A hamper is the perfect present. It’s consumable in every sense: because you’ll eat it, it won’t add to household clutter. It’s also low risk –while a crystal vase might seem lovely, if it’s not the lucky recipient’s style, you may be condemning them to storing it in the back of a cupboard ready to drag out when you come to visit. A pile of goodies in a nice basket – or bowl, box or bag – is all about pleasure now.
There are plenty of posh ready-made hampers available, but too many turn out to be disappointing once the astonishing amounts of packaging have been dispensed with, with predictable long-shelf-life boxes and jars. Making up a hamper yourself gives you the opportunity to tweak the contents to suit the friend or relative it’s destined for. You can mix up homemade and bought goodies, and add in some fresh items – most cheese and charcuterie will last fine overnight in an insulated envelope with a cold pack included. You can add in something that will last beyond Christmas – some crisp linen napkins, or a pretty jam dish found in a vintage shop. Or even a crystal vase.
What To Put In A Christmas Hamper
Christmas Pudding
Is it even a Christmas hamper without a Christmas pudding? There are lots of great artisan puddings available, but Fortnum’s versions are very luxurious and some come in a branded china pudding basin which will add a touch of class to your kitchen cupboard for years to come. They are one of the only companies still to make a pudding with proper beef suet, which gives a real richness and depth of flavour (King George pudding £24.95 for 454g) – great for a family of omnivores. The St James Free From Christmas Pudding (£12.95 for 454g) is vegan and gluten-free, although also sadly china-bowl-free.
Also try: Fiasconaro x Dolce & Gabbana Citrus & Saffron Panettone which comes in a chic and colourful D&G tin (£42.99, souschef.co.uk)
Booze
Instead of port or champagne, try a bottle of ready mixed Negroni, the bitter-sweet cocktail that’s way cooler than a G&T and works both before and after dinner. The restaurateurs Robin Gill and Dan Joines have created Vault, a brand which sells small-batch vermouths (red, white and rosé) but their negroni is particularly good (£32 for 10 serves, vaultvermouth.com/shop).
Don’t leave out non drinkers either: wine expert Matthew Jukes’ Cordialities are properly grown-up, designed in the style of classic white, rosé and red wines, with the length and complexity missing from most no- and low-alcohol drinks. Beautifully packaged too (£38 for a mixed box of 9 x 30ml bottles in all five flavours, jukescordialities.com).
Also try: As the name suggests, the “actually nice” Mulled Wine from Top Cuvée is a stylish bet, £16.99, shopcuvee.com/products/mulled-wine; or the LM Brewery Sparkling English Rose, a celebratory non-alcoholic fizz of kombucha made with tea infused with rose petals and elderflower, £10, labrewery.co.uk
Mince Pies
Mince pies are great to have in the cupboard for impromptu Christmas puddings and tea times, but the supermarket ones can be cloyingly sweet. Independent deli Melrose and Morgan’s has a Great Taste Awards star and did well in our taste test too – plus the packaging is bold and stylish (£8 for 6, melroseandmorgan.com).
Also try: a marzipan-rich fruit bread like the Bettys stollen makes a change, bettys.co.uk
Tea and Coffee
Top notch tea and coffee are hamper staples, and now you can choose ethical brands. The Rare Tea Company, set up by former banker Henrietta Lovell, sources top-notch tea direct from growers, and sends it out in smart reusable tins. Earl Grey connoisseurs will love the Rare Tea version, made with real bergamot oil (Earl Grey tea £6.49 for 50g, rareteacompany.com). Yallah coffee in Cornwall buys its Sail Ship Coffee at a premium from producers in Colombia and transport it here by wind power on sailing ships, putting the carbon footprint at close to zero. The coffee has the balance and faint sourness of the best “hipster” barista versions (£9.50 for 250g, yallahcoffee.co.uk).
Also try: Herbal teas by in stylish tins from Nemi at socialsupermarket.org
Crackers
Good crackers are great for making impromptu canapés as well as with cheese – try them with a dollop each of tapenade and creme fraiche. The Fine Cheese Co cracker selection comes in a tin, which means they won’t go stale between larder raids, and it can be refilled long after the first batch of crackers is finished (flavoured crackers selection tin, £13.95, finecheese.co.uk).
Also try: Peter’s Yard have a terrific range, including sourdough round crispbreads with a hole, petersyard.com
Cheese
Stilton is the classic, but huge slabs tend to linger after Christmas, while there’s always plenty to do with leftover Cheddar. A whole round looks great too, but wax-wrapped versions tend to be oddly soft textures. Opt for a whole cloth-wrapped cheddar instead. Royal cheesemongers Paxton and Whitfield have a dinky Cheddar Pounder (£15.50 for 550g or a 1.8kg Cheddar Truckle, £40, paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk).
Also try: a truckle of cheesemaker Quicke’s Devonshire red, quickes.co.uk
Jam
A jar of an intriguing jam or marmalade is a good idea, or you could stretch the category and include a sweet paste, such as pistachio, hazelnut or almond. The pistachio paste from Strazzanti is made with nuts from Bronte in Sicily - acknowledged to have the finest flavour. Gorgeous swirled through cream as an instant pud, they make brilliant ice creams, or just savour a teaspoonful with a cup of coffee (£54.95 for three jars, plus chocolates and coffee, strazzanti.co).
Also try: Rosebud Preserves sells a delicious, seasonal, Yorkshire rhubarb and ginger jam, rosebudpreserves.co.uk/jam
Chutney
A good pickle livens up leftovers, but a dull one risks being left at the back of the cupboard all year. A jar of homemade chutney is the gold standard – try Angela Hartnett’s Quince and Ginger Chutney or Romy Gill’s delectable Mango Chutney – but there are some excellent ones to buy as well. Indian-style pickles with tamarind in the mix are my favourite choice, as the sherbet-y tang of tamarind along with fragrant spices really wakes up a palate jaded by too much rich food. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on DabbaDrop’s new pack of four Indian-inspired condiments (£24, dabbadrop.co.uk), which includes Gunpowder Spices, Pineapple & Mango chutney, Pickled Onions and the delightfully named Wham Bam and Thank You Jam ginger “jam”. Available from Nov 29.
Also try: Branston’s personalised jars, bringoutthebranston.co.uk for details
Charcuterie
Cured meat is a great addition to a hamper (for carnivores) as it’s an easy starter. British company Tempus was set up by MasterChef winner Dhruv Baker and it has already won multiple awards for its supreme air-dried sausages and hams. The Great Taste Selection of seven of its Great Taste Award winning charcuterie includes truffle salami and delicate smoked Coppa (£50, tempusfoods.com). A heftier option would be the new Christmas pie from Dickinson and Morris, designed by master piemaker Calum Franklin of Holborn Dining Rooms, and is an exquisitely decorated pork-pie centrepiece (serves 16, £25, porkpie.co.uk).
Also try: non-meat eaters can get involved with a selection of Rudy’s vegan “charcuterie” products, rudysvegan.com/collections/all-butcher-products
Chocolates
Good chocolates feel properly indulgent, whether we are talking violet creams, chocolate ginger or – a bit of a curve ball – chocolate liquorice. Even liquorice sceptics like me make an exception for the Lakrids by Bulow version, balls of delicately sweet savoury deliciousness, plus they lend an edge of Scandi cool to the collection (£16, lakridsbybulow.co.uk).
Also try: the classic Artisan duChocolat No.1 salted caramel truffles are an indulgent favourite, artisanduchocolat.com
Creative Ready-made Hampers
⇒ The well-regarded London restaurant Jikoni (billed as the No Borders Kitchen) has a range of Indian-inspired festive gifts.
⇒ For Italian treats, Lina Stores has a brilliant variety of hampers available in its signature stripe.
⇒ Want to celebrate the fare of a particular part of England? The British Regional Hampers company is for you.
And To Put Them In
⇒The Basket Company is a one-stop shop for all styles, shapes and sizes of hamper,
⇒Dunelm has a variety of trad and modern baskets, some with lids and handles, which make stylish containers,
⇒Hobbycraft has a well-made classic wicker basket, plus shredded tissue paper to cushion the contents.
⇒Add retro charm and avoid contributing to waste by using vintage bowls and trays – or a big platter that can be used in the home.