Fabulous chocolate hampers from Chocolate Trading Co
It’s getting to that time of year when I get inundated with emails about hampers, and I often wonder who buys them. There’s the big corporate buyers, and I would think that a good hamper would be well received by many people. Even if you didn’t get the whole hamper, everyone on a team could get a share. Which you couldn’t say about the linen bedsheets I got given one year by a supplier, but that’s a whole different story.
I think there are the hamper that supplement your Christmas eating, or stock up your cupboards for January. You see these quite often with people like Park, or Webb Ivory. I have to say that browsing the Park website I was horrified at the Kids Treat frozen food hamper. Put it this way, I don’t think they’d get Jamie Oliver to endorse it. But you could put something like this together yourself, and I can picture my mum doing this for my grandparents. You can do stuff someone loves, or something they might have been wanting to try, or any theme you can care to choose.
And then there’s the stuff that’s just a great foodie indulgence, and there’s just so much variety around now, of every theme and price tag. There are so many choices, and I’m not going to list the obvious ones (if you’ve got the money for Harrods, you don’t need to be reading this) but here’s some thoughts from me on where to go and what I’d be looking at:
Chocolate Trading Co – some serious hampers for the serious chocolate lover. You can create your own, or there are some good selections already there including dark chocolate and organic chocolate. Or, if it’s only the chocolate that needs to be seriously good, then you could try the Fun & Funky hamper.
FunkyHampers.com - kind of does what it says on the tin! I would say this is not so much for the foodie, but a gift for someone difficult to choose for! Not just for Christmas, as they do great new home and new baby hampers. They are quite chocolate based but are good quality choc and nice accessories, not tat.
Ethical Superstore – a good stop for green foodies, the hampers here cover fair trade, organic and eco-friendly options. I like the Taste Of options, which include Italian, Indian and African versions. For the party animals though, I might be tempted to choose the Beer’n'Nuts Party Pack!
The Fish Society – if I had to fill my freezer up, then I’d choose to do it with fish, and The Fish Society have some great options. There are everyday versions, but if it’s for Christmas than have a look at the luxury version, which includes turbot and Dover sole, or the smoked fish version with smoked tuna as well as the more usual smoked salmon.
London Fine Foods Group – this is real foodie’s territory! I would say this was ideal hunting ground for fabulous stuff to make up a hamper with a difference for a real gourmet. I also really love the Cheese Towers, perfect for a cheese lover. Mind you, I always wanted to send a whole Iberian Ham on the bone, just to see their faces as they tried to guess what it was!
TeaWorld – for a country of tea lovers, this could be the perfect choice, but not if you’re after just your average cup of builders. There are easy tea gifts and more connoisseur selections, covering all kinds of tea from Liquorice through to chais and herbal teas.
Pong – this is a great place for cheese lovers and experimenters. Again, pick your own or choose from gift boxes such as the Ultimate Pong Box or the Chef’s Selection. Not a long lasting gift, but very tasty whilst it lasts!
Needless to say I would think all the high street and grocers will offer versions of hampers in the run up to Christmas, but these are just a few to allow you to find something a little bit different for your gift choices this year. And I think the answer these days is yes, I possibly would buy a hamper. Just not one that involved turkey twizzlers.
