Are Fortnum and Mason hampers worth it?

89

No. We ordered a hamper from F&M for the great aunts back in 2018/19. We were all so disappointed.
The hamper arrived with a couple of smashed items. Which happens. That's ok. However Their customer service was a nightmare to get hold of and then Instead of offering a full replacement or a refund they quibbled about sending out replacement items and there was no apology for the mess either.

Left a sour taste so no I wouldn't recommend at all!

On the other hand I received this amazing hamper from regency hampers recently and it is super lovely. Cannot recommend it enough. Lovely wicker picnic case. Real China and cutlery. Cheese. Smoked salmon. A bottle of something. Lots of other bits. Yum yum!

Omg fortnums every time! It says treat! Glamour! Special! Glyndebourne! Butlers! Lace tablecloths! Can you tell ive always wanted one? When lived in london f and m was my go to relax place. M and s? Treat yes, but more busy commuter cba to cook. Not the same at all.

I've just looked at the link someone posted - i would love the Hibernation Hamper please

Won one in a school raffle once 😊
Basket great for storage under a coffee table

I'd love one just for the wicker basket alone!

Yes, I'd love one for the basket alone

Indeed. I was bought one last year from work. The contents were very nice but I really love the wicker basket and have used it for picnics - the F & M on prominent display!

I agree with DappyApple. The Harvey Nichols hampers are amazing. Their biscuits and prosecco are definitely worth buying a hamper for.

I wish I hadn't seen this now 😂 it's made me want the empty hamper more and more!

I absolutely love F&M. It's one of my favourite places to go in London and I also love the Champagne bar they have in the Royal Exchange. I went with friends last week and we booked into the wine bar in the food hall.

It is pricy, but spectacular at Christmas. I bought myself a wicker hamper a couple of years ago as a Christmas present to myself, and the basket sits in my living room.

The amount of pleasure I got and still get from having it makes it worth it for me, but I totally get why people would laugh at me for what they see as a total waste of money. It's a personal thing.

I use my F&M hamper as a coffee table which makes them even lovelier gifts

We’ve been gifted several F&M hampers previously ,(Dhs work) and tbh they’re a bit hit and miss. A lot of the stuff isn’t to our taste and I’ve gifted on several items to my mum who wasn’t keen either. Don’t think it’s worth the money.

We got given a Harvey Nichols hamper last year, there was nothing in that that we didn’t like. Far better than F&M.

The teeny huntsman basket is incredibly cute & can be reused for many things.
We use one to collect berries in the summer in the garden (I chuck kitchen roll in the bottom before I do) & it makes me feel I should be wearing a long flowy, flowery skirt & wafting through fields full of meadow flowers or something.

The rest of the time it lives in the greenhouse with my smaller hand tools in it.

I'd be thrilled to receive one! You've given me a great idea for a gift for my in-laws who are hard to buy for, so thank you

The influencers have actually devalued the brand a bit imo. Everyone has a F&M (either real or faked) in their Instagram photos of their living room now.

On a separate note, I do think F&M have sold out a little bit (in the sense that I feel a bit weird seeing influencers all receiving the same hampers and showing them off on Instagram, happened earlier in the year). I know it's just another form of advertising but I does feel a bit weird.

The Daylesford hampers also look very pretty.

I love F&M hampers but still think the lined Daylesford hamper baskets are the best

Whilst the stuff inside is not worth the £, F&M hampers are my go-to present when it's hard to find something to buy someone.

Every time I've done it, the recipient has seemed incredibly grateful and pleased to receive it.

The baskets are lovely, the contents are nothing special and ridiculously overpriced. We get one sent to us every year or so by a client and whilst I can always find a place for the basket, it’s definitely the basket you’re paying the money for.

The resale value of the empty hampers is really high so if you factor that in makes them very reasonable - I use a medium hamper for shoes and debating buying a full hamper this year instead of buying a second empty
One on eBay

I've sent the Merry Maker one to the US this year but topped up with some extras (coffee, biscuits for cheese tin, musical biscuit tin, bag for life). It's in a handled huntsman basket but not an enormous one so hoping it'll be more useful and I felt happier adding the extras to bulk it out. I was limited in my selection though because they can't ship anything with booze in to the US. I'm hoping it'll have novelty value as much as anything else and the tins will act as keepsakes rather than stuff being entirely consumable (they're anglophiles!).

No? We got one when we moved into our new place and I didn't like the food and teas they gave me! 🙈🙈🙈 and gave it all to my mum

We have been lucky enough to be given a few over the years and I always find the idea and opening them up far better than actually consuming them. We have given away so much random tea over the years, and the biscuits aren’t as good as Tesco finest. The best one we got was the cheese hamper that came with chutney, crackers, wine, port and a beautiful F&M cheese knife. That is the only one we have actually used and enjoyed everything from.

www.marksandspencer.com/the-collection-berkeley-luxury-christmas-hamper/p/hpp60134916

Just send us this one - that'll do.

Thanks

Trying to shop local and I like these macknade.com/collections/all