Christmas hampers

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

Is it just me that doesn't really see the attraction in 'hampers'. They seem to be suggested quite frequently for hard to buy for relatives and I know a few friends who are considering putting them together, but to me they seem a bit of strange choice. I'm not sure they are a particularly thoughtful gift or really make the problem of difficult to buy for relatives any easier. Surely you just end up having to come up with even more ideas than were you to buy one gift.

Maybe it's just me, or I've seen poor examples of hampers (admittedly some on sm selling sites). I suppose a Fortnum's hamper is seen as quite luxurious and if you have a broad palette would be enjoyed to the max, whereas some hampers are filled with things I pick up on a weekly shop to Sainsbury's. That said I wouldn't consider myself a fussy eater but even in a luxury hamper there will be items not really to my taste.

Before anyone jumps at me, I would of course appreciate the fact that anyone went to the effort of buying a gift, I'm just not sure why they appear so popular. Can anyone relate?

My son is in the forces and I always make up a hamper with his favourite things, plus things his fiancee will like. I buy it early and give it to him as near to December as we can, so they have it to enjoy throughout December.

I would quite like a hamper if I could choose exactly what goes in it . I volunteer at a Food Bank and we get inundated with what are clearly 'hamper gifts' after Christmas!

I thought people basically chose their own stuff to put into home made hampers so it's all things the recipient would like.

That made me well up a bit. That's so lovely and thoughtful.

Reading with interest because I would die and go to heaven if I was ever bought a hamper 😁

😊😊😊

I got a Harrods hamper one year from work. Gave most of it away (Xmas pud, mince pies, posh coffee, posh marmalade - don't like any of those things). The biscuits were nice 😉

It also came with champagne, white wine and red wine which I took when I was visiting people.

The hamper basket itself was really useful. I'd be happy with another but I'd prefer the cash.

We often exchange hampers with family, but it's never an off the shelf one. We just pick a few baskets then select a few things that each person would like, based on prior knowledge.

I've never bought somebody fruitcake :D

I’d rather have a giftcard for a nice farm shop and choose things myself, then you get the fun of choosing as well as not having to give away things you wouldn’t eat, win-win.

i'd love to receive a hamper of my favourite things, or slightly nicer versions of some things a normally have.

the problem with a lot of the ones i've seen on SM is they are full of generic poundshop stuff wrapped in cellophane with a huge mark up.

My MIL makes us a hamper every Christmas, full of slightly fancy every day stuff, so nicer olive oil and coffee etc than we’d buy ourselves. Once we’ve opened it, she takes back the basket to reuse the following year. It’s a much better present than things we may not use and would create clutter or landfill.

It's nice if you know the recipient well enough. We have a family member who often gives them, but I tend to enjoy the contents more than DH (ie he's not fussed about crackers or mini boxes of chocolates). Family member once did a cheese, crackers, pickles and mince pie hamper most of which DH hates - right up my street though except we were given is Xmas Eve when I'd already got a stash of that sort of thing.

i used to do one for my nan but i knew what she actually bought so made sure it was filled with more expensive items eg coffee/m&s marmalade/tea bags that she always bought herself and she loved it and it saved her buying them herself would always have a quick look through her cupboards

I make up hampers when giving as a present, homemade cakes, fudge, brownies, chutney, nice cheeses and crackers, toiletries and a bottle of what they like. I love it, I’d also love to get one! 😆

My parents are divorced and one year I made two identical hampers full of bogof M&S Christmas food plus a bottle of their favourite wine. They both seemed to really like them.

I’d like one of those massive £1000 jobs from Fortnum's or Harrods.

Go big or go home, I say.

We got a hamper a few years ago from sil. It was actually one of our favourite presents. It was during the covid/lockdown Christmas craziness & it really cheered us up.

It was full to the brim of posh chutneys, crackers, cheese, nice chocolates, sweets, biscuits, posh crisps, Buck’s Fizz, mini baileys and gins, balsamic vinegar, jams and spreads, nuts and nice coffee.

Our dd had not long turned one and loved rooting through it, pulling out all the shredded metallic paper. We even have a pic of her sat in the big basket - I think she played in that more than her actual toys!

It was much appreciated and you could see how much effort she had gone to.