Best Christmas hamper: Delicious food and drink hampers for every budget and diet

The season of eating, drinking and being merry is rapidly approaching, so what better time than now to look at all the best Christmas hampers available this year? A stalwart Christmas gift for many years, hampers are becoming ever more popular, and it’s not hard to see why. Digging through layers of tissue paper or bubble wrap to unearth bottles, jars, tins and tubs of Christmas treats is guaranteed to put a smile on any face.

We’ve rounded up a list of our favourites to help you navigate the ever-expanding selection and find the perfect Christmas hamper to spread festive joy. We also wouldn’t blame you if one or two made their way to you and only you – what better way to treat yourself than ordering a little box of seasonal delicacies?

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Best Christmas hampers: At a glance

How to choose the best Christmas hamper for you

How much should you spend on a Christmas hamper?

It’s easy to fall down a luxury Christmas hamper rabbit hole – we’ll admit to finding it hard to tear our eyes away from the top-of-the-range offerings that cost thousands of pounds. But you can also find truly charming Christmas hampers for less than £50.

It’s easy to fall down a luxury Christmas hamper rabbit hole – we’ll admit to finding it hard to tear our eyes away from the top-of-the-range offerings that cost thousands of pounds. But you can also find truly charming Christmas hampers for less than £50.

In our roundup, we’ve even got an adorable letterbox-sized hamper for under £18 that’s perfect for sending to anyone needing a quick festive fix.

If time allows, you may even want to make a DIY hamper. These can be fun to put together and a little cheaper than buying one pre-made, but it’s worth noting that this isn’t always the case. See below for Fortnum and Mason’s iconic Classic Christmas Hamper. Every year, the luxury retailer guarantees that buying the hamper is cheaper than buying each item individually.

What should you look out for when buying a Christmas hamper?

While the thought does definitely count, making sure your Christmas hamper is suitable for the recipient is important. Mercifully, this is getting easier every year. As hampers have risen in popularity, we’ve seen more gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options come on the market, making it easier to shop for friends and family with dietary restrictions than ever before.

It’s also important to double-check sell-by and delivery dates. A few of the hampers below can be kept for days, or even weeks, out of the fridge, making them perfect for the advance planners among us. Other hampers will need to be ordered with a delivery date carefully planned.

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The best Christmas hampers to buy in 2023

1. The Fortnum’s Classic Christmas Hamper: The best luxury Christmas hamper

Price when reviewed: £200 | Check price at Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason’s luxurious Classic Christmas Hamper is undoubtedly the gold standard of hampers. Filled to the brim with Fortnum’s finest preserves, biscuits, wines and a heavenly Christmas pudding, this hamper doesn’t come cheap, but it’s hard to beat for extravagant festive grandeur.

After enjoying the delicious contents of Fortnum’s tins and jars, you’re left with a collection of elegant containers, perfect for reusing to maintain a touch of Fortnum’s glamour in your cupboards. Perhaps the star of the hamper, though, is the iconic F&M wicker basket. These much sought-after baskets are perfect for picnics, storage, or just sitting in your hallway looking fancy.

If you’ve got your eye on this heavenly hamper, get your order in as soon as possible – it sells out almost every year.

Key details – Dimensions: 40.5 x 58.5 x 40.5cm (HWD); Number of items: 11; Contains alcohol: Yes; Contents: Boxing Day Pickle, St James Christmas Pudding, Royal Blend Loose Leaf Tea in Caddy, Pecan & Ginger Biscuits, Orange & Dark Chocolate Biscuits, Christmas Figgy Preserve, Christmas Cognac Butter, Fortnum’s Brut Reserve Champagne NV Louis Roederer, Marc de Champagne Truffles, Fortnum’s Pays d’Oc Blanc Jeff Carrel, Fortnum’s Sicilian Perricone Cantina Paolini.

2. Cartwright & Butler Winter Wonderland Hamper: The best alcohol-free Christmas hamper

Price when reviewed: £65 | Check price at Cartwright & Butler
New for 2023, this limited-edition Winter Wonderland Hamper has been beautifully designed and hand-drawn in an intricate green and gold Christmas illustration. The gift box opens to reveal embossed tins and cartons in the same design containing some of Cartwright & Butler’s most premium, alcohol-free festive treats.

From sumptuous mini mince pies to luxurious, heavily fruited Christmas cake and tempting Belgian chocolates, each hamper contains an array of indulgent fare perfect for tea times (they’ve even provided the tea bags).

Key details – Dimensions: 37.50 x 13.50 x 25 (HDW); Number of items: 6; Contains alcohol: No; Contents: Cranberry & Orange Mini Mince Pies, English Breakfast Tea Bags, Winter Spiced Orange and Cranberry Rounds, Belgian Chocolate selection tin, Christmas cake, Christmas tea towel

3. Little Taste of Christmas Hamper: The best affordable Christmas hamper

Price when reviewed: £30 | Check price at Hampers.com
Gifting Christmas cheer needn’t break the bank, and this charming but inexpensive hamper from hamper experts Hampers.com is a reliable fallback option for anyone on your list. Filled with a tasty selection of festive all-rounders, including a fabulous Christmas pudding and luxurious coffee, tea and sweet treats to brighten any December day, this jolly box of seasonal goodies will spread Christmas cheer to all. We loved the buttery mince pies, and we’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t fall over themselves for Choccy Scoffy.

Key details – Dimensions: 12 x 21 x 25cm (HDW); Number of items: 7; Contains alcohol: No; Contents: New English Teas Afternoon Tea Bags, Cambridge Confectionary Co Salted Caramel Chocolate Mini Bar, Coles Brandy Christmas Pudding, Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company Breakfast Ground Coffee, Cambrook Sweet Chilli Peanuts & Cashews, Monty Bojangles Choccy Scoffy, Grandma Wild’s Luxury Mince Pies

4. M&S Christmas Gluten Free Treats Gift Bag: The best gluten-free hamper

Price when reviewed: £40 | Check price at Marks & Spencer

A season focused on feasting can be dispiriting for those with intolerances and allergies. Luckily, this M&S hamper means gluten-free doesn’t mean fun-free this Christmas. Delight recipients with a free-from feast of festive treats: Christmas pudding, novelty gnome chocs, rich, buttery shortbread, an iced Christmas cake slice and a bottle of delicious Cotes Du Rhone to wash it all down with. While not strictly a hamper, we reckon this shopper bag is probably more practical, and for the bargain price of £40 for the lot, we’re not complaining.

It doesn’t need to be refrigerated before opening and can be stored for a few weeks in a cool and dry spot – just check the use-by dates, which will be 14 days+.

Key details – Dimensions: 34.5 x 28 x 14.5cm (HDW); Number of items: 5; Contains alcohol: Yes; Contents: Cotes Du Rhone Village, Shortbread Rounds, Christmas Pudding, Iced Fruit Cake Bar, Going Gnome For Christmas

5. Snowdonia Cheese Company Christmas Cheeseboard Hamper: The best Christmas cheese hamper

Price when reviewed: £70 | Check price at Snowdonia Cheese
Take the hassle out of queuing at the cheese counter for your loved ones with this delicious selection of bestselling Snowdonia cheese truckles and a range of perfectly curated accompaniments. The hamper contains five premium cheeses, from the iconic extra mature Snowdonia Black Bomber to the indulgent Truffle Trove truckle: a selection of Welsh cheeses that will please even the pickiest cheese connoisseur.

The Snowdonia Christmas Cheeseboard Hamper also features three sumptuous chutneys, buttery Nocellara olives, crackers and some truffles for later, all presented in charcoal paper-rope hamper to use again. It makes a generous gift that we are sure will be greedily welcomed over the festive period. These hampers have a habit of selling out, so don’t leave it too late to order.

Key details – Dimensions: 40 x 19 x 30 (WHD); Number of items: 13; Contains alcohol: No; Contents: Red Storm Truckle, Rock Star Truckle, Beechwood Truckle, Black Bomber Truckle, Truffle Trove Truckle, Balsamic Caramelised Onion Chutney, Rhubarb & Gin Chutney, Fig & Apple Chutney, Olives et Al, Nocellara Belice Sicilian Olives, Belgid’Or Belgian Cocoa-Dusted Salted Caramel Truffles, Fig & Cranberry Crackers, Small Slate Serving Board

6. Bunches Christmas Letterbox Gift: The best letterbox Christmas hamper

Price when reviewed: £23 | Check price at Bunches
This letterbox hamper includes a mouth-watering selection of nibbles and snacks such as popcorn, cake, fancy nuts and a fantastic hot chocolate spoon, making it the ideal token Christmas gift for those with a sweet tooth. Festive shortbread stars and a super premium Cocoba slab will have your recipient feeling super Christmassy as soon as it lands on their doormat. This hamper earns bonus points for saving your loved ones a trip to the parcel depot in the winter, as it arrives in a handy letterbox-friendly format, decorated with a pretty festive design. Lovely stuff.

Key details – Dimensions: Letterbox-size; Number of items: 8; Contains alcohol: No; Contents: Cocoba Fudge Topped Milk Chocolate Bar, Clarence & Bean Hot Chocolate Stirrer with Marshmallows, Crème d’Or Milk Chocolate Gold Coins, Crunch & Crumble Shortbread Star x 2, Maxwell & Franks Chocolate Cake, Popcorn Shed Gingerbread Snack Pack, The Dormen Salted Cashews & Almonds