Christmas is a time that many of us look forward to. It is a time when families and friends get together and enjoy good food and good company. We also show our appreciation and love for others by giving them presents, but the task of finding gifts can be a daunting one for many. You are often left with a conundrum about what to get for people. Fortunately, then, you can’t go wrong with Christmas hampers. They contain a little bit of everything to suit everyone’s tastes and preferences and are sure to go well with the excited recipients.
Food is the first thing on many people’s minds during the festive season, and while throughout the year you may have been watching what you eat, the Christmas period is perfect for indulging and enjoying great food. You can never have too much food at Christmas as when you invite your friends and family round you’ll have plenty of hungry mouths to feed. There are few things better than staying in the warm and tucking into some tasty food and a few drinks to boot, which is well worth bearing in mind when doing your Christmas shopping.
A Christmas hamper really is the perfect present. Just like when you’re tearing the wrapping paper off your presents, with a hamper you get that feeling of anticipation that’s at the heart of this time of year. Think about what the recipients of the hamper you send will be feeling. They will be excited when an interesting box arrives and they get to rummage around in the hamper and see what they find. This is all before they even get to consume the food and drink in the hamper, making the receiving of one a really grand occasion.
Once you’ve decided to purchase a hamper for one of your close friends or members of your family, you’ll have a large selection of Christmas hampers to choose from. These range in what they contain, and while some will have a little bit of everything in them, some will be more specific and targeted to a certain consumer. These are perfect if you have someone particular in mind who is a cheese and wine connoisseur, for example.
No Christmas would be complete without a wedge or two of cheese and why not celebrate the best of British cheese? A really creamy British cheese such as a Colston Bassett Stilton is the ideal way to end afternoon tea and goes perfectly with oatcakes and chutney, both of which can be included in a Christmas hamper. To ensure that your cheese board is of the very highest quality, a bottle of dessert wine is also included to complement the cheese and round off your final course.
If you’re looking to give a really luxurious gift you can make a Christmas hamper that little bit more special by including some Beluga caviar among the goodies. Christmas only comes around once a year and it’s most certainly a time to treat yourself and your loved ones, and when it comes to food there are few things that are as exclusive as caviar, which is perfect for a one-off occasion.
Beluga caviar is sourced in the Caspian Sea and is the most expensive type of caviar available. If you gave this to someone they would feel truly special and any foodie would greatly appreciate the gift. It’s so exclusive because the Beluga sturgeon takes 20 years to mature and is in fact pretty rare, so there have been some restrictions on exportation in recent years.
Two years ago a sizeable amount of Beluga caviar was confiscated by Italian custom officers. An amount of caviar that weighed about 40kg and was valued in the region of £370,000 was found in hidden in the cargo of two couriers from Poland. The caviar was then distributed to poor people in Milan via canteens, hospices and shelters, giving many in Milan a Christmas to remember. The same could be said for anyone that you give Beluga caviar to as a gift this Christmas.
It’s traditional to have caviar during the festive season and there is no better time to enjoy gourmet food. If you haven’t had caviar before or are planning to give some in a hamper to a fellow caviar novice, then it may be worth giving them a taster. A little pot is a great addition to a luxurious Christmas hamper and the recipient will be pleasantly surprised when they find that hidden in their present!
If you’re looking for something that is as luxurious as caviar but not as expensive and doesn’t have such a distinct taste, then salmon caviar might just be perfect. Salmon caviar is very delicately flavoured and will be to the taste of fish fans. If you are buying a gift for a fish fanatic, then a Christmas hamper with wild smoked Scottish salmon and caviar is sure to go down well. Add a bottle of Champagne and you’ll do well to find a Christmas gift that is as luxurious.
Champagne or sparkling wine is always a good gift idea as Christmas is a time when most people are looking to celebrate. Few hampers are complete without a bottle of wine and can be enjoyed with the rest of the food in the box. The bottle of wine in the hamper might just decide which selection of goodies you go for and depend on whether the recipient of the hamper is a fan of white, red, rosé or sparkling wine.
Whatever hamper you decide to send someone, you can always be safe in the knowledge that when they’ve finished eating and drinking all the goodies inside, they still have a nice hamper. The recipient of your gift can then use this when the weather gets a little bit warmer and embark on a walk in the countryside and stop off for a picnic. After all, a hamper isn’t just for Christmas!