With the Christmas period already in full swing and festive food ads at every corner, it can be hard to cut through the noise.
But don’t panic – save yourself a headache and take a look at our delicious guide below for the best range of treats hitting the market this December.
From supermarket steals and boujie buys to stocking filler staples and the best Christmassy hampers, here are our top picks.
FESTIVE FEASTING
Since we’re all partial to putting on a spread come Christmas time, here are our top picks for creating the perfect feast for friends and family to enjoy.
Stocking up on the basics is easier than ever with ASDA’s new range – with everything from Christmas tree-shaped pizzas and candy cane sausage rolls to a reindeer smash cake.
Stand outs from the selection include a vegan offering – a chocolate mousse bauble filled with salted caramel – and a hog roast sausage wreath for the ideal centrepiece.
If you’re looking to impress, a cheese board always hits the spot, but what about having your own cheese wheel? Grana Padano have their own half-size wheel that will be a guaranteed showstopper for any buffet.
For sweeter offerings, Project D have released a collection of yule-tide yummies featuring a salted caramel fudge ‘wise man’, a chocolate delight garnished with holly, ‘Ray Ray’ the Malteaser reindeer, and an adorable gingerbread man.
For a firmly traditional option, why not add a few festive desserts from Badiani Gelato? The Italian brand do it best with the signature gelatos, dark chocolate panettones and pandora cakes
If all else fails, you can create a great spread with a Sam’s Larder festive hamper – complete with wines, cheeses, chutneys, and puddings that make for an easy one-stop-shop.
And to keep your guests up and partying all evening, be sure to stock up on some caffeine filled beverages – Guinness Cold Brew or Tiramisu flavoured Baileys anyone?!
FILL YOUR BOOTS – AND YOUR STOCKINGS
Stockings are, for many, the highlight of the day (alongside family fun, of course!) and these fillers prove that good things can come in small packages.
While getting a lump of coal in your own stocking might seem like a thing of the past, did you know edible coal exists?! Bad Brownie have managed to turn it into a thing of beauty, with bite-size lumps of dark chocolate brownie with a salted caramel centre and dusted in black cocoa powder ready for anyone who dares try.
Meanwhile a hand-painted bonbonniere from Farhi makes for a particularly classy edition, filled with chocolate treats which give the traditional chocolate coin a serious run for its money.
For anyone with a rather refined palette, how about the small yet luxurious gift of champagne hot sauce? Yes, it really does exist, with Eaten Alive – a brand founded by two Michelin starred chefs – creating the decadent sauce ahead of Christmastime.
Finally, for those of us that enjoy a tipple over the holidays – LoneWolf Gin have launched a stocking filler set of minis including peach and passionfruit, cactus and lime, cloudy lemon and their original flavour.
T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE FEASTMAS
Finally, to ensure the big day goes off without a hitch, there’s just one more thing you need to plan ahead of time – a Christmas Eve treat or two.
We firmly believe in an indulgent Christmas period – Christmas Eve included – so why not kick things off by sharing a box of indulgent Wickedly Welsh chocolates? The chocolatier has a specially curated festive selection including Christmas pudding flavoured bites.
After you’ve enjoyed a chocolate or two, it’s time to the kettle on – the Christmas Biskie Box from Cutter and Squidge is the perfect afternoon snack with gingerbread reindeer biscuits, strawberry snowmen and chocolate mistletoe.
Want to keep things light and save your appetite for Christmas lunch? There’s always the option of the rather controversial erm…Heinz Christmas Dinner Big Soup. Vegan option equally tempting…
Or if you fancy getting everything in one place, Hampers.com has you covered with their Christmas Eve Nibbles Gift Basket – with everything from delicious crisps, crackers, chutney, olives, salami, cheese and wine included.
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