What would you expect from a welcome hamper?

[Aracanum]

Starting a new job soon and part of the role includes making up welcome hampers for holiday cottages.

What kind of thing would you expect or want from a welcome hamper? Branded of unbranded items? Locally sourced or supermarket standard?

My predecessor has some fabulous reviews stating she went above and beyond even including dog treats for guests with dogs. So, I'd like to also go above and beyond. What kind of things could I do to go above and beyond in general?

We rented a cottage and the local produce...local honey being one. The tactful tea towel and the the cloth bag of local scenes where grateful received and still used. The basket said those two items were ours to keep as other tea towels were left too. Tea bag, bread, a bottle of wine, a small box of chocolates and a packet of nice sort of posh biscuits and milk in the fridge. We lived on the biscuits that first night. Local supermarkets information, where hospital is and chemist etc. Also another hamper full of local tourist leaflets and please please leave some games even if its just a packet of cards and please books ranging from aa baby, toddler, child the adult be it chick flick to heavy reading...

@notavegan where. Love the sound of that cottage

I remember that bottle of local apple juice...yum. can add crisps. You be stocking washing up liquid,dish washer tablets, washing powder asadult so doesn't need to be in hamper. Just image you arrived after 10 hour journey possibly not gone to the shops asits Sunday....what would you like? What makes you feel you arrived on holiday?

@londonrach it was near bilbao in Basque country. Air b&b but unfortunately no longer listed. The loveliest couple helped us with anything we needed (via Google translate). She offered to come to the hospital to help when my child got ill. Tranquil with views, friendly dogs and donkeys. I wish I could go again. I just remembered we broke a small item and left a note of apology and some money. She emailed me to tell me accidents happen and she wouldn't have wanted to acccept payment. Maybe they will open again one day. It was the best stay ever for so many reasons.

Especially at the moment I think that everything would need to be wrapped/new.

These are self catering so people will bring their own provisions, so, local and/or luxury in small amounts to prevent waste and if possible tailored to the visitors.
If they are arriving in the afternoon, some coffee bags, tea bags, a pint of milk, a packet of really nice biscuits and and a cake. If later a bottle of something and a stack of takeaway menus and some part baked croissants with ham and butter. Add in stuff for pets or DC. No one will be expecting full meals as it is self catering.

Something to consider as an additional service could be a hamper that they order as an extra with bread, eggs, sausages , etc. That could be a value added item for profit.

Also little toiletries in case they have been forgotten in the packing for a shower n the first morning before getting out to the shop.

Cottage we go to does coffee tea milk butter bread and some homemade cake from local farm - after a long drive the first cup of tea with a slice of cake is amazing!

I have two labradors.
On holiday in the UK, they had a selection of dog beds to choose from, a warm outdoor shower, home made treats, a dog tag with the cottage info on and a fully empnclosed garden.
I tginkmmy welcome pack included local produce, home made scones and a bottle of wine, but I was so enthused by the dog stuff i hardly noticed 😁(Apart from the wine, obviously)🤣

• I think my welcome pack.... sorry - fat thumbs 😶

Tea, coffee, milk, butter, bread, jam and some cake or biscuits would do me. N the last cottage we had they had left hot chocolate and strawberry laces for my DDs which went down a storm

We once stayed in a wonderful Italian villa. We picked the keys up from the owners pizzeria, where we were given free drinks. The owner welcomed us to the house and then returned later with the most divine home made pizzas. Now that's a welcome!

In the UK, we often stay with a company that offers a great welcome pack. In addition to the items already mentioned by others, there's local beers, savoury snacks and a local paper. I never buy a paper normally, but there's something about putting your feet up with the paper that first evening. If you bring a dog, there's always 2 bowls waiting (one ready filled with water), treats, a few poo bags and a dog towel.

Local produce, but please check dietary preferences, e.g. so many people are saying milk and butter but vegans wouldn't want those.

Mind you, we had ryvita seasalt and rosemary thins in a welcome hamper, obviously non-local but it was the first time we'd had them and now they're a household staple for us!

Locally sourced would be brilliant, biscuits or cake always go down a treat!

We stayed at holiday lodges that provided a dog bed, bowl, tennis ball and bag of treats for the dog, it was a lovely surprise!

If there is a good bakery very local to the cottages, it's worth approaching them about maybe buying some of their items for a discount in exchange for the advertising. Because I know I've stayed in cottages where they've included a small amount of items from the local bakery (Welsh cakes, for example) and we've made a point of going back for more during our stay and/or to bring back when we leave.

But basically, we're always really pleased to have:

Milk (small amount, for teas)
scones or something similar
bottle of wine/ juice for children if you know they'll be there
maybe some other sort of small snack

Basically, of course you don't need to provide for them for their entire stay, but it's really nice to have a small amount of food/drink ready to eat in case they haven't brought food with them and/or they're arriving at an awkward time when they can't get food.

@TheDogsMother - fair point. A freshly baked crusty loaf would suffice. Home made by the local baker

Sorry if been said ...
Upgrade the First Aid Box ?
i used to work at hotel and would add ...
extra long finger plasters
lemslip
salvon lotion
proper cotton bandage
... as those prepacked kits are woeful .
Or what abouty waiter corkscrew / mini torch on key ring with cottage name local brand .
fancy writing pad and pen with cottage rose logo etc
Old stlye Bottle of lucozade with orange wrapping that tastes ok - miss this when sick .
Waitrose Coffee Cup - if they are back to giving free coffee .

Above and beyond for me would be finding out if the guests have dietary requirements - eg including a plant based milk instead of cow’s milk. It also helps prevent waste (I’ve got hampers of fresh things before at holiday homes which contain stuff like milk and meat that I don’t eat/drink).

Washing up liquid, a dishcloth and scourer (if they aren't already provided).
Tea bags
Milk
1/2 dozen eggs
Loaf nice bread
Butter

We went to a very nice place. They supplied milk, biscuits, butter, coffee pods, red wine and white wine.

What's your budget?

We were left a cream team once which was lovely but we arrived late so had to eat it the next day. They also left mini cereals which went down well.

We being the basics so I want treats!

I went to a holiday house in France and there was milk, baguettes, eggs, butter, tea, coffee, red wine and some local cheese. You will never know how happy I was after a long journey to arrive to that!

We stayed somewhere near Nice and there was fuck all cubed left and we arrived really late at night. So not even milk or juice. I was so pissed off. I had to go out first thing to get the basics.

Welcome hamper consists of proper bread from the bakers, butter, pot of homemade jam or local honey. Teabags, cafetière coffee, milk. Packet of borders biscuits. Fresh eggs from the chickens, people love these if you know anyone local whose selling them. A bottle of wine if you’re feeling generous. Fresh apple juice if travelling with dc.

I wouldn't really expect to be provided with much 'produce' as such - it is, after all, self catering, but I agree with this from P1

Pay attention to the general staples -- some dishwasher tablets, salt and pepper, ketchup, oil, vinegar, sugar, loo rolls and tea towels.

Milk is good, and if there is somewhere that would supply some local speciality (eg Welsh cakes or Ginger Biscuits), or a home made cake, but I wouldn't expect more than that. I do expect some soap in the bathroom and some toilet rolls etc.

The crucial thing is, as I always say on 'what to provide in holiday cottages' threads, is for that information to be available before the customers leave home.

Everyone has different thoughts about what is 'nice' or 'essential' . I never minded if I had to take my own hairdryer or not, but I hate taking one and then finding one there (substitute 'hairdryer' for 1001 other things you might take).

Also don’t know how involved you are with booking but two weeks before arrival I send an email with details of local places that do food so they can preorder deli hamper or butcher pack nearest supermarket etc. Also which supermarkets deliver. It makes life easier to plan if you know in advance.