From Harvey Nichols to IMP&MAKER, from Moonpig to Whittard, here are the best Christmas food hampers for 2023.
For those of you looking to buy a gift for the whole family to enjoy together, I give you the Christmas food hamper. A wicker basket or gift box filled with an abundance of mouthwatering goodies - from sweet festive treats like mince pies to savoury favourites like cheese and crackers.
This year, choosing my favourite Christmas hampers has been a tough decision as there is a whole array on offer for 2023 including popular brands such as Whittard, Cartwright & Butler, and Fitzbillies. When selecting the best of the best for this roundup I have looked at hampers that include a huge variety, I’ve taken size into consideration with a selection of both small to the mighty and not forgetting how festive and non-festive these hampers are too.
As Food Editor on Goodto, I have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to compiling the best Christmas food hampers list - which I have been tasked with for many years now and have had the privilege of trying a range of different brands, products, and sturdy (or not so sturdy in some cases!) wicker baskets so I certainly know a thing or two when it comes to the best on the market. In this year’s roundup, I've chosen brands that I love, and the majority have been tried and tested firsthand this year with quality, quantity, and value for money in mind.
Recent updates
This article was updated on the 4th of December. We checked the prices of all the products featured in the article and updated some of the deals for accuracy.
Where to buy the best Christmas food hampers
- Amazon: A great range of hampers, gift boxes, and baskets to choose from
- John Lewis: New hampers for 2023 including gift boxes
- M&S: Bestsellers from last year as well as new and improved hampers for 2023
- Harvey Nichols: Indulgent food and drink hampers to choose from
- Selfridges: Luxury hampers and gift boxes new for 2023
Best Christmas food hampers for 2023
RRP: £85 | Delivery: Standard/Next day | Available: Now
For the Lindt chocolate lover in your life, I give you the jaw-dropping collection that is the Best of Lindt Collection Hamper. Before you even begin to rummage through and find out what's inside this gift box, you are taken aback by the mouth-watering smell of Lindt chocolate. This goodie box includes a generous amount from Lindor truffles to Nuxor milk chocolate to a Swiss luxury selection box. And what makes this hamper even better? You get to choose which Lindor chocolates are included in a personalised Pick & Mix. Choose from the classic milk chocolate Lindor truffles all the way through to pistachio, white, hazelnut, salted caramel - the list goes on and on and on. Sounds like fun, right? This gift box is epic and definitely one for sharing.
RRP: £60 | Delivery: Standard/Next day | Available: Now
Another chocolate favourite is Love Cocoa. This may not be a hamper as such, but it's a beautifully presented keepsake gift box packed with a festive selection of chocolates from the environmentally friendly chocolatiers at Love Cocoa. Now if the vibrantly designed packaging isn't enough to tempt you, the creamy smooth chocolate inside will. Choose from peppermint bark white chocolate, gingerbread dark, cranberry, and caramel milk chocolate (a personal favourite of mine which I may have eaten in one sitting - oops!), and a wonderful selection of boozy champagne truffles too. I'd say gift this one to the adults in your life, so they can truly appreciate each festive chocolate flavour.
RRP: £110 | Delivery: Nationwide/tracked 24 hour service | Available: Now
Think gooey chocolate brownies, sticky Chelsea buns, and buttery pastry-heavy mince pies - a freshly prepared gift box packed with an array of mouthwatering baked goods. The perfect collection to share and show off to friends and family as each treat was high quality and true to its flavour. It was so hard to choose a favourite when testing this gift box; the Chelsea bun Christmas tree was a serious showstopper that had an immense ‘wow’ factor - and flavour too! The chocolate brownies were super moreish, some with a hint of ginger, others topped with chocolate orange pieces, the Christmas cake was super moist, and the macarons were gone in minutes; beautiful, vibrant with a soft bite. It made me feel as though I was having a festive-themed afternoon tea banquet.
RRP: £70 | Delivery: Standard/Next day | Available: Now
Before you even dive into the contents of this box, I was blown away by the festive beauty of the gift box design - it's like a piece of Christmas artwork and certainly, a box you’ll want to keep to store your Christmas decorations in for years to come. Inside this wonderfully festive hamper is a great range of sweet and savoury products; from cranberry and orange shortbread which were unbelievably moreish with warming spice, crumbly cheese, and chilli shortbreads which made a perfect addition to our cheeseboard, almonds covered in dark chocolate, gingerbread fudge, caramelised onion chutney and much more. If you’re looking for a festive gift layered with classic Christmas flavours, this is your go-to.
RRP: £65 | Delivery: Standard/Next day | Available: Now
Hot chocolate lovers, I give you The Signature Hot Chocolate Hamper by Whittard. This hamper includes everything you need to make hot chocolate (minus the milk and whipped cream of course!). Think luxury hot chocolate powder, marshmallows, hot chocolate stirrers (which the kids loved - particularly the mini marshmallows) and not forgetting two hot chocolate glasses to serve your drinks in. The hamper itself is a really high-quality wicker basket with grey straps and a ‘trendy’ Whittard tag so you’d certainly want to keep and use it again in your home. Whittard’s Luxury Hot Chocolate powder was a firm favourite when it came to making hot chocolate - a really silky smooth hot chocolate powder that dissolved quickly in hot milk, it didn’t leave any lumps and tasted heavenly too.
RRP: £55 | Delivery: Nominated day | Available: Now
Before you even get to the contents of this hamper by Cheesegeek you are well and truly overwhelmed by the strong smell of cheese - in a good way! A really lovely selection of cheese, crackers, and preserves. The cheeses included are Swift; a gouda-style cheese, Eastwood; a soft, Brie-style cheese, Washington; a soft cheese washed in cider and Hendrix; a unique blue cheese. Each brought a dynamic flavour and taste to our cheeseboard. Paired with Captain’s crisp, rosemary-infused crackers and Rosebud Preserves tangy Piccalilli (perfect with the softer cheeses), this is a great choice for those who truly love cheese. The chunks of cheese you get in this are really generous - and with everything spread out on a cheeseboard, you’ve certainly got enough to feed around 6-10 people I’d say - depending on how much they like to eat cheese!
RRP: £54.50 | Delivery: Standard/Tracked delivery available | Available: Now
This small wicker hamper is full to bursting of sweet shop favourites and chocolate classics. Before you even start rummaging through the contents, you are greeted with the overpowering smell of sugar - and it's fantastic. A nostalgic, retro, and super fun alternative that the kids (and the big kids!) are just going to love this Christmas. A great variety of festive sweets, like Terry's Chocolate Orange Snowballs and Cadbury's Xmas Pud, and old-school favourites including Double Dip Original, Rainbow Drops, Flump, and sweet shop gummies such as bubblegum bottles and giant strawberries wrapped in red and white striped paper bags. I was completely overwhelmed by how much fits into this hamper too. The perfect trip down memory lane this Christmas.
RRP: £69 | Delivery: Free standard delivery | Available: Order now
I had my fingers crossed that this hamper would look exactly like its pack shot and it was spot on. A family hampers with something for every tastebud. Sweet lovers can try the unbelievably soft marshmallows by The Naked Marshmallow Co., indulge in velvety-smooth salted caramel milk chocolate buttons (which were so moreish - I just didn’t want to share them!), sweet chewy candy poles, Christmas tree biscuits with sharp snap of ginger in each bite (perfect with a cuppa), and crunchy caramel and chocolate covered popcorn by Joe & Seph’s. With a strong collection of products, it was pretty hard to choose a favourite however highlights for me included the creamy chocolate buttons (obviously), and my husband’s favourite; chocolate-covered coffee beans in milk, white, and dark chocolate.
RRP: £50 | Delivery: Standard/Next day | Available: Now
This hamper by Moonpig is hiding all sorts of wonderful treats that your loved ones are bound to appreciate this Christmas. Think melt-in-the-mouth Monty Bojangles truffles (I'm obsessed with Monty Bojangles, and these were heavenly!), crisp chocolate wafer rounds by Cartwright & Butler (another favourite of mine), Eternal Grocer dark chocolate coated shortbread, Buiteman sundried tomato biscuits, Filberts Rose harissa peanuts, and more. Priced at £50, I feel like it's a really nice hamper that has a good balance of both sweet and savoury products that are not overly festive either. Unfortunately, there is no fancy wicker basket to house everything, however, the amount you get and the variety of food make up for it. It’s a great, non-alcoholic option and would make it an indulgent choice for couples.
My pick of the best Christmas food hampers
Before I begin to break down what's included in this collection and why it's so great - I have a confession to make - the Cocoba Salted Caramel Chocolate Buttons were my favourite, I may have eaten and not shared the entire packet. Phew, glad I got that off my chest!
Other highlights, besides the salted caramel wonders, were the moreish Hawkens Gingerbread Christmas Tree Biscuits flavoured with stem ginger (and just perfect with a cup of tea), the Belazu Rose Harissa Nut Mix which went down a treat with the Silver and Green Paprika Chilli Olives at a family party, not to mention Joypots Chocolate Coffee Bean Selection, which my husband decided not to share (payback from me eating all the chocolate buttons maybe, who knows?!)
The only negative about this hamper is that it's not technically a hamper as the collection as a whole is delivered in a box padded with a rather large amount of natural wool insulation which I believe was specifically to keep the olives fresh, however, it was very unnecessary for the remainder of the products and left me with a large amount of packaging to dispose of.
Putting that to one side, the contents of this festive collection truly made up for it. It's the perfect gift box for sharing - and there really is something for everyone; from spiced nuts to vegan-friendly chewy sweets, to hot chocolate to paprika spiced olives. It's a little bit different from the rest, which is why I really like it.
The design and packaging on this Christmas gift box actually made me say ‘Wow’ out loud. Is it one of the most beautiful, eye-catching, festive designs I’ve seen so far this year. I felt like I was going to open it and see baubles and Christmas decorations stored inside ready to decorate the tree - it made me feel all warm and fuzzy and I flashed forward to Christmas Day.
The keepsake festive gift box wasn’t the only ‘Wow’ factor in this collection, as the contents of the gift box are just as impressive too layered with an array of Cartwright & Butler classics as well as festive favourites like mini mince pies, cranberry sauce, and gingerbread fudge. I had to dig through the hamper to find everything and putting it back was a no-go - everything was hidden and packaged so well so I ended up removing some of the stuffing to put things back in.
Highlights from this collection included the ridiculously shiny (how can you get chocolate that shiny?!) dark chocolate-covered almonds which were just wonderful, the subtly flavoured, creamy gingerbread fudge, and the punchy citrus flavour almond-topped mince pies, not to mention the lightly spiced cranberry and orange biscuits which were super moreish. The kids thoroughly enjoyed swishing the hot chocolate stirrer around a warm cup of milk, which we all shared and the cheese and chilli shortbread rounds went down well with a glass of wine as part of a larger cheeseboard selection.
If you’re looking for a hamper that ticks the festive box, has a good selection of both sweet and savoury foods, has good use-by dates, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg - this is the one for you.
Now I’ve never had a delivery from Fitzbillies before so I didn’t know what to expect. The first thing I was hit with was the smell of freshly baked goods - you know that sticky sweet smell that means there is going to be something extra tasty hiding inside. I was a tad disappointed that the Fitzbillies Christmas Day hamper didn’t actually come in a hamper or keepsake gift box however the contents of the collection completely outweighed that for me.
I don’t even know which product to begin with first as they were all so delicious in different ways. The assortment of brownies was the first to go; brought out at a family gathering and there was not a single crumb left. Of course, I kept three aside to thoroughly test (and enjoy!) and they were just delightful; gingerbread brownies, cranberry and chocolate orange brownies. The gingerbread brownies were just heavenly with a light brownie sponge, a rich chocolate flavour, and a subtle hint of ginger from the mini gingerbread man that sat on top. Super moreish and I was sad to see them all get eaten as I would have had a few more, to be honest.
The showstopper that completely blew me away was the massive Chelsea bun Christmas tree. It was incredible. A sticky sweet tear and share that went down a storm. Warmed in the microwave for a few minutes and they were even better. Other highlights included the crumbly heavy-on pastry mince pies and the vibrant, subtly flavoured macaroons (well, except the mint macaroon - that certainly packed a mint punch!).
All in all a really delicious collection from Fitzbillies that I was more than happy to share with family and more than happy to show off too as the products were super high quality and true to their flavours.
Take a serious trip down memory lane with this jam-packed hamper full of sweet shop favourites. Before I'd even dived into the contents of this hamper, I was overwhelmed by the sweet smell of chocolate, gummies, and all things covered in sugar and it was certainly a blast from the past well received.
It may be a small wicker hamper, but don't be deceived as good things come in small packages as this Christmas gift box is heaving with treats. I was actually shocked at how much came out of it, to be honest. An amazing collection, with something for the whole family including chewy sweets, popular chocolate bars, festive favourites, sweet shop classics in striped paper bags including Christmas trees, elves, penguins, giant strawberries - and so much more.
This has got 'teenage Christmas present' written all over it. However, saying that my sweet-tooth father-in-law would certainly be in his element with this hamper too. It's a niche one that's for sure, which is why I wanted to highlight it as one of my favourites for this year. It's nostalgic, it's retro, it's fun - and I just loved rummaging through finding some old-school favourites. It's a great sharing hamper that will last you well into the new year.
Think Double Dip Original, Peppermint Candy Cane, Rainbow Drops, Flump, Dairy Milk, Galaxy, Terry's Chocolate Orange Snowballs - the list truly does go on.
How we tested the best Christmas food hampers
Each Christmas food hamper that I had the pleasure of reviewing was tried and tested keeping the following criteria in mind:
The ‘Wow’ factor: When a Christmas food hamper is delivered to your door an element of excitement comes into play and you can’t wait to rip off the outer box and see what awaits you inside. The first thing you want to see is a thick, rustic wicker basket or a beautiful, elegantly designed gift box that you know you’ll want to keep for years to come. And on opening that hamper or gift box you want the lucky recipient to say ‘Wow!’ and be completely blown away by the generous produce or beautifully displayed products hidden inside. Each of the hampers in this roundup has been included because of their high ‘Wow’ factor status.
Quality: Now, the hamper may look the part but does it live up to expectations? Does it really include high-quality products worth sending to loved ones? Are these products really worth the money? Do they have good use-by dates that last beyond Christmas? Each of the hampers in this roundup has been included as they contain high-quality products that have been sampled firsthand by myself or the team at Goodto.com. Do keep in mind however that not all tastebuds are the same and preferences may vary depending on the person you’re buying for.
Quantity: How many products are included in the hamper? Are they big or small? Is there something for everyone? A mixture of sweet, savoury, any dietary requirements included? An impressive hamper doesn’t have to be filled to the brim with produce, however, if you’re paying a lot of money for a Christmas food hamper you want to make sure it contains a generous amount of products all in all. The hampers that we’ve included in this roundup are chosen as we feel they include a good amount of products in each, as well as a variety of products in each.
Value for money: Similarly to quantity, value for money is all about making sure the hamper is worth the money and worth the products inside. This year we have tried to keep our selection of hampers around the £100 mark and under as we know that Christmas can be an expensive time of year for most. The hampers that we have included in this collection all keep value for money in mind, with the prices reflecting the brand as well as the quantity of products included in each one. Oh, and the wicker basket too as that alone can cost a few bob.
Packaging: How are these hampers and gift boxes delivered? How much packaging before you even get to the hamper? Is it recyclable? Is it necessary? One of the things we’ve kept in mind for this year is the extra packaging. Now we know that most companies will send hampers in recyclable cardboard boxes, but some I’ve noticed over the years go a little bit over the top on the extras like bubble wrap or shredded paper before you’ve even got to the contents of the hamper. This year, our selection of hampers has been chosen as the extra packaging for these has been kept to a minimum without damaging the hamper inside.
Festive vs. non-festive: Another point we kept in mind when testing the best Christmas food hampers this year was whether the hamper was festive or non-festive and whether that made an impact on the overall hamper or not. Some people love Christmas and want to include in all the festive favourites like mince pies and mulled wine-flavoured tea, however, others would happily be satisfied with a classic hamper with shortbread biscuits and traditional ground coffee. We’ve included a variety of both for this year.
Christmas food hamper FAQs
How many items should ideally be in a hamper?
Depending on the size of your hamper, we'd recommend choosing small hampers with around 4-5 items, medium hampers tend to have 7-8 items, whereas large hampers tend to have 10 products or more.
Keep in mind the price when deciding if the hamper has enough products or not. Often the more expensive hampers, have more products.
If you want to take it one step further and work out whether the hamper is good value for money or not, you could divide the total price by the number of items in the hamper to work out how much they cost on average each. Keep in mind that a wicker hamper on its own is worth anywhere between £10-£60 depending on the branding and finish.
What is the difference between a gift hamper and a gift basket?
A gift hamper is a large wicker hamper which can be closed or fastened in some way to 'hide' all of the products inside. A gift basket tends to be an open basket, often wicker, where the products are displayed on the top either as they are or with cellophane wrap.
Both make excellent Christmas gifts - especially if you're looking for something the whole family can share and enjoy together.
How do you choose a gift hamper?
Know the recipient's likes and dislikes when choosing a gift hamper. The two main things to consider when choosing a hamper are: 1. Who is it for? And 2. How much do you want to spend? Once you know who you’re buying it for, you can narrow down your choices based on what that person likes and dislikes. And then you can decide on your budget and stick to it.
If you’re sending it to your grandparents, for example, keep in mind things like they only drink red wine, they hate mince pies but they love cheese and crackers, and there’s just the two of them. This will help you to decide that you need a small hamper with a variety of cheeses to choose from and crackers would be a good bonus too - it doesn’t have to contain loads of festive sweet treats, just savoury products.
Or if you’re sending to a large family who loves sweets and chocolates, you’ll want to opt for a big hamper with a large choice to choose from with plenty for everyone. Or you’re sending your neighbour a gift box with a mixture of both sweet and savory products as she loves trying new things and a hamper will allow her to indulge in foods she wouldn’t usually buy.
Know your recipient before you commit to a hamper - you don’t want to waste your money or send a disappointing gift that doesn’t get used and is wasted over the festive period.
"When buying a hamper think about how it will be enjoyed. In a busy houseful of celebrating relatives, a hamper full of important staples like Christmas pudding, cheese, or biscuits will go down well with the host. But for new parents or someone having a quieter Christmas, some truly indulgent festive treats like posh chocolates, rich chutneys, or a bottle of something special to drink will be very gladly received,” says Consumer Editor, Heidi Scrimgeour.
Are hampers a good Christmas gift?
Yes, hampers are a great Christmas gift. Hampers are the perfect gift for any special occasion - be it Christmas, birthdays, a new baby, graduation, moving day… the list goes on. A hamper is a great chance for the lucky recipient to indulge in products they wouldn’t usually buy or eat on a regular basis. It allows people to try new things or embrace foods they love. Hampers are luxury, indulgent gifts perfect for gifting to a group of people in one go as they contain a variety of different products that can be shared among a family.
"No matter the occasion, a hamper is always a lovely gift. Hampers are practical yet extravagant and make the lucky recipient feel spoiled - the perfect present," says Heidi.
Looking for more Christmas food and gift inspiration? From the most popular Christmas foods consumed on Christmas Day to the best mince pies to buy this year, we've got you covered. Not to mention our best turkey taste test - including where to buy your Christmas turkey this year, as well as the best Christmas cake, best Christmas desserts, and best Christmas puddings for 2023 too.
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