Everyone loves a Christmas hamper. There’s just something special about cracking open a wicker basket and delving into the treats inside. They also make brilliant gifts for those tricky people – neighbours, colleagues, great aunts – who languish at the bottom of your gift list because you’re just not sure what to get them.

The traditional Christmas hamper is, of course, full of classic festive foods. However, if mince pies aren’t really your thing, this year brands are offering a host of innovative hampers featuring everything from luxury beauty products to afternoon tea. Here’s our guide to the best luxury Christmas hampers for 2023.

Harvey Nichols Christmas Cheer hamper

If you’re lucky enough to receive Harvey Nichols’ Christmas Cheer hamper, you’ll know you’re on somebody’s good list. As the name suggests, inside you’ll find enough wine, spirits and liqueurs to restock your home bar for a whole festive season’s worth of parties, with fine mixers, bar snacks and fine pantry staples to see you all the way to spring. And isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

Full contents: Premier Cru Brut Champagne NV, Corbières Rosé 2021, Rouge Vin de Pays d’Oc 2021, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore NV Magnum, Prosecco Rosé NV, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore NV, Chianti Colli Senesi 2019, Crème de Cassis, Christmas Pudding Gin, Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur Mini, Premier Cru Brut Rosé Champagne NV, Premium Rioja Reserva 2015, 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Merlet Crème de Pêche de Vigne, Stellenbosch HN Ensemble 2019, Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc 2021, Premium Côtes de Provence Rosé 2021, Campari Bitter Liqueur, Premium Margaux 2018, Mendoza Torrontés 2021, Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Cucumber & Lime Tonic Water, Raspberry & Mint Tonic Water, Elderflower & Pomegranate Tonic Water, Orange & Lavender Tonic Water, Christmas Ground Coffee, Christmas Blend Teabags, 41% Milk Chocolate Bar – The Not Too Dark, Not Too Sweet One, Brandy Butter with V.S.O.P Cognac, Classic Christmas Pudding, Mini Pandoro, Cranberry & Orange Panettone, Dulce de Leche Panettone Grande, Pickled Purple Heritage Carrots, Boozy Chocolate Truffle Selection, Luxurious Christmas Crackers, Salted Nut Selection, Luxury Chocolate Coated & Filled Medjool Dates, Luxury Fruit & Nuts Selection Box, Really Chocolately Biscuits Carton, English Breakfast Teabags, Salted Caramel Truffles, Stripy Jelly Bears in a Jar, Rose & Pistachio Nut Butter, Turkish Delight, Crackers Assortment, Mini Balsamic Vinegar, Espresso Style Blend Ground Coffee, Everyday Tea Selection Pack, Chocolate Euphoria Centrepiece Collection, Chocolate-Dipped Fruit & Nut Selection Box, Cheddar Crackers

Christmas Cheer hamper, £1,250, harveynichols.com

Farmer J The Big Spender hamper

For Christmas with an international twist, look to Farmer J for hampers packed with exotic ingredients that will encourage them to explore new cuisines. The health food chain, which has 10 sites across London, is offering up some of its favourite locally-sourced and upscale ingredients in hamper form this Christmas with the pick of the bunch being, of course, the Big Spender. Inside they’ll find condiments, spices and snacks from around the globe, including ingredients from Korea, Yemen, Turkey, Japan and more, so they’ve no excuse not to cook up a gourmet feast.

Full contents: freekeh, dukkah, the full Farmer J spice range, shifka, harissa paste, green schug, tahini, chocolate tahini, medjool syrup, nojo, gochujang, soy sauce, Fatso red chocolate, Harry’s OG, white mausu

The Big Spender hamper, £150, farmerj.com

Lina Stores Christmas Collection hamper

Chances are they’ve already got the cranberry sauce and spiced cookies covered so why not get them something they’ll actually want to eat come 27 December with Lina Stores’ range of chic Italian hampers? Options include hampers themed around desserts, cheese, charcuterie, and confectionary but our pick for the bunch is the seasonal Christmas Collection hamper: a cacophony of fine ingredients and condiments designed to help you create some seriously good Italian feasts.

Full contents: Orecchiette Pasta, Tomato Passata, 8-Year-Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Baci di Dama, Mini Traditional Panettone, Mini Traditional Pandoro, Oregano Infused Limoncello, Lina Stores Tea Towel, Lina Stores Jute Bag

Christmas Collection hamper, £55, linastores.co.uk

Corney & Barrow Classics Mixed Case

What's a Christmas party without some fine wine? If you're looking to impress a host with your vino know-how (or feel daunted by the prospect of making your own selection for festive dinner parties and the Big Day itself), leave the hard work up to the experts with Corney & Barrow's range of Christmas cases. The Classics Mixed Case is a great all-rounder, featuring crowd-pleasing champagnes, Sauvignon Blancs, and Pinot Noirs alongside a few more unexpected bottles.

Full contents: 2 x Champagne Delamotte Brut NV, 2 x La Faite Blanc AOC Saint Mont Producteurs Plaimont 2017, 2 x Sauvignon Blanc Cakebread Cellars 2020, 2 x Pinot Noir Muddy Water 2018, 2 x L'Aurage 2016, 2 x Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour Domaine Labruyère

Classics mixed case, £295, corneyandbarrow.com

Panzer's Splendid Christmas hamper

This Jewish deli has become North London’s go-to for quality Christmas hampers over the past 75 years. Happily, the wonders of modern delivery methods mean you no longer need to be in the vicinity of St John’s Wood to sample the delights of its A Splendid Christmas hamper – a curation of the deli’s greatest gourmet hits, including champagne, panettone, smoked salmon and sticky toffee pudding.

Full contents: Ca La Dal Non Balsamic, Panzer’s Smoked Salmon, Pierre Mignon Brut Premier Cru Champagne, Felino Cabernet Sauvignon, Charcoal Briquette Cheddar Cheese, Cropwell Bishop Stilton, Red Cow Parmesan, The Fine Cheese Company Cracker Selection, Nana Lily’s Sticky Toffee Pudding, Panzer’s Luxury Mince Pies, Panzer’s Panettone, Grimaldi Toasted Hazelnut Bag, Nana Lily’s Cranberry & Port Sauce, La Molina Milk Gianduja Chocolate with whole hazelnuts

A Splendid Christmas Hamper, £330, panzers.co.uk

Fortnum & Mason Taste of Fortnums Hampers

Buying for a serious foodie? Fortnum & Mason is a one-stop shop for the finest festive treats. For 2023, it's offering doorstep delivery right up until Christmas Eve – perfect for that distant relative you always miss off your list. There are, of course, a multitude of hampers available but our favourite is the Taste of Fortnums: a quintessentially festive selection of teas, preserves, cakes and chocolates.

Full contents: Royal Blend tea, Afternoon Blend tea, mini fruit cake, Piccadilly milk chocolate coin tin, Earl Grey shortbread, strawberry preserve, Burlington breakfast marmalade

Taste of Fortnums hamper, £75, fortnumandmason.com

Cartwright & Butler Festive Food & Drink collection

Another fine British grocer supplying the capital with delectable festive treats, Cartwright & Butler's extensive range of Christmas hampers cover everything from artisan teas and cheeses to aperitifs and full-service gourmet collections. For a taste of everything the brand has to offer, we recommend opting for the lavish Christmas Food & Drink collection hamper which, quite literally, contains enough to see you through the New Year and beyond.

Full contents: Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial, Familia Traversa Chardonnay (Uruguay), Santa Alba Reserve Pinot Noir (Chile), Luxury Mince pies with brandy, Rum & Raisins Fudge, Boxing Day Chutney, Coffee Beans in Dark Chocolate, Mulled Wine Spice Bags, Spiced Orange & Cranberry Shortbreads, Sea Salted Caramel Truffles, Salted Caramel shortbread, Spiced Plum Preserve, Iced Christmas Round Cake, Cheese & Chilli Shortbreads, Hickory Smoked Almonds, Chocolate Wafer Rounds, Spiced Winter Blend Loose Leaf Tea Caddy, Café York Fine Blend Coffee, Cinnamon Drinking Chocolate, Sour Apple Sweets, Mint Chocolate Thins, Darjeeling Infused Parlour Gin, Fig Chutney, Lytton House Round Cheese Board & Slate (Acacia Wood), Finders Coffee & Chocolate Spiced Rum, Chocolate Brownie Biscuits, Acacia Honey with Comb, Olive and Garlic Wheat Flat Bread, Courvoisier VS Cognac, Christmas Pudding with Marzipan centre, Hot chocolate bombs, Ultra Thick Dark Chocolate Stem Ginger Biscuits

Christmas Food & Drink Collection, £750, cartwrightandbutler.com

Dukeshill Truly Magnificent hampers

Telford-based cured meat specialist Dukeshill held a Royal Warrant to supply hams to the Queen up until the time of her death (and retains a warrant for the HRH) so, if you’re buying for a carnivore, you know you’re in good hands. Accordingly, a St. George's ham weighing in at 4.5kg takes centre stage in its Truly Magnificent hamper and is accompanied by all the savoury trimmings imaginable. There’s also a whole host of biscuits, chocolates and sweet pies, plus bottles of champagne, chardonnay, port, pinot noir and more with which to wash everything down.

Full contents: St. George’s Boneless Ham, Sliced Oak Smoked Salmon Side, Colston Bassett Stilton, Montgomery’s Cheddar, Lord London Cheese, Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, Cote Hill Blue Cheese, Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, Proper Piccalilli Kilner, Cocktail Nuts, Damson Fruit Cheese, Boxing Day Chutney, Fig Chutney, Duck Liver Pâté with Cointreau, Gran Moravia & Chilli Sablés, Gran Moravia & Pistachio Sablés, Stilton & Almond Sablés, Sea Salt Thins, Cracked Black Pepper Crackers, Multi Seed Crackers, Extra Large Christmas Pudding, Very Special Christmas Cake, St. Clement’s Mince Pies, Almond Topped Mince Pies, Classic Mince Pies, Brandy Butter, Peaches in Brandy, Chocolate Covered Pecans, Handmade Scottish Shortbread, Extra Large Chocolate Selection, Turkish Delight Selection, Milk Chocolate Honeycomb, Milk Chocolate, Crunchy biscuit & Caramelised Pecan Mendiants, Dark Chocolate, Roasted Almonds & Ginger Mendiants, Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne, Beaune 1er cru Clos Des Marconnets, Pinot Noir 2016, Mersault Vieilles Vignes, Chardonnay 2018, Barolo del Comune di La Morra, Crissante 2018, Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas, Vintage Port 2004

Truly Magnificent hamper, £895, dukeshillham.co.uk

Bombay Bustle Flavours of Home hamper

Traditional holiday flavours aren’t everyone’s cup of mulled wine so, if you’re buying for a gourmand who won’t be impressed with mince pies and a wedge of stilton, Bombay Bustle has the perfect alternative. The chic Mayfair restaurant has teamed up with interiors firm Dandelion Living to curate a festive hamper that puts an Indian spin on the snacks, sweets and condiments found in more classic hampers. Complete with four gorgeous napkins, it also has your tablescape sorted too.

Full contents: Seersucker Dinner Napkins by Dandelion Living, Signature Lime & Chilli Chutney, Signature Garlic Pickle, Signature Carrot Pickle, Signature Chilli Papdi Gathia, Signature Murukku, Artisanal rose and pistachio flavoured chocolates, Corte Delle Calli Prosecco

Flavours of Home hamper, £85, bombaybustle.com

Harrods Knightsbridge Hamper

Harrods’ stellar Food Halls have undergone a major refurbishment over the past few years, with the last piece of the puzzle being an extravagant Chocolate Hall, which opened in 2021. To celebrate, the department store has curated a lavish hamper full of festive Food Hall delicacies, including Harrods’ signature Christmas pudding, shortbread, champagne and the best-selling chocolate Gold Bar.

Full contents: Classic Christmas Pudding, Whisky Marmalade, Winterberry Jam, Brandy Butter, Salted Caramel Shortbread, Chocolate and Salted Caramel Biscuit Tin, Brut Premier Cru Champagne NV, Rioja Crianza 2019, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2019, 16-Piece Chocolate Selection Box, Cherry, salmon and Orange Florentines, Chocolate Gold Bar, Christmas Blend Loose Leaf Tea, After-Dinner Coffee

The Knightsbridge Hamper, £275, harrods.com

Daylesford Good Cheer hamper

Hampers make an ideal gift if you’re being hosted at a relative’s home over the Christmas period but, if your host is likely to have the menu planned and the Fortnum & Mason order sorted by mid-November, how about a hamper to help them recover from the Christmas chaos? Daylesford, purveyor of brilliant organic produce (and sister brand to Bamford, home of wonderful beauty products, great facials and even better yoga classes), has curated its Good Cheer hamper to promote some serious relaxation at the end of a long festive season. Alongside the perfect (pre-mixed) espresso martini or cranberry margarita, it also offers a range of delectable wines and spirits paired with moreish rosemary and sea salt nuts.

Full contents: Blood Orange & Cranberry Gin, Prosecco, Espresso Martini, Cranberry Margarita, Mulled Wine, Rosemary & Sea Salt Nut Jar

Good Cheer Hamper, £130, daylesford.com

Liberty Strawberry Thief suitcase hamper

Hampers are all well and good but how often did you actually go on a picnic last year? Once? Twice, maybe? Step forward Liberty and its range of suitcase hampers, which leave recipients with a genuinely useful Liberty-print emblazoned suitcase to use long after the treats have been demolished. Fashion lovers everywhere are guaranteed to adore this heritage-print case filled with classic British delicacies.

Full contents: Liberty Heritage All-Butter Shortbread Biscuits, Liberty Heritage Salted Caramel Chocolate Bar, Liberty Heritage Milk Sea Salt Chocolate Bar, Liberty Print Sea Salt Caramel Truffles, Songthrush and Berries English Breakfast Tea Tin

Strawberry Thief Suitcase Hamper, £125, libertylondon.com

Our Place x Grind Set

Not all hampers have to be stuffed with hundreds of products to make an impression. This season, fine cookware brand Our Place has teamed up with equally find coffee house Grind to offer a limited edition set featuring Our Place's hugely popular Mini Always Pan and a bespoke blend of Grind coffee pod, whole bean or ground coffee – all rendered in an endlessly covetable powder pink. Guaranteed to impress the hostess or budding chef in your life.

Full contents: Our Place Mini Always Pan, choice of Grind coffee pods, whole bean or ground coffee, beechwood spatula

Grind x Our Place set, £115, grind.co.uk

Read more: The best luxury advent calendars for Christmas 2023