ELISHA EATS SEASON’S EATINGS B uying presents always feels like tricky business. Thankfully, Christmas hampers offer a thoughtful and personalised way to treat your friends and family. The perfect gift, hampers are easily customised to suit any occasion, budget or taste. If you’re overwhelmed, you can buy a pre-curated one – Elisha Young recommends
Their contents can be carefully selected from a range of interesting and indulgent products such as fine cheeses, artisanal preserves, decadent chocolates and festive tipples. They are also versatile and can be tweaked to suit taste preferences or dietary requirements. It’s the perfect way to spread Christmas cheer. If you’re struggling to choose the right products for your hamper, Culinaris can help. This fine food shop has a hamper for every food lover. There’s the blowout £140 Santa’s Sleigh, featuring Christmas pudding, sugared hazelnuts, hot chocolate and balsamic vinegar, while the more modest Cosy Comforts has black garlic ketchup, chocolate and spicy paprika powder for £46. There are hampers curated for home chefs, bakers, spice lovers or families of four, plus the punny Rudolph Nose Best box for an extra festive selection. Thanks to the wide variety of price points, this can be anyone’s safe bet for gourmet gifting. Grain Culture isn’t just an incredible bakery – its Bake Shop General Store in Ely also serves as a deli with a cheese counter, extensive drinks selection, chilled foods and row upon row of well-stocked shelves. It’s the perfect place to put together a food hamper. For Christmas, choose from house favourites (such as chocolate sardines, local honey and chutney) or design your own to suit the preferences of your lucky recipient. There’s also a cheese box option, with salted almonds, membrillo and crackers. I gifted this to my uncles last Christmas and sparked their enduring love affair with Yarlington cheese. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable about their less-common products, and there’s something to suit every taste. Fin Boys restaurant and fish butchery has the perfect hamper for seafood lovers. Designed to feed four people, it’s packed with fan favourites and fishy goodies including potted devilled crayfish, prawn toast with furikake, Marcona almonds and tinned sardines. There’s also the option to add 12 oysters to the mix if you want to make this Christmas feast truly decadent. There’s something to be said for leaving it to the experts at The Cambridge Hamper Company. Founded in 2019 and working with local producers, its Christmas
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1 Grain Culture Bake Shop hampers, Ely, from £40, available in-store and at bakeshopgeneralstore.com 2 Culinaris hampers, Cambridge, from £46, available in-store and at culinaris.co.uk 3 Exclusively Cambridge hamper, £75, from thecambridgehampercompany.co.uk 4 Fin Boys hamper, Mill Road, £120 (£145 with oysters), pre-order at fin-boys.com hampers are thoughtfully curated with options for film buffs, alcohol-free friends, beer enthusiasts and even gluten-free giftees. The more deluxe collections are packaged in a genuine wicker hamper for a lavish vibe, while Exclusively Cambridge is an especially nice choice, showcasing the best food and drink our city has to offer. The company delivers across England, so is particularly handy if you have far-away loved ones you’d like to pamper with festive cheer – and delicious food!
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