back from the date: most organisers give contributors 2-4 weeks, and printing and delivery take 7-10 working days once you approve the layout. About six weeks is comfortable; less is possible if people reply quickly.

    What if he has never written a recipe down in his life?

    Most have not. Cook the dish with him and write while he works - weighing the things he would normally eyeball and timing the things he judges by eye. That version is usually more accurate than anything he would have written.

    Can the whole family add their favourites?

    Everyone gets their own link. They add a recipe, a note about why it matters and optionally a photo - no account needed, and it takes about five minutes. You can also add recipes on behalf of anyone who would rather not.

    Is it hardback or softback?

    Either - you choose, along with the paper. There is also a lay-flat binding upgrade if you want it to stay open on the counter while he cooks.

    Give him something to cook from

    Takes minutes to set up · contributors invited automatically

    From NZ$90

    Start the book
    • Free to start
    • No minimum order
    • No account needed for contributors
    ★★★★★
    “Such a good service, arrived on time and it was very easy to create a beautiful book.”