Christmas.vg

Hampers are really handy presents for Christmas. If you’re planning a last minute getaway or a work’s coffee morning before everyone leaves for their holidays at lunchtime, hampers take the hassle out of preparing food or wrapping presents. Most hamper companies will also deliver to multiple locations, meaning that you can spend the holidays relaxing and enjoying the festivities. With so many food allergies and preferences around though, we’ve trawled through hundreds of online hamper offers to bring you a selection of hampers that will suit any person or occasion:

1. The Vegetarian

£60 through Flowers UK:

• Louis Bonard Cotes du Rhone 2005 AC 75cl
• Walkers Shortbread Rounds 100g
• Biona Organic Italian Fusilli Pasta 500g
• Italia in Tavola Garlic Bruschetta 150g
• Dormens Spiced Sesame Peanuts 30g
• Vergers De Gascogne Cherries in Kirsch 210ml
• Chilliqueen Coriander & Shallot Chelly 200g
• Le Bonta Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce 304g
• Boaters Amaretto Flavoured Ground Coffee Cube 57g
• Dormens Milk & White Chocolate Raisins 100g
• Cupido Dark Chocolate Sticks Filled with Mint Fondant 125g

Not suitable for those with nut allergies, this hamper has all of the essential ingredients for a luxurious vegetarian snack, picnic, or evening in. A three course meal and a bottle of wine in one small wicker basket is a sure fire way to make someone’s day.

2. Alcohol Free

The Chocoholics Christmas Hamper from the Chocolate Trading Company is only £32.99. Contents may vary so you may wish to check for liqueur chocolates before you buy. Next day delivery available. Enter code “Xmas6” for 6% off all products at Chocolate Trading Co. Offer end 31st December.

• Milk chocolate toffee lips
• Fine drinking chocolate flakes
• Organic truffles
• Milk chocolate caramels
• Fine milk chocolate bar

3. Ethical

The Fairtrade Christmas Hamper is £39.00 and ensures that producers around the world get fair prices for their goods. If you were going to to buy a hamper anyway, get into the Christmas spirit and ensure that farmers everywhere get a fair deal with this chocolate and cake hamper:

• Traidcraft Christmas Pudding 450g
• Traidcraft Christmas Cake 1050g
• Traidcraft Finest Belgian Chocolate Selection 230g
• Divine Chocolate Coins 80g
• Divine Chocolate Christmas Puddings 90g
• Traidcraft Christmas Tree Biscuits 200g
• Christmas Glow Christmas Card
• Fair trade woven basket from Traidcraft.

4. Budget Hamper

Our best budgets hampers are £20 plus delivery (from £4.95). They include a range of sweet hampers from Thorntons. You can choose from; Terrific Toffee, Magnificently Milk, Deliciously Dark, Fabulous Fudge and Wickedly White. There’s also a Christmas Eve Hamper for £25 which includes Christmas decorations, however it is currently out of stock. This is what’s inside the Terrific Toffee Gift Box

• Assorted Special Toffee (650g)
• Chocolate Smothered Special Toffee (215g)
• Brazil Nut Special Toffee (125g)
• Treacle Special (125g)
• Fruit & Nut Special Toffee (125g)
• Original Special Toffee (250g)
• Banana Special Toffee (125g)
• Mint Special Toffee (125g)
• Liquorice Special Toffee (125g)
• Toffee Choccies (115g)

5. Organic Hamper

This organic hamper includes cookies, tea, jam and wine. For £85, you can rest easy in the knowledge that your hamper was produced through certified organic farming methods.

• Almond & Lemon Cookies
• Double Chocolate & Nut Cookies
• Traditional French Galettes
• Ethical Addictions Coffee
• Biodynamic Sparkling Fruit Juice
• Fairtrade English Breakfast Tea
• Fairtrade Mint Green Tea
• Seville Orange Marmalade
• Magic Strawberry Jam
• DeMartino Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec Reserva 75cl
• DeMartino Sauvignon Blanc Malbec Reserva 75cl

The Organic Deluxe is available from First 4 Hampers here.

6. Corporate Hamper

With corporate ordering you need to make a big impression and keep those essential clients for next year. That’s why Marks & Spencer have a special range of business gifts for you to peruse on behalf of your company. The last date for corporate hamper orders is Friday 12th December and you can get special bulk order discounts:

• 2.5% on orders over £1,500
• 5% on orders over £5,000
• 7.5% on orders over £10,000

You can order for up to 50 addresses online, or ring the customer services team for more complicated shipments. The best hamper out of the selection is the super-cool, James Bond-esque, “Touch of Class“. It’s only good for one person, so you may want another option if you’re gifting to a whole company, or looking for something especially festive. Click here to go to corporate ordering.

However, there’s nothing more special than this satin lined box of bubbly with a pull-out tray of chocolates to show that your company is really top dog. At only £40, it’s also a bargain:

7. Works Hamper

This hamper is perfect to take to work for your colleagues – it has no booze, includes oatcakes for those with gluten allergies, pistachios for the vegans and a Christmas pudding with brandy butter just to remind us what it’s all about:

• Droste Dark Pastilles 100g
• Fudge Tree Clotted Cream Toffee 125g
• Walkers Highland Oatcakes 75g
• Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread Fingers 100g
• New English Teas 10 English Breakfast Teabags
• Stephan Mousse de Canard 130g
• Thursday Cottage Christmas Pudding Boxed 112g
• 160g Dormens Jumbo Pistachios
• Duerrs Strawberry Conserve 113g
• Thursday Cottage Brandy Butter 110g
• LIDDED PRESENTATION BOX WITH BOW

£28 plus delivery through Clearwater Hampers. CW Hampers deliver around the world, making it easier to send presents abroad this Christmas.

8. Romantic Hamper

The Champagne, Chocolate and Rose hamper is a simple, yet powerful way to make someone feel really special at Christmas time. At £49.50 it’s also cheaper than many presents and there’s no need to wrap. The classy dark willow basket can be kept and the flowers planted.

• 12cm gift-wrapped vanilla rose plant
• Belgian chocolates (310g)
• Oudinot Champagne (75cl, 12% alc vol)
• Presented in a dark satin willow basket with hinged lid
• Order now for delivery from 1st October to 31st December 2008
• Price includes delivery

9. Bathroom Hamper

The Marks & Spencer Bath and Body Hamper is £49.50 and makes a perfect gift for mum or grandma. Add to this gift by giving them an hour in the house alone to enjoy a luxurious bath with these great body treats. Home delivery only.

“Includes bath towel, Loofah, body polisher, round long handled brush and massage tool. Presented in a basket”:

• 

  500ml Pomegranate Bath Essence

• 500ml White Peach Bath Cream
• 7g Raspberry Lip Butter
• 200ml Papaya Body Polish
• 200ml Lemon Shower Cream
• 75g Mango Guest Soap
• 200ml Fig Shower Cream
• 200ml Coconut Body Polish
• 1 x Grape Bath Tablet
• 200ml Mango Body Butter
• 75ml Almond Hand Cream

10. Ultimate Hamper

Are you landing on the relatives this Christmas? Do you feel guilty that you haven’t contributed anything to the cooking or preparations? Strapped for time? Don’t worry, just get this delivered to their door on the day you arrive. That way, you won’t have to carry presents on the plane or train or go shopping for individual items. Your generosity will be beautifully displayed and brought to the door for you. There will be little else wanting after you’ve given them this:

• 

  Moet & Chandon Champagne

• Hennessy Cognac
• Château Liversan
• Chablis La Marguerite
• Cantina Tollo Red Wine
• Cockburns Special Reserve Port
• Ditty’s Plum Pudding & Mince Pies
• Assorted Ditty’s Biscuits & Crackers
• Cranberry Sauce
• Brandy Butter
• Fruits in Liqueur
• Three Waxed Cheese truckles
• Dundee Cake
• Treacle Puddings
• Skellig’s Chocolate Truffles
• Chocca Mocca Chocolates
• Cocoa Bean Chocolates
• Ethical Addictions Coffee
• Spiced Apricot Chutney
• Red Onion Marmalade
• Smoky Chilli Nuts
• Marinating Olives
• Pheasant Pâté & Cumberland sauce
• English Breakfast Tea
• Raspberry Extra Jam
• Marmalade with Brandy
• and more!

£290 from First 4 Hampers. The best thing is, that with all this variety, there’s something for everyone. Coffee and tea for those who are driving, olives, cheese and nuts for the vegetarians and a plethora of food and drink to cater for every taste.

Other Hampers

If you haven’t found what you wanted, here is a list of retailers who sell hampers online:

• Clearwater Hampers: An excellent range including smoked good, international flavours and large selections in each box.
• First4Hampers: Choose from the wide range or build your own hamper.
• Littlewoods: Full Christmas dinner packs, including turkey, tinsel and puddings, sorted by price. Just go to Jewellery & Gifts – Food & Drink -  Hampers.
• Teleflorist: Well balanced, small, cheap hampers (£22.45 – £51.95).
• Thorntons: Good selections of chocolates and wine for every taste. They also do a selection of diabetic chocolate which you can get delivered along with a bouquet of flowers.
• First 4 Hampers: Luxury Christmas hampers containing the finest festive goods.
• The Chocolate Trading Company: Comparable to Thorntons, boxes not quite as decorative, but delivery is £1 cheaper.
• Flowers UK: Wide price range – from £17 up to £450, with an excellent cheese selection. Their most expensive hamper includes half a ham and half a roll of cheese!
• Marks and Spencer: decent range of Christmas hampers but an overwhelmingly useful corporate hamper section.
• Gifts2Drink: very limited range of 5 hampers including the “student hamper” and the “tea and coffee hamper”.
• John Lewis: Top range of quality hampers – including the most expensive hamper that the christmas.vg team have seen yet at £800!