Here’s a handy guide to all the food and drink hampers you can buy and support independent this Christmas…
Don Giovanni
Manchester’s oldest independent Italian have launched their own Christmas hampers starting a £25. Sourced by Don Giovanni from the luxury Italian artisan suppliers, expect seriously good Italian treats like truffled salame, parmigiano, truffle oil, tricolore fusilli, olives and balsamic vinegar from Modena. Plus they’ve also got their own homemade bottles of limoncello.
La Bandera’s Spanish Cheese & Wine Hamper
There’s no better authority on anything Spanish or wine related than La Bandera just off Deansgate, so you can be sure of only the best quality produce in these delectable little hampers. For £24.95 you can get 4 fantastic Spanish cheeses, Spanish fig jam and bread sticks, and for an extra £24.95 you can get a wine flight – with 4 specially selected wines to be paired with each cheese! Available from Monday 7th December.
Le Social Wine
From special wines to red and white wine gift boxes paired with French Pate Port and Portuguese Tuna Fillets in Olive Oil, Le Social Wine have got just about everything you could need for the wine lovers in your life. You can buy by the bottle, in boxes of two, four and six as well as monthly subscriptions.
The Lowry Hotel’s £12k Hamper
Probably the most indulgent hamper in the whole city this Christmas, The Lowry Hotel present to you their new ‘Peace, Joy & The Lowry’ luxury hamper which is worth a whopping £12,500! It (only) costs £8,695 and for that you get two nights’ stay in their stunning Presidential suite (normally priced at £4,000 a night), complete with a 24-hour-a-day personal butler, a bespoke in-room dining experience from the award-winning River Restaurant, two 60-minute spa treatments and Chef’s Choice dinner for two with Champagne. The hamper also includes a bottle of Ace of Spades Champagne, a bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII, two bottles of Lowry Gin, Lowry Blend Tea from the Manor, flavoured macarons, chocolate truffles, two pairs of Lowry slippers, a Lowry bear, two jars of Lowry honey and an array of Aromatherapy Associates Ultimate Moments Ultimate Collection and Elemis spa gifts. Thanks mum – I’ll have two please!
MeatCo Christmas Box
The meat box delivery service launched in lockdown sourcing meat from local farmers have now created their very first Christmas Box. Inside, you’ll find everything you need for a delicious Christmas meal at home from Higher Ground apple and pear chutney and Elnecot’s Horseradish sauce to go alongside your grass-fed dry-aged rib of beef. Plus there are even golden tarts from Longbois Bakehouse and Welsh wine.
Chorlton Cheesemongers
Christmas is definitely the time to be digging into never-ending piles of cheese and crackers. With hampers starting at £20 and going up to £50 for their luxury hamper, Chorlton Cheesemongers have got plenty of options for the good stuff. If you can’t decide but know your gift recipient loves cheese you can opt for gift vouchers so they can pick their own selection instead.
Sicilian NQ
The brand new Sicilian Christmas hampers feature all sorts of delights for the perfect Christmas Sicilia style. You’ll get two 250ml cocktails/spirit bottles, two jars of sauces, olives or capers, Tiramisu or Taralli biscuits, Sicilian farm olive oil and six Sicilian pastry desserts. You can build your own hamper too with all their delights from their recently launched deli!
Manchester Union Lager’s Lager & Snack Hamper
Going on sale this week is Manchester Union’s Lager & Snack Hamper which does exactly what you want it to do. 4x cans of lager? Check. A big juicy pretzel from Pretzel & Spelt? Check. Salt & Pepper Nuts from Beehive Foods? Check. A Manchester Union schooner glass? Check. A Manchester Union Lion Bee badge? Check. It’s all in here and it’s only £25 delivered to all M postcodes (or £30 outside of Manchester).
The Creameries Christmas Hamper
The luxury handmade hamper from The Creameries is packed full of enough treats for a right good feast for two. You can expect to be able to build your own cheeseboard with four Courtyard Dairy British & Irish cheeses with all the trimmings including a bottle of Dow’s Tawny Port. There;s also mincemeat, Gold, frankincense and myrrh chocolate, a chocolate pudding, three bottles of wine and coffee beans.
Good Beer Selection Box
The Good Beer Club launched their 12-beer selection box to make the perfect Christmas gift for beer lovers. It will feature 12 different brewers inside, who are being revealed each day on their Instagram. Plus, the box is also raising money for two Manchester-based charities: FareShare Greater Manchester and Mustard Tree.
Pollen’s Festive Bakes
From mince pies and gingerbread croissants to great big Bûche de Noël and of course classic Panettones, Pollen has got you covered for sweet treats this year. And if all our attempts at banana bread didn’t make it obvious enough – we definitely need this.
Manchester Gin’s Christmas Crackers
If you want to pop open your Christmas cracker this year and it to be packed full with more than a plastic toy or tiny screwdriver, how does gin sound instead? Each twist crackers will contain a miniature (50ml) of Manchester Gin – Signature, Wild Spirit, Raspberry Infused or Blackberry Infused. They’ll make the cutest stocking filler for the gin lovers in your life or a wonderful (and boozy) addition to your table.
This & That ‘Curry Hampers’
There’s nothing more Christmassy than a massive big curry, well, that’s what happens in our house! Every year my mam will order a big juicy curry for her Christmas dinner, not only does she not have to worry about her turkey being too dry but she can also just throw all the containers into a big bin bag at the end of the day – no washing up needed! Manchester institution This & That are offering up ‘Curry Hampers’ and you can get them delivered to your house this December. There LOADS on offer and they’re MASSIVE!
The Hamper Delivery Hotline
0161 832 4971
Abeja’s Christmas Board-in-a-Box
Get into the Christmas spirit with a hamper filled with Spanish goodies – and if you squint hard enough you could really be sat on a balcony in the Costa del Sol. Like – really, really hard. The Board-in-a-Box comes with a bottle of independent Spanish wine, aromatic Vermouth from Cordoba, a Sharing Board, artisan chutney, olives from Malaga, extra-virgin olive oil from Granada, flatbreads and a stocking filled with Spanish Christmas sweets!
Salvi’s Deli Hampers
Salvi’s in the Corn Exchange is packed full of Italian delights including the likes of cured meats, cheese, cannoli, panettone, wine, prosecco, olive oil and of course pasta. You can choose from a range of pre-prepared hampers or create your own bespoke one.
Back on Track
The Ethical Christmas Hampers from Back on Track are the perfect way to gift with a social conscience. Packed in a unique reusable jute bag, each hamper comes bursting with handpicked products from social enterprises such as LibberTea, Change Please coffee, Grace Chocolates, Rubies in the Rubble and many more. All profits will be used to support people who use Back on Track’s services.
Dishoom’s Masala Dabba
If you and your pals are a huge fan of Dishoom or perhaps have their cookbook, this year Dishoom have created the perfect product to go alongside the book to help you master the recipes. Features a collection of nine of Chef Naved’s favourite spices and masala served in a reusable silver metal storage tin, a dabba. YOu can buy the spice tin alone for £33 or add the book on as well for £50.
