This year’s best luxury Christmas hampers for festive celebrations

The hampers of Tommy Banks (Michelin-starred chef and founder of Made in Oldstead food delivery service) and his team are head and shoulders above most of the competition. The secret is an abundance of artisanal, handmade and unusual products to make any foodie’s heart sing. What, at first glance, appears to be a modest-sized wicker hamper opens up to reveal a Tardis-like interior that keeps producing beautiful little tastes of Banks’ talent. Treats for now include steak and ale pies and some fine cheeses, while treats for later span an elderflower dressing, a strawberry and meadowsweet jam and a bottle of indulgent Olstead hot chocolate spiked with sweet cicely. There’s even a Christmas ham to make at home, perfect for Boxing Day sandwiches. A few of the best bits (pies and the like) have to be eaten within a few days of delivery, so this is one to organise closer to Christmas.

Why we loved it: For its sheer abundance of high-end larder treats

Number of items: 26

Is alcohol included: Yes

Stand-out inclusions: A bottle of rhubarb negroni, Banks’ signature sweet root vegetable mince pies and a beer and brown sugar-glazed ham, to cook at home

Presentation style: A classic wicker hamper

UK-wide delivery option: Next day, nominated day and two-day delivery

For friends and family who love to travel, Claridge’s luxurious gift bundle delivers a touch of Mayfair chic wherever they are in the world. Beautifully presented in a branded hamper, it excites from the very first peek. Inside, there’s a delightful mix of sweet treats and thoughtful non-edible gifts to keep the enjoyment going well into the New Year. Highlights include a Claridge’s cookbook, a pair of elegant eau de nil coffee cups, and a champagne stopper, perfect for keeping your fizz fresh.

Why we loved it: For its all-out indulgence

Number of items: 9

Is alcohol included: Choose with or without

Stand-out inclusions: A pair of Claridge’s mugs and a bottle of Billecart Brut Reserve

Presentation style: Classic wicker hamper

UK-wide delivery option: Preferred delivery dates possible

Nothing says Christmas quite like a Fortnum & Mason hamper, thanks to the shop’s legacy that stretches back across three centuries. Its beautiful baskets are packed with family-friendly treats that bring the spirit of the renowned food hall to your door. With 19 items carefully selected for the season, the hamper spans crackers, chocolate coins and reindeer treats for the kids as well as potent gin olives (the perfect finishing touch for martinis), buttery smoked cheese straws and a sharing-sized tin of Christmas biscuits for the grown-ups. Bonus points here for no plastic packaging and the chic, reusable hamper with its double handles.

Why we loved it: A classic, beautifully presented basket that embodies the spirit of Fortnum’s festive tradition

Number of items: 19

Is alcohol included: No

Stand-out inclusions: Maple, pecan and orange florentines and F&M’s famous Boxing Day pickle

Presentation style: A large F&M hamper with side handles

UK-wide delivery option: Standard (3-5 working days) or next day

Odysea is loved by some of the UK’s best chefs for providing sneaky shortcuts with its ingredients that help bring a ton of flavour in seconds via the opening of a jar or the pop of a bottle. Purveyors of gorgeous Greek and Mediterranean ingredients, its range spans from top-quality olive oil to stuffed vine leaves and the most delicious baked beans. Aside from the beautiful edible ingredients in this hamper, you’ll also find a pair of brass salt and pepper mills for the dinner table. The Kew harissa is a condiment of particular note, made in conjunction with Kew Botanical Gardens. With a tang of red fruit and plenty of smoky chilli and sweet red peppers, this works as well as a marinade as it does a dip.

Why we loved it: For being not just a selection of snacks but a genuine feast-starter

Number of items: 17

Is alcohol included: No

Stand-out inclusions: A brass salt and pepper mill set and the pomegranate balsamic vinegar

Presentation style: A hamper

UK-wide delivery option: 7-10 days with delivery on weekdays only

Britain's relationship with tinned fish once hung solely on the shaky peg of canned salmon sandwiches eaten at roadside picnic stops and on school buses. Times have changed and in one of the most surprising PR successes of our age, tinned fish is now in vogue. Patrick Martinez was early to spot the turning tide, and in 2018 launched The Tinned Fish Market, a business built on artisan producers. Think anchovies preserved in butter or cockles with chilli and garlic. The joy of this hamper is its lack of empty space. There’s no over-the-top packaging or jam that’ll never find its way out of the back of the cupboard. Instead, it’s a stylishly illustrated box simply tied with red cord and crammed with beautifully designed mini packages. Ideal open-shelf-fillers for designer pantries, they’ll last well into next year – lifesavers to jazz up simple suppers. Use the white crab meat as a quick pasta sauce base or crush into fish cakes with steamed potatoes, or simply pile on top of well-buttered toast and finish with a good squeeze of lemon and a crack of black pepper.

Why we loved it: For rewriting what you think you know about tinned fish

Number of items: 30

Is alcohol included: No

Stand-out inclusions: Mussels in escabeche and scallops in salsa

Presentation style: A paper-wrapped package, tied up with string

UK-wide delivery option: Next day

The Newt in Somerset – a luxury estate including a hotel and restaurants – is the proud owner of one of the world’s most covetable gardens. Its haul of produce makes its way into some very lovely bottles, jars, packets and parcels in the Taste of The Newt Hamper. With three whole layers of surprises buried in paper straw, this hamper is the gift that keeps on giving. You’ll find the kind of elevated everyday items that only find their way into (most) pantries come Christmastime. Think cider brandy fudge, blackcurrant curd, and chilli cheese snacking biscuits. There’s also enough apple-based products to see you through winter and well into spring, including a beautiful juice for the juniors and a few more grown-up serves that span an ice cider and a bottle of Wyvern Wing, the estate’s own cider made to replace a fine wine on the dinner table.

Why we loved it: For its interesting artisanal British produce

Number of items: 17

Is alcohol included: Yes

Stand-out inclusions: A bottle of unusual ice cider and a jar of wickedly good apple pie curd

Presentation style: A sturdy wooden presentation box filled with paper straw

UK-wide delivery option: Next day, nominated day and two-day delivery

Panzer’s deli takes the prize for the best Christmas hamper wrapping with its signature pink and teal combination. This perfectly proportioned offering strikes the ideal balance in size, and is an excellent way to gift someone a couple of lovely evenings. Fine cheese, a selection of crackers and a good bottle of red are hard to argue with as a fine night in; on another evening, the recipient might enjoy the wonderful smoked salmon followed by some very good chocolate or a thick slice of toasted, buttery-rich and jewel-studded panettone.

Why we loved it: A stylish presentation of food you actually want to eat there and then

Number of items: 8

Is alcohol included: Yes

Stand-out inclusions: Panzer’s smoked salmon and a La Molina XXL milk gianduja & hazelnuts chocolate bar

Presentation style: A signature Panzer’s box tied up with a big ribbon bow

UK-wide delivery option: Next day nominated delivery, weekdays only

British brand Charbonnel et Walker was the happy marriage of two matriarchs. In 1875, Paris-born chocolatier Madame Charbonnel met English box maker Mrs Minnie Walker. In an early example of excellent marketing, the two combined their expertise, and people bought into the pastel, gilded boxes as much as they did the chocolate dainties inside. Today, Charbonnel et Walker chocolates are a covetable Christmas gift that feels classic and completely spoiling. The brand is celebrating its 150th year, giving the packaging a touch more magic with a series of beautiful illustrations, of which Mrs Minnie herself would have been proud. This hamper includes a mix of classics and seasonal twists (milk sea salt caramel truffles, orange thins and a Christmas assortment, for instance) and ensures the recipient is well supplied to treat visitors over the festivities, with plenty left for solo indulgences too.

Why we loved it: For its nostalgia-inducing presentation and decadent chocolate selection

Number of items: 8

Is alcohol included: No

Stand-out inclusions: Dark chocolate truffles with gold leaf and a fine dark chocolate selection box

Presentation style: Individual illustrated boxes

UK-wide delivery option: Royal Mail signed for (3-5 working days) or next working day

Selfridges and Hay come together to deliver a delightful holiday hamper. Instead of a traditional wicker basket, you’ll find your treats packed into a reusable Hay crate, which is both pretty and practical. Expect an array of teatime goodies, from tea and coffee (festive blends, of course) to spiced marmalade to spread thickly on toast, a box of addictive blonde chocolate malt balls, and a squishy, mini panettone. This is ideal for those who have everything – a wonderful and indulgent selection of non-essentials that will delight even hard-to-please pals.

Why we loved it: For its reusable Hay crate that’ll last far beyond Christmas

Number of items: 8

Is alcohol included: No

Stand-out inclusions: Selfridges Selection cherry and amaretto jam and the Selfridges Selection Christmas musical biscuit tin

Presentation style: A reusable crate

UK-wide delivery option: Standard, nominated day and nominated time all available

You can find the Daylesford farm in heart of The Cotswolds, where its penchant for beautiful produce appeals to well-heeled locals and out-of-towners alike. A little slice of quality country life can be neatly packaged up and delivered to your door, and this hamper is a lovely way to mark the traditional 12 days of Christmas that run from Christmas Day through to 5 January. Everything arrives with a good dose of ceremony, thanks to the covetable and nostalgia-inducing big red box that’s opened to reveal a wonderful selection of both edible and non-edible delights across a couple of layers. The top is covered with paper straw to disguise any more perfunctory packing below, ensuring the recipient gets the initial wow-factor moment. Dig beneath the winter-scented candle and plump felted Christmas decorations and and you’ll reveal the best bits. There’s a very good bottle of rosé frizzante sparkling wine with notes of red fruits and honey, as well as a ready-made bottled cocktail that’s perfect for ringing in the new year.

Why we loved it: For its sweet nod to an age-old tradition

Number of items: 12

Is alcohol included: Yes

Stand-out inclusions: Gin fizz jellies and nostalgic felted Christmas decorations

Presentation style: A red presentation box

UK-wide delivery option: Next-day delivery

Over the last few years, the olive oil market has exploded, giving the wine industry a run for its money. With beautiful bottles, logos and labelling, up-and-coming olive oil brands have profited from the consumer shift that sees them as a gift to bring to dinner gatherings in lieu of alcohol. With similar nuances to wines created by differing terroir, there are endless opportunities to try new bottles of oil that range from grassy and verdant to bright and peppery. At the forefront of this new wave of brands is Citizens of Soil, which has managed to capture the attention of the foodie elite. For perfect dressings, dips and marinades, this hamper’s three olive oils offer a spectrum of flavour profiles that work across both sweet and savoury dishes with their bright, verdant and peppery notes. They’re also all in dark glass bottles, meaning there’ll be little light damage to your precious cargo.

Why we loved it: For its purism

Number of items: 3

Is alcohol included: No

Stand-out inclusions: The

Presentation style: Each item is wrapped in pale pink tissue

UK-wide delivery option: Standard (3-5 working days)

Dinings SW3 is one of the best Japanese restaurants in London and the work of Masaki Sugisaki, whose passion for the finest ingredients results in impactful plates of the freshest flavours. After years of people begging him for the recipes or sources for some of his signature condiments, he eventually committed to sharing his secrets with guests. There’s now no need to make the pilgrimage to Chelsea to get your hands on the good stuff, with the team offering a slick delivery service. This sweet hamper of goodies includes stand-out building blocks for Asian cooking, such as a wonderful miso, a rich soya sauce and the restaurant’s addictive crunchy chilli oil with unbelievable depth. From fried eggs to noodle soups, its enlivening properties are hard to live without once you’ve had a first taste. To finish things off nicely, there’s also a bottle of martini that can be poured straight from the freezer. This one is made with rice vodka, Japanese gin and is garnished with the included fragrant shiso oil for a delightfully savoury, smooth serve.

Why we loved it: For its beautifully curated and crafted ingredients

Number of items: 5

Is alcohol included: Yes

Stand-out inclusions: Umami chilli oil and the ‘Dorai’ dry martini

Presentation style: A simple box

UK-wide delivery option: Standard

This elegant set combines a bottle of a specially created rosé English sparkling wine (a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier) with a wooden Home by Simon Rogan chocolate box filled with six mint-flavoured truffles. The wine sports a ballet-shoe pale-pink hue and offers aromas of raspberries, cranberries and apple mint, while the chocolates provide a refined sweet treat, making this a lovely way to while away an hour or so over the holidays for the lucky recipient.

Why we loved it: A perfect, petite ‘thinking of you’ gift

Number of items: 2

Is alcohol included: Yes

Stand-out inclusions: Wiston X Simon Rogan Sparkling Rosé

Presentation style: Wooden presentation box

UK-wide delivery option: Standard (3-5 working days)

Without the loud acclaim of France or Italy, Spain has been quietly mastering cheese for centuries and Brindisa’s Artisan Cheese Box is a handsome showcase of that craft. Inside you’ll find four distinct cheeses: the nutty, alpine-style Galmesan, an earthy Garrotxa, a velvety Mamá Marisa blue and a hunk of buttery Zamorano with its raw-almond tang. It’s a gift for the curious and the connoisseur alike, designed to bring something unexpected to the festive cheeseboard rather than the usual crowd-pleasers.

Why we loved it: For lifting the festive spread with lesser-known cheeses that carry flavour and provenance

Number of items: 4

Is alcohol included: No

Presentation style: A neat gift box of artisan cheeses ( vacuum- or wax-wrapped)

UK-wide delivery option: Nominated weekdays