The Best Advent Calendars & Hampers in the UK

And they're not all chocolate! But most are. 😅 Did you expect any different?

This morning I was at the unveiling of the 2024 Claridge’s Christmas Tree in collaboration with Sir Paul Smith and I love that they’ve reverted to a more traditional tree.

This photo looks like it was taken in 1983 (earlier?) because I couldn’t get my camera to focus, but it feels kind of fitting. Many of the baubles “have had a life before” as the designer told us and the 100+ birdhouses covering the tree are all unique. If you go, see if you can spot the Strictly Come Dancing themed one with the glitter ball.

They even consulted an ornithologist to choose a birdsong track that will play continuously with birds that could theoretically use the birdhouses if it wasn’t inside Claridge’s striking foyer. It’s the good kind of birdsong, very soothing and with modulated volume so it sounds like you’re really in a beautiful woodland.

I got my first mince pie of the season and a small bag of Sir Paul’s favourite sweets. I’m not sure about the gummy carrots, but I was into the sour ones. I didn’t take a photo but here’s another blurry image: a screenshot from the video I took (sorry about appalling images this week…). The sour gummies are top right. If anyone knows what they’re called, please do let me know. The carrot ones are in the small bowl in front. I should clarify they do not taste of carrot.

And a chance to wear these pink trousers 😁:

Now, calling this Advent Calendar and Hamper list “The Best” is kind of annoying because I obviously haven’t come across all of the hampers and advent calendars, but I wanted you to open this so … 🙃

Did it work? (feel free to tap that ❤️) 😘

And I’m pretty sure that this is still a great and comprehensive list! Especially when it comes to chocolate…

I haven’t set eyes on everything I’ve listed here, but I know and love all of the businesses for other products, so I wanted to bring their Christmas offerings to your attention.

The last few are behind a paywall because I was persuaded (by people who are not currently paying subscribers) that I should finally follow through on my plans announced a year ago to keep more of my recommendations for paid subscribers.

I wouldn’t necessarily say you need to access the final few, but it includes the two I’ve personally bought this year and, if you become a paid subscriber now, then you’ll get next week’s Paris email with recent openings - and my all time favourites - in your inbox. Given Paris has a boulangerie/patisserie on every corner and I’ve been to more than 80 in the last 26 months (and more in the 15+ years prior), it might be helpful to have this list of the ones I’ve loved the most to keep forever?

Up to you!

One more thing before I get to this year’s recommendations: here’s a link to the last time I wrote about Advent Calendars, in 2022.

Yes, I’ve been writing every single week, or twice if I missed one, for well over two years now. Thanks for being here!

---

---

If you want more details, click above, but here’s a list of the ones I featured then that are back this year and I would still recommend (though some may be sold out now):

(They’re all chocolate except the last one.)

• Gabriella Cugno

• Luisa Vegan Chocolates

• Chocolatia (Scotland)

• Little House Dorset

• Eponine Chocolaterie & Patisserie

• Chococo (100% plastic free, all 25 chocolates are different in the classic Advent, there’s also a plant based and alcohol free option, plus they also have excellent stocking fillers and hampers, one which comes in a durable, recycled canvas tote that’s produced in India by a local social enterprise that gives employment to marginalised people, especially widows).

• Popham’s Bakery (vouchers to be used by the end of February 2025 - great for locals)

If you’re a paid subscriber you’ll be able to comment (I wish there was a way to paywall content without also locking the comments, but so far there’s not).

And here are the additional British Advent Calendars and Hampers for 2024:

And one new chocolate that doesn’t fit into either but is delicious:

Miche Crumb chocolate bar by Twelve Triangles bakery and Ocelot

Twelve Triangles have just launched this Miche Crumb chocolate bar in collaboration with Scottish chocolatiers Ocelot Chocolate. The bar combines Original Beans 70% Virunga dark chocolate with miche crumb, made using crumbs from Twelve Triangles' miche loaf, which are then toasted and coated in brown butter, honey, malt and salt and caramelised in the oven. 

That corner broke as a I took it out of the wrapping. You can still see it - I waited to try it, honest.

For now, it’s available exclusively on Delli and in-store at Twelve Triangles' bakeries in Edinburgh. 

(This was a PR gift which I accepted because I knew I’d love it and I did!)

📌 Twelve Triangle have eight locations in and around Edinburgh listed on their website here.

Like Luisa’s in the list from 2022, this is another fully vegan Chocolate Advent Calendar:

Karen of Tempt Chocolates in Devon has a low-key, minimal-environmental-impact box of little numbered bags filled with treats.

Items in the box individually would cost more than the total of the box (£42.50). She makes her own vegan milk and white chocolate using a mix of macadamias and oats - and cocoa butter, of course.

Another low environmental impact option

Exe Chocolate has their cute advent calendar as little envelopes containing their excellent bean to bar chocolate mini bars strung on bunting. (£24.95)

XO Chocolate

As I told you last week, this Wimbledon chocolate business has just opened in Fitzrovia. I stopped in to have a hot chocolate with owner Rob. The shop is small but stunning.

They’re offering a 24 day advent calendar, too:

https://xochocolate.co.uk or in their shop. (£40)

📌 35 Riding House St, London, United Kingdom W1W 7EA

🚆 Oxford Circus

(The Wimbledon store is under renovation at the moment.)

Chocolate Options by The Chocolate Tree

You will know by now I have a lot of love for this Scottish, family-run company.

These beautiful little drawers are filled with chocolates made using their bean to bar chocolate. Available in classic, vegan and alcohol-free versions.

I was delighted to see that one of their chocolates uses whisky from Nc’Nean which was my favourite of the 12 or so whiskies I tried last week at The World Whisky Experience and had been planning to tell you about!

Might as well do it now!

Nc’Nean Whisky

The prefix “Nc” is the feminine version of “Mc” which means “of”. So McDonald is “of Donald”. Shame Nc is not used for surnames with the same frequency as Mc…

This Scottish whisky business was founded by Londoner Annabel Thomas. The name is a (somewhat) anglicised spelling of the Gaelic goddess, “witch-queen” or “queen of fairies”, Neachneohain (they say it’s pronounced Nook-knee-anne).

The story of this mythical woman is that she is a fierce protector of nature, walks her own path and gathers wanderers under her banner. I like her already.

The distillery is 100% organic with every decision made under the guide of sustainable practices. It’s 100% powered by renewable energy and they don’t use the bad-for-the-environment peat in any of their whiskies. It became a B Corp in 2022.

They also offer all-expenses paid internships for distilling to two women every summer. (Can I go?)

I also tried their two seasonal, limited edition whiskies, but their signature was the one I was most impressed by. I should clarify: I don’t drink much or often and when I do I wouldn’t choose whisky, but I think it pairs brilliantly with chocolate so I love to try it.

Find out more about NcNean here.

You can get The Chocolate Tree’s brilliant calendar here:

https://www.choctree.co.uk/product/advent-calendar (£49.95 but it’s 580g)

If you want to spend a little more

Birley Bakery have a very elegant red and gold calendar that contains 24 for chocolates for £75. A few years ago they gave me one of their panettone for Christmas. I took it all the way to Australia and we all loved it.

Clearly made for a mantelpiece. It’s a decoration in itself.

More chocolate calendars and hampers later in this email but I’ll divert first to:

Some non-chocolatey hampers:

Spanish-themed

I first met Jose Pizarro over 15 years ago, not long after he opened his first wine and tapas bar in Bermondsey. He was incredibly welcoming to bloggers which was unusual in those days. As I’ve crossed paths with him over the years it’s clear that he is just incredibly kind to everyone he meets. A true gem.

He’s put together a few hampers, mostly of Spanish cheese, charcuterie and wine. There’s also this one with cava and chocolate-covered figs (a gift from the PR). The chocolate coating is not in the same category as most in this list, but not all of you are as particular about chocolate as I am and I can still enjoyed them!

Greek & Mediterranean-themed

I love Odysea products and have many on my shelves. If you’re not hosting Christmas this would be the perfect gift for a host who loves food, especially the Luxury Pantry hamper with olive oil, olives, balsamic, preserved lemons, pomegranate molasses, roasted peppers, semi-dried datterini tomatoes and an organic cotton apron. There are also mezzo and party hampers if you are hosting.

British-themed

The British Hamper Company has been around nearly a decade but I only just learnt about them at the Speciality Fine Food Fair this year. I wrote about them here but to say again, what I loved was that they source each product from carefully selected British producers and tell their story on the packaging.

I haven’t been sent one of these either so another website-borrowed photo....

All the hamper options here and have shipping options for 50+ countries worldwide. Perfect for your Anglophile friends or family.

Nordic-themed

Lakrids for liquorice lovers

The advent calendars are sold out online but might be available in their retail stores or stockists. The smaller one contains two pieces per day and the larger has four. You could still create a hamper for a liquorice lover. I prefer the traditional, slow-crafted liquorice.

You can find stockists across the UK and Europe here. From £45.

---

Some calendars for the kids

Thankfully so far I’ve found my now-five-year-old is delighted as much - if not more - by simple things as she is by fancy things. Last Christmas she all but ignored the very expensive bike we got her (even second hand, man 🤯) for the (also second hand) dress up clothes.

A quick interlude for a lovely kids’ Winter activity idea

I’m still shocked that ten days ago Maya queued with me for 55 minutes, without complaint, to go into the bake sale raising money for the East London Chinese and Kurdish community centres that I wrote about here and called it “the best day ever”.

We were too late for basically everything, except the music and the activity of stuffing cloves into apples, so we stayed for that and, apparently, that was what made it the best day ever.

So, for any of you with small kids: all you need is some apples and a packet of cloves. They could be hung from string to make your house smell amazing. Or take the cloves out after a few hours and eat the apple - it’s delicious (I wouldn’t recommend leaving in too long). One word of warning: it can be a little painful pushing those cloves in! It’s probably best for 5-10 year olds.

Let me know if you try it!

For my sometimes-easy-to-please kid: I picked up this advent calendar below. It’s inexpensive, fun and felt right for her first one (oops), plus it’s one we can take on the plane when we fly off on the 17th! (More on that next week.)