Christmas food hampers

[Poppiesway1]

Hello..
so Christmas 2020 I made a food / treat hamper for both of my ds, they really liked them however I didnt appreciate how much they had loved them until last year (2021) and I didn’t make one for them (I’d forgot about it to be honest) and they were both disappointed. Apparently they were hoping to get another hamper each (only a small wicker basket from Dunelm size - not a big F&M style one!)..

so this year they’ve both announced they would love a food hamper again.. We’re not doing big presents now they’re older and so I was going to make the hamper a little bit more fun / luxurious for them..

Any suggestions of special foods I could put in them? Both late teens, non drinkers..

I do these for my kids too! I get them each a crate of their favourite canned drink from farm foods. Fancy pop tarts that are other than chocolate or strawberry flavour? Farm foods does them in smore, birthday cake etc. my teens love a marshmallow burner kit, is just a food safe ethanol fuel cell (eBay) , mallows, chocolate biscuits, skewers, chocolate sauce and sprinkles. I can make 6 kits for about £14 and they go down really well. Assorted Hot chocolate options sachets and ambient stored spray cream with fancy mallow toppers or mug huggers (home bargains). Their favourite sweets. Nice nachos and Salsa ( my kids love the Mano masa brand. Bubble tea kit? Festive themed crisps like the pigs in blanket ones or lobster cocktail. Box of roses.

Lindt chocolate spread
Mug cake kit
Cadbury pud
Starbucks hot chocolate sachets
Joe and Seph’s popcorn - they do limited edition Christmas flavours
Snaffling Pig pork scratchings
Toblerone
Beanies flavoured coffee - they do limited edition Christmas flavours
Percy pigs

Shortbread
tablet
pasta sauce
mince pies
m&s Christmas tea bags

I get curry/pasta sauces, biscuits, crackers, crisps etc from M&S. I start early to spread out the cost, and they always go down well.

Funny how they take to certain things, I always used to put socks in my DC's stockings. Decided not to one year as felt it was boring and they were most upset!
Might start the food hamper tradition myself - doesn't have to cost the earth and gives them something else to open as mine are older so we no longer exchange gifts with friends and most family's kids

If you want to add some seasonal elements, Aldi and Lidl usually do lots of German Christmas foods - eg Stollen or Stollen bites; Lebkuchen; chocolate covered marzipan; chocolate stirrers

Food stuffs my older DC love and often find their way into stockings / birthday treat bags:

Mackie's haggis crisps
Peanut butter
Nutella
Any Reese's product
Truffle mayonnaise
Nando's sauces
Pork scratchings

Wr don't routinely have cakes and biscuits at home so I would add some of their favourites. And a chocolate orange since it's Christmas

Oh and cereal variety packs were something my DC used to get very excited about when we went on self catering holidays - the only time I ever bought them. And were absolutely made up when I put one in each of their stockings some years later

thankyou,
lots of ideas, I was just at a blank yesterday! the chocolate stirrers, Christmas teabags, bandied sauces will definitely go down a storm.
id previously put things like M&S Harry Potter chocolate frog & wand in but anything JK Rowling is currently banned (by ds1&2) so was struggling to think of fun things to add.

starting now to spread the cost!

Ooh yes.. they used to love luky charms and would be a birthday treat to have a box of those.
that’s going on the list. I’d forgot about that!

Last year coppenburg (spelt wrong!) did a lovely non-alcoholic cranberry based cider 🍺

Also mini tubs of Pringles

A chocolate orange

Nice nuts

Some non food bits at the bottom of the basket under everything like some socks maybe?

I make hampers for afew people they are always well received

Reeces Christmas trees
Jolly ranchers
M&S do puff candy in bags at Christmas and new Christmas mix bags (they look delicious but see username 🤦🏻‍♀️)

If they don't drink alcohol, do they drink kombuchas or iced teas or similar? Could you find a favourite flavour and an unusual one to try for them?

Are they still at home or gone away to uni?

As if gone away, I'd suggest adding a few things to make food interesting when they go back - some hot chilli sauce, spicy ketchup, rub for meat, seasoning mix for potato or sweet potato wedges, piri piri rub or sauce for chicken etc. Not necessarily individual spice but things they can easily transform a plain potato and meat into tasty dinner with little effort. (If they're already good in the kitchen, you could get more intricate, but I'm thinking of teens who have left home and aren't confident int he kitchen).

And either large pack of a favourite treat snack, or posh versions of favourites

They have Colin the caterpillar baking kits in M&S and also chocolate orange spread in there too.
Cheese and crackers.
Quirky food from Homesense - I've got Gingerbread coffee for DM, as I'm doing her a little stocking this year. They have lovely random things in there, huge pasta shapes, lovely chilli sauces, honey, fun Japanese and Korean food.