Best Christmas hampers that everyone will love to receive

If you're unsure what to buy a loved one this Christmas, treat them to a hamper - there are so many to choose from, there'll be one for everyone.

Christmas hamper

by Emily Gilbert |
Updated on

Buying Christmas presents can be a right headache if you're not sure what to get them, which is why the best Christmas hampers can be a good option. They're a gift box or bag filled with goodies for everyone to tuck into, making them a fab gift for foodies.

The best Christmas hampers never fail to impress come Christmas morning as they're perfect for snacking throughout the festive season and beyond. There are loads to choose from these days, and they don't have to just feature marmalade and tea bags (although we do love a good tea-themed hamper!) so they're a great one-stop gift for the whole family.

Best Christmas hampers at a glance:

• Best overall: The M&S Collection Hamper – view on M&S
• Best luxury hamper: The Taste of Fortnum's Hamper – view on Fortnum & Mason
• Best vegan hamper: Luxury Personalised Food And Drink Hamper – view on Not On The Highstreet
• Best for style points: John Lewis Seasonal Cheer Gift Box – view on John Lewis

There are hampers for chocoholics, cheese fiends, and gin lovers. You can also get hampers for vegans and gluten-free ones, too. Some are specifically Christmas-themed whilst others are just a welcome gift for relaxing around Christmas time. And then there are ones that come in beautiful baskets that can be reused - fantastic value and guaranteed to give the 'wow' factor. Just make sure to choose one that your recipient will love and it'll be sure to go down a treat.

Check out our shortlist of the best Christmas hampers to buy in 2023, whatever your budget. Make sure to keep an eye on this page as new hampers are released closer to Christmas.

The best Christmas hampers

Best overall

Description

Presented in a smart hamper, this Marks & Spencer gift includes all-butter Cornish Cruncher biscuits, a selection of preserves, wine, crisps, Swiss chocolates, and much more. For us, this hamper is the epitome of luxury packaged in a dark-stained hand-woven wicker hamper. Rated an average of 4.6 out of five stars from over 1,500 reviews, it's guaranteed to delight and make a loved one feel spoilt.

Customer review: "I bought this as a present for a friend and have not personally seen the hamper. However she was very delighted with it and said the contents she had tried so far were very much up to M&S high standards. She was looking forward to eating the rest! She also commented on how nice the actual box looked."

Check out our roundup of the best M&S hampers and gifts for more inspiration.

Best luxury hamper

Description

When you think 'Christmas hamper', you probably think of Fortnum & Mason straight away. There isn't really any more iconic hamper than the big wicker one from London's exclusive shop, and there are loads to choose from - depending on what your budget is, and how much you really love the person you're buying it for. This is one of the most affordable options from F&M and contains plenty of treats - including tea, chocolate, and shortbread.

Best vegan hamper

Description

Hampers often contain lots of non-vegan products, but this one is the ultimate vegan-friendly gift hamper. It includes nut butter, sweets, biscuits, Artisan Liqueurs, and more. Not only that, you can request for the products to be gluten-free too, include personalised gift tag messaging, and a gift sleeve for that bit extra.

Customer review: "According to the present receiver, it was yummy with a good selection. I thought the hamper was very well priced with a good variety. I had to contact the suppliers direct with a query and she was extremely helpful."

Best stocking filler hamper

Description

Imp & Maker's Stocking Fillers Gift Box is a festive delight for anyone looking for a hamper filled with lots of tasty little gifts. The thoughtfully curated collection features a delightful assortment of small treasures, perfect for filling stockings or gifting all together. There's 14 hand-picked goodies including The Naked Marshmallow Co Vanilla Bean Marshmallow, Belazu Rose Harissa Luxury Nut Mix and Hawkens Ginger Bread Christmas Trees.

Best for style points

John Lewis Seasonal Cheer Gift Box
Price: £40 (was £50)

www.johnlewis.com

Description

Presented in a modern geometric box that can be kept and reused, this hamper stands out for style. It includes an assortment of sweet and savoury snacks to be enjoyed by the fireside. There's red wine, fudge, crackers, biscuits and nuts. This would definitely warm our bellies!

We've got more gift ideas from the brand in our John Lewis hampers article.

Best for covering the basics

Description

This hamper holds a host of treats. It includes dessert chocolates, salted caramel popcorn, lemon biscuits, crisps, black pepper crackers, salted caramel gourmet marshmallows, breakfast coffee, afternoon blend tea and much more - perfect for foodies.

Customer review: "These are absolutely wonderful - I have spent hours looking at various hampers online for M&S, John Lewis etc but none of them seem like such good value and such good products in them as this one. It's a really lovely gift which doesn't cost too much - looks impressive and my family really liked it! I'd definitely buy more of these!"

Best for Christmas Day

Waitrose & Partners Christmas Celebration Hamper
Price: £120 (was £150)

www.johnlewis.com

Description

Ideal for festive gatherings or lasting through the season, this open hamper contains something for everyone. There's a delicious blend of luxury festive treats including wine, Prosecco, Christmas pudding, fudge, biscuits, panettone, and more, all festively themed. Plus, you get a pack of eight crackers - a must-have for Christmas Day.

Best for chocolate lovers

Description

Well, you can't really go wrong with chocolate, can you? This gets a thumbs up from everyone at Yours. It features chocolate macarons, a slab of caramel chocolate, a Patisserie H-Box, milk chocolate batons, dark chocolate shortbread, and two sachets of hot chocolate in Milky and Classic. Delicious.

Customer review: "I bought this as a big thank you for a friend who has gone the extra mile for me in difficult times recently. A box of chocolates seemed insufficient and lacking thought. But this was a whole chocolate pamper kit and I think she appreciated it. It just says thank you in a sincere and thoughtful way."

Best for gin lovers

Description

This one is for the pink gin lover in your life! This gorgeous Flagingo Pink Gin Hamper, displayed in a bamboo tray, includes a bottle of Flagingo Pink Gin, tonic water, scrumptious truffles and chocolates, and Cola Cube sweets. Perfect for Christmas and other special occasions throughout the year.

Customer review: "Bought as a gift for my parents, they loved it! Looked great when it arrived and they said the gin and treats were delicious."

Best classic Christmas hamper

Description

Not only does this hamper include the classics you expect from a Christmas hamper, but coming from Selfridges, your lucky recipient will know you meant business. They can kick start their Christmas feasts with a traditional Christmas pudding, festive blend tea and a biscuit selection in a musical tin. There's wine, too, and, a hanging bauble filled with salted caramel truffles.

Best for biscuit fans

Description

It's a Christmas hamper made entirely of biscuits! Perfect for those who love gingerbread at Christmas or those looking to buy a 'hamper' on a budget, this selection from Biscuiteers wins taste and novelty points. Inside the keepsake tin, they'll find nine delicious gingerbread biscuits expertly iced to look like hamper must-haves. From mince pies to tea, cheese to a Christmas cake.

Customer review: "Simply beautiful. These biscuits are my "go-to" for special gifts. Will keep coming back, oh and your delivery time is amazing at the moment."

Best gluten-free hamper

Description

If your loved one is gluten-free, they don't need to miss out on the finer things in life thanks to this hamper where a bottle of Tenuta Sconta White Prosecco is expertly matched with tasty treats ranging from gourmet fudge to olives.

Customer review: "Gluten free hamper, perfect as a congratulations for Neice for graduating, she was delighted to have a good selection of treats and I didn't have to worry that she wouldn't be able to have any of the products. Great to find that those will allergies can still get a little luxury."

Best Christmas hamper FAQs

What is in a traditional Christmas hamper?

If you are buying a specific Christmas hamper, you will usually find the following inside:

• Christmas pudding
• Confectionary such as chocolates or sweets
• Biscuits
• Cheese
• Mince pies
• Preserves including jam and chutneys
• Wine or tea, coffee, and hot chocolate

However as you'll see from our round-up above, there are so many different types of hampers available so you can really hone into someone's interests.

Are Christmas hampers good value?

This depends on what you get in them! The best Christmas hampers are generally good value for what you pay for but with others, it would be cheaper to buy bits individually yourself so it's always worth quickly working out the total cost of the contents of the hamper you are considering.

Don't forget the actual hamper, too, as many you can reuse for picnics or storage.

Features & Reviews Editor Emily Gilbert has been a journalist since 2016 and has worked across a variety of specialist and lifestyle brands both in print and online. Specialising in product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases, her favourite being gadgets for the home.

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