Fancy some little gourmet gifts to yourself every day in the run-up to Christmas? That’s why we love Advent calendars. We’ve rounded up some of the best this year, which you could, of course, give to someone else, if you must.
MOTH cocktails
MOTH cocktails in a can have become hugely popular over the past few years and those cans translate perfectly into an Advent calendar collection. There are 24 cans available which include palomas, espresso martinis, margaritas, negronis, old fashioned, cosmos and more. There's also a golden can hidden in 10 calendars - that'll win you a year's supply of MOTH cocktails.
Price: £80
Simon Rogan Advent calendar
Somewhat unique among Advent calendars, the Simon Rogan calendar features larder essentials, kitchen wares, foods and drinks - all presented in reusable organic cotton advent bags. There's an extremely varied bunch of gifts in here, ranging from chocolates and cakes to beer (including a beer glass) and even a L'Enclume forged butter knife. One for the very discerning foodie.
Price: £320
ALL the spirits from Drinks by the Dram
This company offers collections of spirits all year round, but they really go for it at Christmas, with calendars for almost every spirit you can think of. So while there are whisky, vodka and gin calendars, you'll also find bourbon, spiced rum, Japanese whisky and more calendars. They also feature 12-day calendars if you want to scale things down just a tad.
Price: From £50
Caviar House
Are you really even celebrating Christmas properly if you don't mark up the run-up to baby Jesus being born by having a tin of caviar every day? The Caviar Advent Calendar from Caviar House is packed with 10g tins of their own label caviar behind each of its 24 doors. It sounds like a pretty perfect start to any day.
Price: £395
Cartwright & Butler
Yorkshire company Cartwrights & Butler has a pretty extensive advent calendar which features some of their bestsellers. Inside each day you'll find everything from biscuits to wafer rolls, cakes, chocolate, cheese crumbles, Christmas pudding, fudge and more.
Price: £200
Daylesford Organic Farmshop calendar
Representing the Daylesford Farmshop, everything in this calendar is from the Daylesford Farmshop itself. Inside the doors you'll find coffee, cakes, a candle, chocolates, preserves, biscuits, a cocktail and even a Christmas tea towel just to remind you to help with the washing up. Delivers from 6 November 2024.
Price: £250
Birley Bakery
Given that Birley Bakery in Chelsea now also has a chocolate shop, they've gone much bigger on this year's Advent calendar. Each door houses a unique handcrafted artisan chocolate, so if you know of a very fancy chocolate lover, this is one for them. Delivers from 7 November 2024.
Price: £75
Grind
There are a few coffee Advent calendars around, but Grind have one of the most popular. It's a pod calendar so only people with Nespresso-compatible machines can use them, but every day you'll get a unique blend of their speciality-grade coffee, and two on Christmas Day itself.
Price: £28
Pierre Marcolini "Gentleman of the snow" Advent Calendar
French chocolatier Pierre Marcolini can always be relied on for a great Advent calendar. This year's box features 24 chocolates individual chocolates, including caramel, nougat and salted caramel pralines, lime and raspberry hearts, truffles and more.
Price: £54
Naked Marshmallow calendar
Naked Marshmallow always have a popular Advent calendar out and this year, and it's already selling out fast this year too. There are 25 flavours in the calendar, including vanilla bean, salted caramel, peaches & cream, candy floss, choc orange, s'mores, cookies & cream and more - as well as a chocolate-covered one for the day itself. If you want to go that little bit further, you can buy one with a marshmallow toasting kit.
Price: £17.50 (£20 with a toaster)
Paxton & Whitfield
One of the most sought-after calendars is the cheesy one from St James cheesemongers Paxton & Whitfield. The calendar is sent in three different deliveries, so it'll be nice and fresh for each day and in every box you'll find 75g of artisan cheese, hand-wrapped by Paxton's. You'll find festive cheeses like Cheddar and Stilton alongside more unusual cheeses from British and European cheesemakers. They only produce 750 of these, so if you really want the calendar this year, order fast.
Price: £150
Fortnum and Mason Christmas Feasting Advent calendar
As with their hampers, Fortnum's have a huge range when it comes to Advent calendars (and they even sell Advent calendar refills). There are musical light up trees, wooden boxes and even a calendar for dogs this year. The pick of the bunch is this massive calendar that features something completely different every day. Behind the doors, you'll find things like biscuits, preserves and chutney, a Christmas pudding, mulled wine, gin, chestnut liqueur and even a quarter bottle of Champagne (that one's on the day itself). Delivering from 31 October 2024.
Price: £200
Also see
Pringles Advent Calendar (£20) - For those of you who just want to feast on crisps this season
Hotel Chocolat Grand Advent Calendar (£80) - There are multiple Advent calendars available from Hotel Chocolat. Their premium offering features both chocolates and drinks
Joe and Seph's (£30) - Another Advent calendar regular, filled with gourmet popcorn
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