I tested all the Christmas hampers – £65 gift was shocking value with only £30 worth of treats inside
A HAMPER that’s crammed with tempting goodies makes a fabulous festive gift for loved ones.
But these can be expensive – so are they really worth the price?
We have crunched the numbers on seven of the most popular, totalling up the cost of buying the contents individually to see which offer value for money.
Lynsey Hope lifts the lid on whether they are worth your hard-earned cash and gives her verdicts on each.
Laithwaites Festive Fizz Hamper – £60, laithwaites.co.uk
Items bought separately – £54.29:
- Cartwright & Butler drinking chocolate, £12
- fudge, £4.50 and wafer rolls, £2.50
- Joe & Seph’s gourmet popcorn, £4
- Hotel Chocolat macarons, £9.95
- Alessandro Gallici prosecco £14.99
- Perello olives, £3.50
- Made For Drink truffle crisps: £2.85
FILLED to the brim with quality products, in a lovely wicker basket, this is a lovely gift for anyone.
I loved the full-size bottle of fizz and it was nice to have some savoury options too – great for guests over the festive season.
It’s good value – you’d struggle to save any money if you made this yourself.
Rating: 4/5
Cartwright & Butler Pink Heart Hamper – £90, moonpig.com
Items bought separately – £50:
- fudge bar, £2
- chocolate wafer crispies, £2.75
- strawberry preserve, £6
- oat biscuits, £5.75
- hot choc stirrer, £2.50
- salted caramel hot choc stirrer, £2.50
- strawberry & white chocolate biscuits tin, £12.50
- strawberry & cream fudge, £11; Bottega prosecco (200ml), £5.
FEATURING a lovely pink heart-shaped wicker basket, this hamper stood out above the others.
The items were all divine.
I loved that this had a mini prosecco.
The biscuit tins looked impressive too.
While you would save £40 buying the items separately without the basket, the hamper is really pretty so if someone deserves a special treat, this luxe offering, packed full to the brim, is great.
RATING: 4/5
Lidl DIY Hamper – £13.40, lidl.co.uk
Items bought separately – £13.40:
- Turkey crisps, £1.15
- truffle salt, £2.79
- Cheddar biscuits, £1.49
- pasta gift pack, £1.99
- balsamic vinegar, £1.99
- basket with cellophane wrap and bow, £3.99.
AVAILABLE in Lidl stores, this build-your-own hamper is great value and gives you flexibility to add what you want for a personal touch.
I picked items from its Deluxe range but even if I’d added a bottle of Lidl’s prosecco, for £5.45, it would still total less than £20.
The basket looked a bit naff compared to others but once packed you don’t notice.
The items were good quality and delicious.
RATING: 3/5
Abel and Cole Festive Breakfast Hamper – £75, abelandcole.co.uk
Items bought separately – £58.94:
- Orange juice: £3.95
- marmalade: £4.40
- smoked salmon: £7.55
- Bergerie petit chevre, £2.05
- Evvivo panettone, £17.50
- Colombian coffee: £6.50; Hampstead tea, £3.49
- Giol prosecco, £13.50
THIS organic selection will get Christmas morning off to a good start with smoked salmon, goat’s cheese and some lovely fizz.
It is a pricey gift but great quality ingredients.
The prosecco is a real stand-out with tempting notes of apple and peach.
And it’s all presented in a stylish and sustainably crafted wicker basket. I soon devoured the amazing panettone too.
RATING: 4/5
Huge XL Sweet and Chocolate Hamper – £64.50, sweethampercompany.co.uk
Items bought separately – £31.12:
- Includes Dairy Milk Caramel, 75p
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees, 75p
- Galaxy Bar, 85p
- KitKat Santa, 60p
- Sweetzone Candy Floss, £1.32
- Maltesers Box, £2.50; Flump, 35p
- Love Hearts, 30p
- Chewits Fruit Salad, 45p
- Drumstick Soft Chews, 40p
- Curly Wurly, 25p
- Vimto Flying Saucers, £1.25 and plenty more . . .
THIS looks seriously impressive and is sure to make any child’s Christmas Day.
There are enough treats to keep them going until next Christmas!
However, when you add up the cost of the individual items, it’s not great value.
Buy a hamper basket for around a fiver and spend about £30 on sweets and you would save nearly £30.
RATING: 2/5
Baxters Festive Treats Hamper – £40, baxtersofscotland.com
Items bought separately – £32.84:
- Tomato soup, £1.90
- royal game soup, £1.90
- cheese oatcakes, £1.25
- traditional tablet, £4.50
- Speycast infused gin (5cl), £6.50
- Christmas chutney, £3.50
- spiced pear and brandy chutney, £4
- figgy pudding jam, £3.50
- lemon curd, £4; cranberry sauce, £1.79
A GREAT-value offering that comes in an attractive red box.
The products inside tot up to nearly £33 so if you wanted to create this yourself, you wouldn’t save much by the time you’d bought something to put it all in.
Featuring soup, jam and cranberry sauce, it’s a lovely gift for older loved ones.
RATING: 4/5
Chococo A Bag of Christmas Hamper – £75, chococo.co.uk
Items bought separately – £75:
- Choc gonk, £8.50
- choc snowmen, £9
- choc bauble, £15
- chai spice bar, £5
- festive collection, £14
- Dorset Sea Salt caramel stars, £9
- Fruit & Nut clusters, £9.50
- honeycomb bar, £5.
BUYING the items individually would cost the same, so you are effectively getting this lovely canvas bag, worth £6, free.
Each product is a delight and for chocolate lovers, this is an incredible present.
I loved the large gonk chocolate and the hand-cut slabs.
Everything is hand-made by Chococo, a husband and wife team in Dorset who pride themselves on using British chocolate.
Lavish but good value.
RATING: 4/5