The Best Christmas Hampers of 2020
- 1/15
The Best Christmas Hampers of 2020
Why take a risk on one gift when you could spread your bets? Christmas hampers are brilliant for many reasons. They’re big, first and foremost, meaning that your generous present will dwarf everyone else’s under the tree. (That’s how you win Christmas, FYI). Then there’s the fact that nobody can actually make it through a whole hamper in one day, meaning you’ll inevitable be drafted in to help see off the cheese/wine/assorted chutneys. Not only do they look nice, but it's also a far classier way of gifting booze than sticking a bottle of vodka in a big red sock. What's more, pound for pound, they often represent a pretty good deal too.
But you need to get in there quick, because they sell out quick come Christmas time. There are, of course, the classic go-to hampers – supplied by Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason – but there are plenty of beautiful gift boxes that you probably haven’t seen yet. We’ve listed all of our favourites below.
- 2/15
1) Pierre Marcolini
Pierre will sort you out. The Belgian chocolatier has pulled together a hatbox which, gratefully, has eschewed headwear for *takes a deep, deep breath* 36 Christmas Petits Câlins, a plumier découverte, a box of 15 truffles du jour, Casse-Noisette spread, a box of six macarons, a box of orangettes, a box of vanilla marshmallows, a chocolate gianduja nougat barre, a chocolate caramel vanilla barre and three individual Christmas demi-lunes.
Designed for dessert, more likely to be picked at by everyone throughout the morning, ruining Christmas dinner in the most delicious way possible.
- 3/15
2) Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason is, of course, the MacDaddy of the hamper game. It has been since the 1730s, when it first started pulling them together for people travelling from London to their country estates. So it should come as no surprise that they have a large selection, and that the price range can spiral. We think this Christmas edition, featuring preserves and truffles and biscuits and Champagne and all sorts of lovely, lovely stuff, is one of the best deals available
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- 4/15
3) ESPA
Everyone's stressed. Problem is, a trip to a spa/massage therapist right now is likely to induce even more anxiety than staying in. That's why they need this at-home spa treatment from ESPA – brilliant cleaners, moisturisers, body oils and skin polishes that will keep them feeling refreshed and relaxed. It comes in a nice green box, too. Namaste.
- 5/15
4) Esquire x Beast Grooming Box
A grooming box from Esquire (that's us) and Beast (close and personal friends of Esquire), featuring £220-worth of our favourite grooming items. Stuff that we use every day, from the brands that we trust. You can take a look at the full list of items here.
- 6/15
5) The Cheese Geek
The Goldie – an assortment of delicious British cheeses that includes Golden Cenarth, Westcombe Cheddar and tangy Appleby's Cheshire – is designed to feed 15 people. The Cheese Geeks may well be mistaken on that one. Sure, 1.7kg of cheese is enough to feed 15 people, but it's destined to turn into a free-for-all once the lid is cracked open and the wine is unscrewed. Get in there quick, or you might have to settle for the marmalade.
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- 7/15
6) Beer Hawk
What do you get someone who really, really likes beer? We have just the thing! It's a box of beer. Not exactly imaginative, sure, but it'll be very warmly received. Beer Hawk's curated Christmas 2020 line-up includes 12 lovely craft lagers – including Birra Del Borgo Lisa, Brewdog's Lost Lager Can and Vocation Yakima Pilsner – and a beer glass. Top stuff.
- 8/15
7) Lina Stores
Italian deli Lina Stores has been a Soho institution for over seventy years, and they truly understand quality food and drink. That's why you can be rest assured that this collection of cheese, spreads, meats and gin will make everyone very, very happy indeed. Your gift-getter will also have a nice cooking apron to unroll, which may well get them in the mood to make you a sandwich with the aforementioned meats, cheeses and spreads. We're playing 3D chess here, people.
- 9/15
8) Hotel Chocolat
The good people at Hotel Chocolate aren't messing about this year. We're talking chocolate (loads of it!), caramel (loads of it!), biscuits (loads of them!), macaroons (again, a very large amount!), and heaps of other treats and tipples, from liquors to Prosecco to flavoured vodkas to cocoa gin. There's also something called a 'dipping adventure' which, by the time you've gotten half-way through this hamper, will probably feel like climbing Everest.
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- 10/15
9) The House of Bruar
The House of Bruar is a heritage clothing house, but it also has a wide and impressive selection of Scottish food and drink options too. Now they've piled all of their best-selling products into one reusable wicker hamper, featuring a bottle of claret (Bordeaux), fruit cake, shortbread, smoked salmon, oat cakes and much more.
- 11/15
10) Selfridges
Much like Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges have got the hamper game on lockdown. This pantry set, featuring champagne and wines, as well as an assortment of traditional and adventurous holiday treats, will see you right for the whole day and more. If you want to swap anything out, Selfridges allows you to get in contact to curate your very own hamper, too.
- 12/15
11) Sauce Shop
Christmas dinner is great, but it's rarely experimental. Gift someone a set from the Sauce Shop – including the brand's very only blends of smoky chipotle ketchup, green sriracha and more – so they can swap the gloopy gravy for something a little bit more adventurous. Will the home cook be bothered by them dousing the turkey in extra spicy habanero hot sauce? Almost certainly, but they'll be in too much pain to care.
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- 13/15
12) Harrods
The Knightsbridge Christmas hamper is as traditional as it gets. Christmas pudding, mince pies, almonds, a selection of wines and a bottle of Blanc de blanc Champagne, and a bunch of other delicious additions that will leave you patting your stomach silently for hours.
- 14/15
13) Fish To Your Door
Old Puteney whiskey has teamed up with Fish To Your Door to – shock horror – bring whiskey and fish to your door. This 'Gift of the Sea' hamper includes a bottle of the 12-year-old Scottish whiskey, distilled and matured by the sea on the country's most northerly shore, a set of oysters, a shucking knife, smoked salmon, two dressed crabs, and a lobster. For a hamper, it's as unconventional as it is delicious, and it's sure to be gratefully received by seafood lovers.
- 15/15
14) Shop Cuvee
Top Cuvee, a wine shop and restaurant in Highbury, London, has been making waves for ages now. Still, like every other food and drink establishment in existence, they've had to make changes and pursue new ideas over the past year. One of them is this Christmas crate, filled with beautiful bottles of red, mulled and sparkling wine, a bottle of negroni, secret sauce, salami, comte cheese and chocolate. We're huge fans.
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