2024’s best Christmas hampers for true food lovers

The Tinned Fish Market Borough Hamper

The Tinned Fish Market offer a range of gorgeous hampers, but this one would have to be our pick: it’s a bundle of tinned fishy joy, including succulent smoked sardines, flash grilled salmon and razor clams in brine. Then there’s barbecued cod in olive oil, sardines in spicy tomato sauce, and a delicacy the recipient may not have tried: monkfish liver (trust us, that stuff’s special!). Plus so much more. Tinned food is classy now and that’s just the truth. Available from The Tinned Fish Market (£150).

Lebnani Luxe Beirut Hamper
You know those hampers with tiny jams and straw packaging filling up half the space? The Luxe Beirut Hamper from Lebnani is decidedly not one of those hampers. This box from the popular Lebanese restaurant in Surrey is stuffed to the brim with full-size jars and bottles of Lebanese wine, fragrant orange blossom water, olive oil and much more. All the building blocks of Lebanese cuisine are here, including creamy tahini, pomegranate molasses, a big tub of the restaurant’s zaatar spice mix and sumac. Fragrant pistachio baklawa were irresistible with a strong coffee – the crisp pastry drenched in just the right amount of syrup. Available from Lebnani (£75).

Eataly’s Discover Eataly Hamper
This from Eataly is a perfect balance of treats, covering breakfast foods, sweet treats and storecupboard staples. Unexpected highlights are their incredibly fruity apricot jam (clearly made with top quality fruit – we could not stop eating it), a giant jar of anchovies to last well into 2025, exceptional pasta and tinned tomatoes, and a jar of their top selling incredibly moreish pistachio paste. Also inside is a bottle of brilliantly grassy extra virgin olive oil made with nocarella olives (the fat, verdant ones you’ll find on every restaurant menu), balsamic vinegar and a box of cantucci biscuits and Baratti & Milano chocolates. Any cook in your life will be over the moon with one of these hampers, and if you’re lucky you’ll get to enjoy the delicious dinners made with these ingredients too. Win-win. Available from Eataly, (£99.90).

Selfridge’s Alcohol-Free hamper

If you’re treating someone who doesn’t drink, Selfridge’s Alcohol-Free hamper is a wonderful option. Highlights are the pistachio and white chocolate biscuits (wow), and their always-great Turkish delight, but you’ll also find wonderful cinnamon and chocolate almonds, choc truffles, a booze-free Christmas pud (nice touch), jam selection, festive tea and spiced orange hot chocolate. Available from Selfridges (with international delivery) (£150).

DELLI’s Start Here Box

At just £25, this mini hamper from DELLI – the app on which you’ll find food products made by independent producers – is one of the best value hampers available this year. But it’s not just because it’s inexpensive that you should consider it, the hamper includes exceptional products such as the incredibly chewy and satisfying homemade noodles from Yang’s Noods, a fantastic peanut butter from Two Nods Nut butter, and a sustainable cold-pressed olive oil from Honest Toil. Also inside are a jar of harissa from Lamiri Harissa that’ll pep up many a winter stew, and sourdough crackers from Happy Place Provisions for all those cheeseboards this year. The Start Here Box is a great one for anyone keen to try new things, but especially for peanut butter and noodle fans. Available for purchase in the DELLI app, nationwide, on Android and iOS (£25).

Rare Tea Co Women in Tea Gift Set

For tea fans, this set of four loose leaf teas from Rare Tea Co highlights specialist blends from female owned or championed tea farms. Included are a Lemon Blend from farmers in Sri Lanka and Malawi (which only make a small amount so the tea is very rare); the Lost Malawi; Indian Cloud Tea from the foothills of the Himalayas (which tastes exceptionally refreshing); and the Genmaicha from a single farmer called Mrs Morichui San in Japan. Available from Rare Tea Co (£49.95).

Ottolenghi Christmas Mini Hamper

A beribboned box of freshly made goodies from the Ottolenghi shops. The treats inside are ideal for grazing on those in-betweeny days at Christmas. There are thick slabs of dark chocolate brittle loaded with pistachios and sour cherries to share in front of a classic Christmas film. Sweet and salty rosemary-spiced nuts and punchy lemon and chilli olives to nibble with cocktails. Pecan snowballs and buttery snowflake biscuits that taste homemade (in case you need to pretend when guests pop round). The only question is, are you prepared to share them? Available to pre-order from Ottolenghi (£50; delivery from 28th November – 20th December).

Dishoom Culinary Hamper

For the family member who loves to cook curries from scratch. This hefty hamper from much-loved restaurant group Dishoom includes a large tin of 12 spices and masala blends (open the lid for a blast of fragrance – these are not dusty-old supermarket spices). There’s a copy of the Dishoom cookbook, organic cotton tea towel and tin of loose-leaf chai. The recipient can light the vanilla and sandalwood incense, sip a cup of heady chai and sink into a cosy armchair while they plan which recipes to make (name a better Twixmas activity). Available from Dishoom (£90).

Macknade’s Christmas Favourites hamper

If you’re looking to support a smaller business with your hamper choice this year, this from Macknade is a great pick. Inside the traditional wicker hamper from the Kent food hall is a wealth of treats. Expect great quality mince pies and panettone, cherries in kirsch (deeply fruit and great for cocktails and puds), nuts flavoured with pigs in blankets, marron glace, brandy butter, crackers, potted stilton, port, chutney, two of Macknade’s own Great Taste Award winning Christmas puddings. To top it all off? A glorious bottle of Pierre Mignon champagne. This is ideal as a gift for the season as it contains great quality versions of all the classics of Christmas. Available from Macknade (£150).

Black Mountain Smokery hamper

It was the award-winning smoked chicken that drew us in initially, closely followed by the smoked duck and fish – ingredients it’s great to have on hand for impromptu salads, sandwiches and snacks of the highest order. The Taste For Two hamper also includes a jar of dill sauce (epic with smoked fish on blinis or rye bread for a quick canape) and hedgerow port jelly (cheeseboard heaven). Available from Smoked Foods (£58.75).

Panzer’s Christmas Connoisseur hamper

This gorgeously packaged hamper from Panzer’s deli in London’s St John’s Wood is available for nationwide delivery. It arrives in a sleek green box with beautiful striped ribbon tie, and inside are a wealth of goodies. Highlights are Panzer’s own handcut smoked salmon and Nana Lily’s Christmas cake, but you’ll also find a cracker selection, a Lancashire bomb cheese, bottle of port, Cropwell Bishop Stilton, nut selection, and another of our favourites: a gorgeous bar of Italian milk gianduja and hazelnut chocolate. There are dark chocolate truffles too. Treat someone you know will love it or buy one for yourself and divvy up the treats to friends. Available from Panzer’s (£179).

Odysea’s Kew Gardens Hamper

Odysea’s Kew Gardens hamper is excellent: for £90 the recipient will enjoy pomegranate harissa, morello cherry compote, preserved figs, conservolia olives, Greek extra virgin olive oil, apple balsamic vinegar and more. We love the unusual uses of seasonal apples, and these products make for a very easy festive spread: just add bread! A lovely partnership with the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Available from Odysea (£90).

Iberica’s Spanish Icons hamper

This hamper offers the best snacks from Spain, including of course, Serrano ham, incredibly succulent Guijuelo chorizo, and semi-cured Manchego that packs a punch. Also inside you’ll find olives, quince paste, and those diddy and delightful breadsticks which are so often served with your cerveza at tapas restaurants. A top quality bottle of Rioja is also inside, so this treat will please any fan of Spanish food, offering lots to snack on throughout the festive season. Available form Iberica (£56).