Christmas Hamper Guide


Creating the perfect luxury hamper can be a task in itself, however, with 35 years of experience, we have written a guide to walk you through everything you need to know.

What can I use instead of a hamper basket?
	While a traditional wicker hamper basket adds an element of luxury to a gift, you may be either struggling to source one or might just prefer something a little different to make your gift feel more homemade. Either way, we have some ideas of what you can use to create a beautiful hamper gift without using a hamper basket! - Take an old shoebox and cover it in gift wrap - A woven jute bag - Old wooden crates add a rustic feel and can be wrapped with ribbons and battery-powered fairy lights for a cosy Christmas effect - A Plant Pot - Gardening gift hampers will look extra special arranged into a small or large pot depending on the size of your hamper
What do you fill the bottom of a gift basket with?
	Line your gift basket with thick padding to prevent any breakages and to help with arranging/positioning the items. Some ideas are; shredded tissue paper, foam balls, straw, gift wrap, felt or a tea towel. The choices you make for the basket and filling will affect the look and feel of your gift so make sure you know what sort of gift you are wanting to create.
What to put in your hamper?

It's time to start filling your hamper now! Think about who your gift is going to and what they enjoy. Do they have any hobbies? Any dietary or lifestyle requirements that you may need to consider if doing a food hamper? Sending a Christmas hamper with fresh foods? Remember that perishable items like cheese, fish and meat need to stay between 5-8 degrees and can only sustain a couple of days out of the fridge so remember to get fast delivery! At Hay Hampers our perishable hampers are all sent with next day delivery to ensure food is delivered fresh and meets all health & safety requirements.

A Christmas Treat Hamper

'Tis the season to be jolly and enjoy the finer things in life. Make a gift hamper brimming with festive delights, from traditional to unique. With such a wide array of Christmas food and drink to choose from, the options are endless with how to fill your thoughtful gift!
	Mince Pies A seasonal classic! Keep it traditional or maybe choose a different topping such as frangipane. Will they require vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free?	Christmas Pudding The light of the Christmas table! Another Christmas tradition loved by many as it fills the room with its festive aromas.	Chocolates Luxurious truffles, creamy filled chocolates, coated almonds or hazelnuts. Choose from dark, milk, white, blonde or give them the full selection if they're complete chocoholics!	Biscuits Traditional shortbread, soft chocolate chip cookies, spiced gingerbread or chewy florentines. Christmas always contains a good biscuit tin!	Cheese and Preserves Add a savoury touch with cheeses, crackers, chutneys and piccalilli. A small cheeseboard to share in the evening with their friends and family.	Drinks Soft drinks, alcohol, tea and coffee. A mellow red wine to accompany the cheese and chocolate or a fine tea to dunk the biscuits into.

A Movie Night Hamper For The Whole Family To Enjoy

As the TV guide fills up with more and more Christmas films, both adults and children alike are excited to relax and cosy up with some good snacks. Gifting a movie hamper also gives your recipient moments of pure bliss to unwind and enjoy the old classics and new releases. We recommend filling your gift basket with;
	Crisps Salted tortilla crisps with a tangy salsa dip or how about something a little different like these Sweet Chilli Crisps	Chocolate Selection Let them choose from a selection. Filled with caramel or cream, white, dark, milk or blonde, let them find their favourites	Nuts Sweet or savoury, add a mixture; spicy, salty, honey-coated	Festive Treats Essential for any Christmas film viewing. Mince pies, stollen bites, gingerbread men and candy canes	Popcorn A Mixture of sweet, salty and unique flavoured popcorns	Sweets Chewy, boiled, fizzy, sour, the options are endless!


A Cheese Lovers Dream

Delight any cheese lover with a savoury hamper that is brimming with everything they need for the perfect cheeseboard. You could even include a cheeseboard in the hamper or use it as the base of your gift basket. Here’s what we recommend for the perfect cheese hamper…

	A selection of cheeses Our favourites include soft and earthy Brie, mature stilton, smoky cheddar, strong blue Shropshire and creamy double Gloucester to name just a few!	Crackers Seeded, cracked black pepper, oatcakes or plain are perfect for topping with their favourite cheeses.	Chutneys A sweet onion chutney helps to bring out the flavours in the milder cheeses while a sharp piccalilli helps to cut through the flavours of stronger cheeses.	Nuts & Crisps The perfect snacks to nibble and crunch on the side. We love the flavour range of the Taste Of Game crisps.	Extras Complete their perfect cheese board with things like a jar of pickled onions, local honey, olives and cured meats.	Wine Add an extra touch of indulgence and create a sophisticated wine and cheese hamper.


Need More Hamper Ideas?	A Hot Chocolate Hamper A warming hug in a mug! Nothing is more comforting than a luxurious hot chocolate on a winters evening. We recommend... - An indulgent hot chocolate powder - Mini marshmallows for decoration - A syrup such as caramel, hazelnut or vanilla - A small bar of chocolate to grate on top - Biscuits for dunking! - A large mug		A Dinner Hamper Choose a theme for them such as Mexican or Italian and give them all they need to create a delicious dinner. For a tasty Italian hamper, we recommend… - Traditional pasta - A versatile sauce such as tomato and basil - Fresh herbs such as oregano - Pecorino cheese to grate on top - Cured meats such as chorizo, salami or pepperoni		A Tea and Coffee Hamper For those who appreciate a fine tea or can't live without their morning coffee. We recommend... - Luxury coffee - Loose-leaf tea - Coffee syrups - Coffee mugs - Biscuits - Cookies


So there you go, lots of ways to create the perfect Christmas hamper. However, if you would prefer to simply shop for a ready-made hamper, we specialise in luxury hampers and offer a range of over 350 hamper gifts. From Champagne and chocolates to Craft beer and artisan cheese hampers. Shop Now> Explore our range of Christmas hamper UK options, including the finest food Christmas hamper offerings, to find the perfect gift this holiday season. Check out How to Make the Perfect Christmas Hamper.