Gift baskets and hampers

Read the contents list, not the photo

Every hamper looks generous in the product photo. The ribbon is big, the basket is full, and half the space is shredded paper. The only honest way to compare them is to read the list of what is inside and ask whether the person would eat or use each thing.

Count the real items. The Stonewall Kitchen favourites basket has eighteen, and most are full-size jars of sauces and jams a family will get through. The DeLallo antipasto box has fifteen foods that make a proper party board. Compare that with a basket where a third of the items are hard candies and you see where the money goes.

Then look for one thing that lasts. The Gift Smack charcuterie box comes with an olive wood board. The DukesHill hamper is a strapped wicker basket worth keeping. The Ottolenghi hamper has the cookbook. When the food is gone, something stays on the shelf, and that is what people remember.

Shelf-stable or fresh

This decides more than the flavour. A shelf-stable basket can sit in a mail room over a weekend and be fine. Stonewall Kitchen, the maple baskets, the spice box and the snack hampers all fall in this group, and they are the safe choice for an office, a client, or anyone whose schedule you do not know.

Fresh and chilled hampers need someone home. The DeLallo box is perishable and needs fast shipping. The DukesHill hamper needs a signature and goes straight into the fridge. The citrus crate is fruit and will not wait in a hot porch. Send these to a home address, and tell the person it is coming.

Alcohol and allergies

Several of these contain alcohol: the Brindisa box has a bottle of sparkling rosé, the Daylesford box has sparkling wine and a cocktail, the DukesHill basket has six ciders, and the Australian Christmas hamper has brandy in the butter sauce. Alcohol means the recipient must be of age, someone may need to sign, and it is the wrong gift for anyone who does not drink. The Stonewall brunch basket has champagne-flavoured jams and Bloody Mary mixers too, which matters to some people.

Nuts turn up nearly everywhere: pecans in the charcuterie box, almonds and pistachios in the antipasto, and the Christmas snack hamper is built around them. Most hampers also contain gluten and dairy. If the recipient has a serious allergy, a single-ingredient gift like the citrus crate or the coffee bundle is far safer than a mixed box where one item can ruin the lot.

Shops also substitute items when stock runs short. The Brindisa, DeLallo and Gift Smack listings all say so. If one specific item is the reason you are buying, check with the shop first.

Order dates catch people out

Hampers are a seasonal business, and the best ones open late and sell out early. Daylesford lists its Christmas box from 1 November. The Gift Smack holiday box ships from 1 December, and the Hamper Emporium Christmas range was pre-order when we checked the shop's page. Heavy hampers from Alberta can take more than a week to reach eastern Canada.

Order two weeks earlier than you think you need to, and pick a delivery date before the recipient leaves to visit family. A hamper that arrives at an empty house in late December is a sad thing to find in January.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between a gift basket and a hamper?

Mostly the country. Americans and Canadians say gift basket; the British and Australians say hamper. Traditionally a hamper is a lidded wicker basket and often holds Christmas food and drink, while a gift basket can be any container. In practice the shops use both words for the same thing: a set of foods or treats packed together and sent as one gift.

Are gift baskets a good gift for a whole office?

Yes, if you choose a shelf-stable one with lots of separate items people can take one at a time. Snack hampers, maple baskets and big pantry baskets work well. Avoid anything with alcohol, anything that needs a fridge, and anything heavy on nuts, since one person in a large office almost always has an allergy or does not drink.

How far ahead should I order a holiday hamper?

Two to three weeks before you want it to arrive, and earlier for hampers from small producers. Many Christmas hampers are sold as pre-orders from October or November and sell out before mid-December. Chilled hampers are the riskiest, since a delay over a weekend can spoil them, so give those the most room.

Can I send a gift basket with alcohol to another country?

Often not. Shipping alcohol across borders is restricted, and hampers with a bottle in them commonly need an adult to sign on delivery. For someone abroad, choose a shop in their country, or pick a food-only basket. Check the shop's delivery page before you pay, since that is where the limits are listed.