Lifestyle

The best Christmas hampers for 2019


There’s something for every wallet (Picture: Getty/Fortnum & Mason/Virginia Hayward)

Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s time to get your festive treats in order.

From decorations to advent calendars, there’s a lot to take care of before the big day, including pre-ordering the annual Christmas hamper.

To help you choose, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best food and drink options for 2019.

From the traditional to the quirky, there’s something for everyone (and many are decently priced, too).

Fortnum & Mason, £100

(Picture: Fortnum & Mason)

Often considered the holy grail of Christmas hampers, any option from Fortnum & Mason will bring festive joy to your household.

Albeit amazing, most of the hampers are also quite expensive, which is why we’re loving this year’s Christmas Express Hamper.

At £100, it’s affordable but still contains plenty of goodies such as jars of Apricot and Strawberry Preserve – one of each – a tin of Spiced Biscuits and one of Nutcracker Biscuits, and a Christmas Spiced Butter Biscuit Chocolate Bar.

Of course, you need a cuppa to dunk your biscuit in – try Christmas Spiced Black Tea or loose leaf Ceylon Orange Pekoe. For coffee lovers, there’s a tin of Sandringham Blend included.

Savoury treats include Caramelized Onion Marmalade and Hot English Mustard.

Aldi, £59.99

(Picture: Aldi)

Aldi’s Specially Selected Luxury Hamper is perfect if you want to treat yourself, but not break the bank.

Sold in a traditional wicker basket, it features a selection of sweet treats such as Milk Chocolate Honeycomb, Fudge Clotted Cream and chocolates from Moser Roth in milk, white and dark flavours.

As for the tipples, there’s something for every palate with three bottles: Australian Shiraz and Marlborough Sauvignon from the Exquisite Collection, as well as prosecco.

The hamper costs £59.99, but if you don’t want to part with that many pounds, there’s also a cheaper option for just £19.99.

Petersham Nurseries, £180

Add an Italian twist to your Christmas hamper this year.

Although this one from Petersham Nurseries is technically presented in a box, not a hamper, it’s still a viable choice.

There’s a mix of sweet and savoury delights with Gooseberry Preserve and Spiced Tomato Chutney to Poppy Seed and Sea Salt Crackers, as well as Shortbread, Rosemary and Orange Chocolate Truffles and even a bottle of Zisola Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

We recommend munching on fromage from Blackwoods Cheese Company while you enjoy a glass of Villa Marcello Prosecco Millesimato Brut.

The box will set you back £180.

Macknade, £50

Have yourself a very Kentish Christmas with treats from local suppliers in this hamper from Macknade.

It costs just £50 but don’t let that fool you – the product selection is still very exciting.

Leave Christmas Cookies from Zingiberi Bakery out for Santa (or eat them yourself), sip on festive beer from Shepherd Neame or have a jolly breakfast with Macknade’s No. 1 Tea with a dollop of Local Kent Honey.

Other items include a bottle of Hendersons Spiced Cider, Whitstable Pickle Co Chutney and more.

Carluccio’s, £75

Continuing on with the theme of Italian delicacies is the Il Massimo hamper from Carluccio’s.

It will arrive in a blue box wrapped with a white ribbon, and features delights such as apricot biscotti, chocolate clementines, traditional amaretti and the classic Milanese dish, panettone (sweet bread loaf).

You’ll also get a bottle of Prosecco Valentina, as well as a gold coin for the kids to share.

The hamper is yours for £75, which isn’t a bad price given the size of each item.

Fenwick, £120

The department store is presenting a quintessentially British hamper for 2019.

It will arrive in a large wicker basket with leather straps and is filled with Fenwick’s own treats, such as biscuits, mallows and chutney.

The Fabulously Fenwick Hamper also features tipples such as house blended coffee and infused gin liqueurs.

As for the price, it’s towards the pricier (yet still semi-affordable) end at £120.

Paxton & Whitfield, £175

Cheese lovers, assemble.

Paxton & Whitfield is back with a range of new hampers for 2019 and while there are several to choose from, our favourite is The Kensington Hamper.

It comes in a wooden gift box with five cheeses on offer: Smoked Ceodre, Dorset Goat Cheese, Stilton Jar, Cheddar Pounder and Camembert de Normandie.

But that’s not all; you also get apple & chilli jelly, caramelised onion chutney, crackers, two bottles of wine and a bottle of port – and then some.

The hamper costs £175, but then again if you share the box with a friend or partner, it’s just £87.50 each.

Cannon & Cannon, £70

(Picture: Cannon & Cannon)

If traditional Christmas hampers aren’t your thing, why not go for a meatier option?

For 2019, Cannon & Cannon has created The Heroes of Craft Christmas Tin – a feast of charcuterie, cheese and wine.

From Ellis cheese, described as ‘light yet robust’ to Moons Green Mushroom and Truffle Salami made in Kent, Rosie’s Bred and Butter Pickles from Wiltshire and cheese biscuits from Norton Barton Farm, there’s everything you need to have a jolly December.

Let’s not forget the bottle of Rouge du Grappin with syrah and grenâche grapes, paired perfectly with Willie’s Cacao Pure Gold.

You can pre-order it now for £70.

Virginia Hayward, £50

The Mistletoe, as it’s called, has everything you need for a magically festive evening (apart from mistletoe).

Pop open the bottle of Zonin Prosecco Brut and pour a glass for yourself, before digging into the gold-wrapped Christmas Pudding or trying some of Grandma Wild’s Mature Cheddar Mini Bites. Apparently they’re ‘perfect for sharing’ – but we’d be tempted to keep them for ourselves.

Caramel macchiato popcorn, sesame peanuts and fruit cake with sticky toffee biscuits are moreish treats on offer, too.

Save the chocolate Christmas tree from Stas Chocolatiers, drizzled with white chocolate and decorated with two stars, for the big day.

The hamper is pretty cheap, considering its contents, at just £50.

The Wolseley, £159

If luxury is what you’re after during Yuletide, you can’t go wrong with a Wolseley hamper.

There are five to choose from but we’re particularly fond of this breakfast selection.

Go to the farmer’s market and pick up fresh sourdough to go with one of the three jams, but don’t forget to nip into the supermarket for some fresh yogurt, too – you’ll need it for the granola.

Then brew a cup of English Breakfast loose leaf tea or pop out the cafetière before flipping through ‘Breakfast at The Wolseley’, a book by the late food critic, A.A. Gill. There’s also a gift card and a silver-plated caddy spoon.

The hamper is available for £159.

Chococo, £50

Vegans, we’ve included something for you, too.

This Christmas, enjoy a sugar coma with a chocolate-filled hamper from Chococo for £50.

There are nine products in total, such as the award-winning Tawny Port & Fig, Date & Cognac and Marzipan.

Other mouth-watering delights include the new Raisetrade Madagascar milc bar, which has a ‘gentle nutty cashew nut finish’ and Colombian Coffee Beans, as well as a 67% dark chocolate hand-decorated lolly with edible shimmer.

Another newbie for 2019 is the limited-edition Christmas clusters – candied orange, cardamom, roasted cocoa nibs and crushed pistachios in dark chocolate – and in keeping with the festive theme, you can also munch on dark chocolate snowmen.

Pick up a bottle of vegan red wine, and you’re sorted for December.

MORE: The best Christmas markets for 2019 so you can get your festive trinkets

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