Tag: 2021

Best supermarket mince pies Aldi

The best supermarket mince pies

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They are usually a cheap and tasty festive treat, and here we look at the best supermarket mince pies. ** This article is from 2021 but the reviews and links are still valid! ** Most of the pie recipes used here are traditional, and most supermarkets are offering classic mince pies as well as gluten-free mince pies. But who can resist a deep filled mince pie with butter shortcrust pastry? Today, though, supermarkets are experimenting with their mincemeat filling and festive spices to make their Christmas treats even more attractive. We have checked out everything from Tesco Finest mince pies to the M&S Collection mince pies and the Co-op’s Irresistible All-butter Luxury Mince Pies. There’s a lot to recommend supermarket mince pies, particularly when they have lashings of brandy and port to help boost the flavours though we still love traditional vine fruits and some icing sugar on top. For the best festive flavours and to learn which are the best supermarket mince pies for 2021, read on! Tesco Finest Mince Pies It was a close-run thing deciding which is the best supermarket mince pie for 2021, with Tesco Finest Mince Pies just edging it. Not only is the all-butter pastry crumbly and rich, but the mincemeat is a gorgeous mix of glace cherries and plump vine fruits and then infused with the French brandy as well as ruby port. We also like the festive spices and there’s a twist of lemon zest too before everything is finished with a dusting of sugar. The pies cost £2 for a pack of six and are just as delicious when eaten hot or cold. Tesco also offers an excellent Finest Crumble Top mince pie and ‘Plant Chef’ mince pies for vegans. And if you’re entertaining, the Tesco Finest mini mince pies which come in a pack of 12 are also an excellent and very tasty offering. Iceland Luxury All Butter Mince Pies For some, this will be a surprising entry for our taste test to find the best supermarket mince pies. We thought that the Iceland Luxury All Butter Mince Pies were worth every penny of the £1.89 it costs for a pack of six. Delicious hot or cold, there’s a delicious mincemeat filling with yuzu juice – a Japanese citrus fruit juice similar to mandarin orange being mixed with lemon. The overall result is a nice mix of festive spices and a citrus taste that come together really well to deliver a flavoursome and well-balanced mince pie. There’s a nice icing sugar dusting for the star-shaped casing top and this is a well-made treat to enjoy. Morrisons The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies We absolutely loved the Morrisons The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies which has a chunkier mincemeat filling than most rivals. There’s a good taste of mixed spice, vanilla as well as apple and orange oil. This is a satisfying mince pie to enjoy, and they cost £2 for a pack of six. The all-butter pastry is well made, and the mincemeat has lots of cider and brandy infused flavours. The spices are also warming and Morrisons says that their mince pies are a premium offering. We would agree! It’s also an award winner, picking up a number of taste approved gongs and these mince pies are also suitable for vegetarians and have an impressive flavour. Morrisons also offers a pack of bake at home mince pies that are very tasty, plus they have a standard box of mince pies at 99p for six. And if you are entertaining, you can buy nine mini mince pies with their deep filled offering to impress. Like many other supermarkets, there are also ‘Free from’ and gluten-free alternatives and vegetarian choices. M&S Collection 6 Mince Pies This is probably a disappointing result for M&S food lovers everywhere but we thought the M&S Collection mince pies were not as good as their rivals. It costs £2.50 for a pack of six and while the pastry is genuinely melt in the mouth, including the star shape lid with icing sugar, the deep filled mincemeat contains cranberries, glace cherries and dried vine fruits didn’t quite hit the mark – we were expecting something a tad more special. There’s also a splash of brandy, cider and cognac to deliver a rounded taste. These pies can be served warm or cold and with a dollop of cream, they are more palatable. For vegetarians, there’s the M&S Plant Kitchen mince pies that are very tasty and there’s a box of nine mini mince pies available for parties or for lots of visiting guests. There’s also their ‘Made Without’ range and the gluten-free mince pies are quite a nice alternative. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference All Butter Mince Pies There’s a nice blend of festive fruits, Christmas spices and aromatic peel – with lashings of brandy used to infuse the mincemeat. It tastes quite decadent but these Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference All-butter Mince Pies are a tasty treat and cost £1.50 for six. Sainsbury’s say their mince pies are made by a family with four generations of baking expertise and the pastry does melt in the mouth and the mincemeat filling is quite traditional – though it’s not as good as the Tesco Finest offering. If you like something with an unusual taste then the Sainsbury’s Winter Berries, Clementine and Gin Mince Pies from the Taste the Difference range are worth trying out. They cost £2 for a pack of four but the gin really adds an unusual edge to the mincemeat filling. Sainsbury’s is also offering ‘Cookie-cutter pies’ as an alternative, along with traditional deep filled pies which cost £1 for a box of six. For a really sweet mince pie, then the Sainsbury’s iced top mince pies at £1.25 for six are also worth trying. Aldi Specially Selected All Butter Classic Mince Pies Aldi has an impressive range of mince pies available for 2021, and we rather like their Specially Selected All Butter Classic Mince Pies. There’s a deep mincemeat filling that has been infused with cognac and brandy to deliver a deep, rich flavour. The star-shaped lid for the pie has been dusted with sugar and at £1.49 for six classic pies, these are a satisfactory offering. There’s plenty of taste and the texture and the all-butter casing crumbles nicely and we also like the 12 All-butter mini mince pies – a great compliment with a cup of tea if you have friends or family calling round. Elsewhere on the Christmas.co.uk site we have already mentioned the excellent Aldi Specially Selected Frangipane Mince Pies but there’s also a quite tasty ‘Free From’ mince pie offering that is a suitable gluten-free creation. Aldi is also offering All-butter Sloe Gin mince tarts as a spin on mince pies, and they have some Specially Selected Exquisite Mini Mince Pies which cost £2.49 for a nine pack. These have been hand finished with three different toppings to impress. Lidl Deluxe 6 All Butter Mince Pies Another supermarket that doesn’t quite reach the peak of offering ground-breaking mince pies but delivers a tasty creation, is Lidl and their Deluxe All Butter Mince Pies are worth trying. The all-butter shortcrust pastry is nice and crumbly, and the contents have been deeply filled with a mincemeat that is lightly spiced and is dominated by plump vine fruits. There’s also a generous splash of cognac and the sweet dusting on the pastry crust underlines the pies’ sweet offering. The pies cost £1.49 for a pack of six and if you are a regular Lidl shopper, you won’t be disappointed. The mincemeat filling lacks the depth of flavour that is found in rival offerings but it’s still a nice mince pie to enjoy with a cup of tea. A better choice would be their Luxury Brandy Butter mince pies which cost £1.99 for a pack of six. Again, there’s a very crumbly all-butter shortcrust pastry that has been filled with mincemeat and then finished with a brandy flavour buttercream. These are quite tasty for those who don’t like too much pastry and there’s enough about them to be a winner when offered to guests …

When is Christmas Jumper Day 2021

When is Christmas Jumper Day 2024?

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It’s an increasingly popular event which sees millions of us Brits taking part and there will be lots of people searching online asking, ‘When is Christmas Jumper Day 2024?’  – Its on Thursday 12th December 2024. It’s a great way to raise money to help Save the Children, a charity that is dedicated to helping children around the world. And this year, celebrities including Holly Willoughby, Emma Bunton and Kate Garraway have teamed up to lend their support to the popular event. Indeed, last year more than 4 million people decided to wear jumpers to support the cause, says the charity. This year, the charity says that participants should shop for second hand garments, upcycle old jumpers or dig out their vintage jumpers. And after a year which saw many of us wearing leisurewear, this could be your opportunity to wear bright and bold winter woollies. This is last year’s advert for Christmas Jumper Day – see how easy it is to take part!   How to take part in Christmas Jumper Day 2024 The process to take part in Christmas Jumper Day this year is straightforward. You simply need to wear a festive jumper to school or work – basically, any organisation that is participating in the event – and donate £2 to do so. For those in school, it’s £1. Your £2 donation will help keep medical clinics clean, while a £10 donation will pay for five children to have antibiotics that will help them beat malnutrition. £60 will help buy toys and books to support those children from England’s struggling families, while £100 could help pay for a first aid kit for a Somalia health worker. You can wear any type of Christmas jumper, of course, the sillier your jumper is, the better it will be. And by donning festive garb, you will be helping Save the Children too. You can also donate more than £2 should you want to, or even denote less but the main aim is to take part in Christmas Jumper Day whatever your financial circumstances are. Also, there’s no reason why you should not hold your Christmas Jumper Day on another more convenient date – or celebrate on more than one day if you choose to.   How many people take part in Christmas Jumper Day? There’s no doubt that millions of people take part in Christmas Jumper Day every year because it’s a worthy cause and a great way to help. There’s even a counter on the Save the Children website that shows how many homes and workplaces, as well as youth groups and schools, have signed up to take part. There’s also a counter showing how many people look set to wear their best Christmas Jumper this year. When we last checked, there were nearly 2.5 million people signing up to take part – and you can do too.     When did Christmas Jumper Day begin? Christmas Jumper Day has grown in popularity since it first took place on 14 December 2012. It was the idea of Save the Children to highlight the plight of millions of children in poverty around the world. Since then, it has grown in popularity and has raised more than £27 million for children in the UK and around the world. Last year, around 15,000 schools took part and more than 4 million people put on their festive jumpers for a great cause. Register for this year’s Christmas Jumper Day here.   Why take part in Christmas Jumper Day 2024? Apart from having fun with school friends, workmates and colleagues, there’s a good reason for taking part in Christmas Jumper Day 2024. And that’s to support the great work that the save the children charity does around the world helping those who are living in poverty. The charity helps to deliver education, shelter and food for children with the aim of giving them a better quality of life. The charity also aims to ensure that those children have access to medical treatment, which includes vaccinations, to keep them safe from infection and disease. And if your workplace is taking part this year, it might be an idea to offer a prize for the best festive jumper. This encourages the bravest to wear garish garments and raise money through sponsorship.   When is Christmas Jumper Day 2024? The day that has been dedicated as Christmas Jumper Day is Thursday 12th December. You can donate the money to save the children using their website, or you can donate £5 by simply texting JINGLE to 70050. If you are organising Christmas Jumper Day at your workplace or school, and you simply sign up for the event and save the children will send you a text code for your team. This will able you to pay the money you raise in a Covid-friendly way. You can also claim a Just Giving page which has a QR code that also enables money raising to be done safely. You can also opt to sign up for your own pay-in form on the Save the Children website. There’s a great page of frequently asked questions about Christmas Jumper Day on their website for any questions that need to be …

Christmas hampers to give as gifts in 2021

Christmas hampers to give as gifts in 2021

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One of the best things about the festivities is to give a present that the recipient can really rummage around in which is why finding the best Christmas hampers to give us gifts in 2021 is an undertaking to enjoy. Not only will you treat someone you love or admire to an excellent festive present, but they will unearth not just one but lots of gifts to enjoy. And if they are something of a food and drink lover, and there’s no better way to celebrate than sending someone special a festive treat in a wicker basket. If they have a sweet tooth, they will get to enjoy lots of new creations including mince pies though you can buy a chocolate hamper too. Usually, luxury Christmas hampers are quite a pricey gift, but they are usually packed with a Christmas pudding, smoked salmon and other quality food to enjoy. Gift hampers have a range of price tags and are a great way to acknowledge someone’s efforts over the year, but they are also an excellent way to stock up to celebrate in your own home and also to entertain lots of guests on Christmas Day. Gift hampers are also a great way to show appreciation because whatever your budget is for a Christmas gift – there is a Christmas hamper available for it. You can buy hampers filled with white wines and other alcoholic drinks, while some hampers are geared towards the teetotal. Here, the Christmas.co.uk team has been working to find the best Christmas hampers to give as gifts in 2021 and you find that these festive treats will meet a wide range of needs – and will impress the recipient.   Carluccio’s Il Grandioso If you really want to make a magnificent gesture when gifting a Christmas hamper this year, how about Carluccio’s Il Grandioso? It does cost £350, but it comes in a beautiful wicker basket packed with artisanal Italian produce. The selection includes Italian festive table staples from some of the country’s finest suppliers including Vin Santo dessert wine, extra virgin olive oil and marinated tender figs. If the intended recipient loves to entertain and cook, particularly Italian dishes, then this Christmas hamper is a real treat. Alternatively, Carluccio’s is offering an Italian larder hamper at £69 which includes organic vegetable sources, pasta and enough items to dish up three meals to feed a family of four. There’s also a dry white wine and a fruity Chianti.   Christmas food hampers from Harvey Nichols One of the great retailers of luxury Christmas hampers is Harvey Nichols and this year is no different. Their handpicked selection includes food hampers designed for connoisseurs, alcohol-free hampers for those who are teetotal and for those who do enjoy a drink there is an excellent choice of wine and spirits hampers. If you are planning on a lot of entertaining this Christmas, then the Harvey Nichols bartender hamper at £1,400, is certainly for you. The contents have been hand-picked by expert buyers and include the most popular drinks sold by the store. You’ll get to enjoy bestselling wines and exclusive spirits along with magnums of Champagne. The hamper includes stocking filler miniatures, dessert wines and port for the cheese board. There’s also a good range of gins plus flavoured premium tonics and a limited-edition Russian vodka. Harvey Nichols says this is the world’s greatest drinks hamper, so who are we to disagree? If the price tag for the Harvey Nichols bartender hamper is a tad too high, they also offer a Christmas drinks cabinet hamper or the Christmas cocktail cabinet hamper, both priced at £299, and they are packed with drinks and goodies you will need for an impressive season of entertaining.   British Regional Hampers Christmas afternoon tea hamper This alcohol-free Christmas afternoon tea hamper is a great offering from British Regional Hampers for recipients to enjoy limited-edition but very tasty British produce. The firm supports local small businesses by packaging environmentally friendly products to create a memorable and unique gift. There’s no doubt that lots of us enjoy afternoon tea and if you know someone who enjoys pushing the boat out, then this alcohol-free Christmas afternoon tea hamper at £65 is a delight. There’s a beautiful tea from Hoogly Tea, which are based in Sussex, and a very tasty English conserve from Cornwall. There’s also a twist on marmalade with a Christmas pudding marmalade that features sultanas, glace cherries lemons and oranges. The excellent hamper also contains a delicious Christmas cake along with hand-crafted chocolate mince pies. This excellent Christmas gift is topped off with Muscat grape juice, a lovely bottle of bubbly from Devon. British Regional Hampers also offers an impressive alcohol-free New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day hamper at £110 containing smoked duck, spicy smoked flower and chilli crackers, black garlic pickle and salmon. There are lots of other items, including some very tasty honey chocolate. However, the Christmas.co.uk team were taken by the alcohol-free Christmas celebration hamper at £90. The idea is to create a grazing table that contains organic Cotswold brie, plum and date ultra-crispy toasts and beechwood-smoked duck breast. There’s also a spiced plum chutney, some tasty cheese and a selection of lovely handmade chocolates and mince pies.   Social Supermarket’s Royal Frost Birch Christmas hamper One great way to make an impression with a cracking Christmas hamper, is to visit the Social Supermarket’s site and select a hamper with quality goods selected from social enterprises. Here, the Christmas.co.uk team really like the Social Supermarket’s The Festive Feast Hamper which costs £159.99. It’s the perfect mix of savoury and sweet treats, chocolates and alcoholic beverages. There’s a lot to like if there’s a food or drink lover in your life and there are some great back stories about some of the products too. Along with a selection of wines and beers, there are hot chocolate melts, quality coffee beans, and some tasty liberation nuts. We also like the Summerdown peppermint tea bags – perfect for when you’ve had enough of Christmas indulgence and are ready to relax. This is one of the pricier offerings from Social Supermarket, but they also offer letterbox gifts, various gift boxes and an ethical Christmas essentials gift box. There’s also a nice Christmas morning gift box to help enjoy Christmas Day and the spirit of Christmas gift box will delight the gin lover in your life with sustainable gin and complimentary snacks   Sam’s Riverside Christmas Hamper If you would like to make an impression with a hamper packed with quality tastes, then Sam’s Riverside Christmas hamper at £100 is certainly worth considering. This popular Hammersmith restaurant offers hampers and this one is packed with quality items including Prosecco, salted caramel milk chocolate, all-butter wheat crackers, Earl of Grey tea, pitted olives and Dr Will’s Original Mayonnaise. We also liked the England Preserves English mustard and the red onion marmalade. It’s an intriguing hamper with a range of quality goodies that the recipient will enjoy and it is certainly a foodies’ delight. We also rather like Sam’s Larder Hammersmith hamper which contains biscuits, marmalade and jams, as well as a variety of tea blends to offer breakfast lovers another real treat.   Other Christmas hampers to give as gifts that we loved   Marianna Leivaditaki Christmas hampers While there are lots of Christmas hampers to enjoy this year, we really like the efforts from top chef Marianna Leivaditaki. She’s put together a number of very tasty Christmas hampers, including the excellent Aegean Christmas pantry box at £120. It contains small farm olive oil, wild oregano, hand-picked sea salt, sour cherry spoon dessert, Cretan thyme honey and Graviera cheese. There’s a lot more in the box but for those who are foodies, this is an unusual and impressive offering and a chance to create Cretan dishes with original ingredients.   Oliveology Christmas luxury hamper We also like the The Everything Hamper from Oliveology priced at £160. This is a luxurious Greek-inspired treat with some items designed to impress. There’s a handcrafted olive wood serving board, balsamic cream with mandarin, roasted almonds, apple olive oil, vanilla honey, dried cherries and truffle honey. There are more items, but everything is tasty and delicious with the Kalamata olives with oranges and herbs particularly impressing.   Biscuiteers Christmas hampers Great Christmas hampers to give as gifts also include the products from the Biscuiteers. They are offering an advent biscuit tin filled with 24 vanilla iced biscuits in the shapes of polar bears, penguins and Christmas trees. It’s a novel take on what most people would consider to be a hamper, but the £58 gift is certainly worth considering if the recipient loves biscuits (and who doesn’t?), or if you simply want to make a big impression with a stylish and very tasty offering when visiting friends and family at Christmas. The talented team also make a Christmas Eve letterbox gift of biscuits in the shape of a fireplace, a letter to Santa and a carrot for £25. There’s also a selection of winter walk biscuits with a woolly hat, scarf gloves and a big coat. All-round, the biscuits are excellent products and worth making the effort to buy …

Which are the best Christmas hampers for 2021?

Which are the best Christmas hampers for 2021?

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Searching for festive presents can be a chore but with this guide to the best Christmas hampers, you will be able to enjoy an easy win. Not only are there a wide range of Christmas hampers available in the UK, but just about everyone will enjoy receiving one. And since food and drink make up a big part of the festivities, a well-chosen hamper is a great way to deliver a festive treat for the recipient and their guests to enjoy. Or you may decide that some of the Christmas hampers are so good that you buy one for yourself! Buy the best Christmas hampers You can buy the best Christmas hampers filled with bottles of wine, or sweet treats for someone you love who has a sweet tooth. Food hampers from the likes of John Lewis and Fortnum & Mason are incredibly popular and include treats such as Christmas pudding, a mince pie selection and they are all contained in a stylish wicker hamper that the recipient can use in future. These festive treats don’t just focus on food and drinks, for Christmas Day, some hampers deliver a pick me up on Boxing Day too. And don’t forget that Christmas hampers make for a great gift for a loved one – plus, they are a sound choice as a corporate gift – because there will be something in the hamper that the recipient will love. If not, they can give what they don’t like to friends and family. Here, we check out some of the best Christmas hampers for 2021, including the offerings from John Lewis, and other foodie treats including olive oil hampers, gift boxes containing smoked salmon to deliver a classic Christmas that a loved one will enjoy.   Daylesford Organic truffle lovers hamper One of the most popular festive Christmas hamper providers every year is the range from Daylesford Organic. They utilise the very best in artisan drink and food from their organic farm to create luxury hampers to impress. This year’s no different and along with the artisan cider and beer hamper and the Cotswold cheese and wine hamper, we rather liked the truffle lovers hamper at £125. This is a great creation for anybody who enjoys the heady flavours of truffle and includes a truffled single Gloucester cheese, a truffle honey jar and a mini truffled Penyston brie. The recipient also gets to enjoy a bottle of Prosecco, seeded star savoury biscuits and truffle and pecorino nuts. The truffle lovers hamper from Daylesford Organic sees the contents being packaged by hand in white wicker baskets and they are a great idea for Christmas presents.   Kylie Minogue Wild Rosé Christmas Hamper It’s one of the most popular offerings for wine lovers, and the Kylie Minogue Wild Rosé Christmas Hamper is a limited edition to impress. There’s a wicker hamper including hand-embroidered linen lining and there’s a good range of food and wine chosen by the Queen of Disco. Contents include two bottles of Kylie’s wine, a corkscrew and bespoke wine glasses along with a rosemary and sea salt chocolate bar and Yorkshire chardonnay crisps. The hamper costs £149 and it’s an intriguing creation for those who like wine or love Kylie. Recipients also get an English farmhouse cheddar from the Fine Cheese Co, orange candy, sweet and salty popcorn and mandarin orange crisps. If there’s a Kylie lover in your life, then this wild rose Christmas hamper will hit the right note.   Delicario Italian Gourmet Hamper Delicaro is an online delicatessen that works with small-scale producers to deliver authentic regional European tasty delights. They have a range of hampers this Christmas and the Christmas.co.uk team was really taken with the Delicario Italian Gourmet Hamper which costs £60. From earthy saffron biscuits, there’s something for those who like traditional Italian food but done really, really well. There’s a Paté di Olive Rosate and aubergine in a cream. Each item is carefully wrapped in the hamper before sending and recipients also get to enjoy a very light Venetian focaccia and a traditional almond nougat. The Delicario hamper also stands out because there’s a greeting card that’s included and you can add a personal message to it.   Melrose and Morgan 12 Days of Christmas’ hamper Another tasty treat when it comes to gourmet Christmas hampers comes from Melrose and Morgan, the modern grocer and kitchen based in North London. They’ve unveiled a new range of food and drink hampers for the festive season, and they can be bought online or in-store for delivery across the UK. If you like to enjoy some of the best produce from small-scale artisan producers, then they have a range of hampers to enjoy. For those who want to create an impression, they offer the ’12 Days of Christmas hamper’ at £595 which delivers ultimate luxury. Along with six fine European wines, a lovely champagne, and a bottle of Negroni, this is an excellent offering. Along with Secret Smokehouse smoked salmon, cured charcuterie, a festive cheeseboard, truffle crisps and two types of chutney, there’s something for everyone. For the sweet-toothed recipient, there’s candied chocolate ginger, sea salt caramel and dark chocolate coated oranges. The hamper also includes Christmas cake and traditional mince pies, plus marmalade and jams. For the money, this is a great way to enjoy Christmas.   Black Mountains’ Gourmet Deli Gift Hamper One of the bestselling choices from the Black Mountains Smokery is the gourmet deli gift hamper at £95. This is a great hamper choice for a discerning foodie who gets to enjoy sliced smoked salmon, oak roasted salmon, duck liver pate along with smoked chicken breast and duck breast. There are various chutneys, crackers and a caramel sauce to enjoy plus chocolate coated coffee beans. The firm offers hampers in three price categories and it’s worth checking out the £49 hamper boxes and the £75 gift box hampers. Everything is freshly prepared and then delivered in chilled packaging. It’s an unusual and tasty creation.   John Lewis & Partners Winter Warmer Christmas Basket Another popular outlet for Christmas hampers is John Lewis and Partners and their winter warmer Christmas basket which is a bestseller for the firm. It costs £75 and is a stylish offering that includes wine, almonds and savoury biscuits. There is also a tasty Christmas pudding, various biscuits, chocolate bars and a Christmas chutney. This is a tasty and stylish offering delivered in a woven basket that can be reused for future storage purposes. John Lewis also offers a seasonal cheer gift box at £50, a Christmas ladder box at £100, and a stylish festive treats hamper at £60. Whatever your needs when it comes to Christmas hampers, John Lewis has something for you.   Hotel Chocolat ‘Eat, drink and be merry hamper’ As should be expected, chocolate lovers are well-catered for this Christmas with a great range from Hotel Chocolat. We love their ‘Eat, drink and be merry’ hamper which costs £150 and has great reviews on the site from recipients. For a decadent Christmas, the basket includes chocolate macarons, chocolate puddles and a milk caramel selection box. There are other chocolate choices too including a hot chocolate drink, chocolate cream and biscuits, plus there’s a bottle of Prosecco to enjoy. It’s a great offering and a tasty one with quality chocolate in a lovely hamper. Hotel Chocolat has other festive delights this year including a chocolate wreath box, lots of selection boxes and a grand advent calendar.   More best Christmas hampers for 2021 to consider With so many great Christmas hampers available, it’s worth giving some other impressive creations a mention. Among them is Honey & Co who have restaurants dishing up middle eastern food and an online shop. Among their Christmas hampers this year is a mulled wine hamper offering at £55. It includes a fig, chocolate and hazelnut Christmas cake, a small bottle of brandy, a bottle of red wine and a mulled wine spice mix. There’s also a giant gingerbread cookie. Another restaurant offering a range of hampers is Jikoni with its ‘Joy at Home’ hamper at £270. It offers a bottle of English sparkling wine, a Bordeaux and a Grand Cru. There are also four jars of chutney, a tote bag and the restaurant’s block print table napkins and tablecloths. The restaurant also adds its cookbook, a selection of nut mix and paan and cashew fudge. A great alternative for those who love unusual gifts at Christmas comes from Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil. This family-run business offers award-winning cold-pressed Yorkshire rapeseed oil with a range of hampers including a ‘Build your own gift box’ from £11.50. You essentially mix-and-match the various rapeseed oils, plus dressings, to create a great gift for those who like to cook and love flavour. Corporate Christmas hampers are also big business and growing in popularity because they are an ideal way to reward staff and to present at events or meetings. Peach Hampers offers a great range including the opportunity of branding and personalising the hamper. Among their choices is the Christmas cracker hamper at £47.50 with the option of choosing the drink you want, including alcohol-free choices. There are lots of chocolate and a Christmas spiced fudge, jams and mince pies that are presented in a recycled black hamper box. Another unusual choice as a Christmas hamper is the ‘Movie marathon hamper’ from Healthy Nibbles. It costs £20 and is a mix of sweet and salty favours for food lovers. Recipients get to enjoy sweets and chocolate that will see them enjoy binge-watching box sets or watching lots of films in one day. Healthy Nibbles aims to deliver healthy snacks that have no artificial colours or hydrated fats sweeteners or preservatives. There’s also a reminder too from Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses that you don’t have to spend a fortune on Christmas hampers. Their website has a range of Christmas hampers but their perfect British cheeseboard at £5 is certainly worth considering if there’s someone in your life who loves different varieties of cheese. The cheeseboard contains three excellent choices with Button Mill, Bluestacks Blue and Sunday Best to be savoured. Finally, we have to highlight the excellent offering from Aldi this year with a range of hampers to impress. They really have shaken up the market with some well-priced offerings and there are nine hampers to choose from, starting £19.99 – that’s 50% cheaper than the cheapest hamper from Fortnum & Mason’s. Last year, Aldi’s hampers sold out in record time and buyers get to choose from the ‘Ultimate celebration hamper’ that is packed with chocolates, cakes and wine and there’s the Sommelier’s six wines hamper and the ‘Ultimate decadence hamper’. All in all, Aldi has an impressive range to meet various budgets and is certainly worth …

Best beauty advent calendars jo loves

The best beauty advent calendars for 2021

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Check out our updated list of beauty advent calendars for this year here The best beauty advent calendars for 2021 come from just about every beauty product provider and here the Christmas.co.uk team help choose some of the best ones. There’s no doubt that with so many calendars to choose from, narrowing down the one that you want, or choosing a calendar your loved one will enjoy, can be a tricky task. Here, we have selected some of the best beauty advent calendars available in 2021 for a wide range of people, including men. And the big attraction for beauty advent calendars is that they make for a great festive present – or you can treat yourself to an indulgent calendar too. However, they are also a great way for a loved one to discover new beauty products – or try out those that are normally too pricey. Sourcing the best beauty advent calendars in 2021 When it comes to sourcing the best beauty advent calendars in 2021, you’ll find that most have travel size products but often a full-sized product as well. These beauty treats are excellent for the festive season and most of the calendars have products worth far more than the calendar’s price. Among the offerings this year is the Cult Beauty advent calendar which has a golden ticket to deliver a very special Christmas present, while others contain candles, nail polish, sheet masks, body lotions and moisturisers. For a loved one, or someone you would like to impress, this guide to the best beauty advent calendars for 2021 covers a wide range of budgets but they all are aimed at impressing the recipient who gets to enjoy a lovely little present every day!   Arran 2021 Advent Calendar It’s hailed as being Scotland’s best-selling advent calendar and there’s a lot to like about the Arran 2021 offering. It costs £65 but has contents worth more than £140. This is a great way to treat a loved one – or yourself! – to some of Arran’s most popular collections including seaweed and sage, Glenashdale and After the Rain. They’ve even added a bonus 25th door that delivers a special Christmas Day treat. The calendar itself has been inspired by the country’s clear, fresh expansive greenery and Arran’s snow-capped forests.     ClarinsMen 12 Days Beauty Advent Calendar There aren’t that many beauty advent calendars for men available, but this Clarins offering is a real treat. For the man in your life, they get to enjoy 12 days of new favourites including energising eye gel, lip balm, treatment oil, moisturiser, and there’s a lotion too. The ClarinsMen advent calendar costs £65 and is the ultimate treat for any man who takes care of his skin. The calendar is available from a range of outlets.   Clarins 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar The Clarins 12 Days of Christmas advent calendar is packed with iconic products from the beauty firm for comforting skincare needs. Clarins has also included best-selling make-up products and includes their classic Joli Rouge lipstick, the Beauty Flash balm, gentle foaming cleanser and Clarins intense natural lip perfector. It is priced at £65 and is available on the Clarins website or from other retailers, including John Lewis & Partners.   Avon Beauty Advent Calendars 2021 After the Avon beauty advent calendars sold out last year, the popular retailer has decided to go bigger and better in 2021. They’ve now delivered two exclusive advent calendars including the 12 Day beauty advent calendar which has nine full-sized products and three mini favourites. It costs £25 but contains goodies worth £80. There’s also the 24 Days of wonder beauty advent calendar that has 23 full-sized products from Avon, plus one mini favourite. It costs £55 and has contents worth £152. The Avon beauty advent calendars for 2021 can be bought from their website or from local independent Avon representatives.   Holland&Barrett Beauty Advent Calendar 2021 Not only is the Holland&Barrett Beauty Advent Calendar a popular choice, but the retailer opened a waiting list in early August. That’s how keen customers are to buy the ‘25 days of clean beauty advent calendar’. Last year’s calendar sold out in record time and the offering from Holland&Barrett can only be bought online. It’s also a cult favourite for those wanting a cruelty-free or vegan advent calendar, and there’s a range of products from UpCircle, REN and Q+A. It’s also plastic-free and comes in recycled card and this calendar is 100% recyclable. It costs £45 but has products worth more than £170 and will be a great choice for the recipient.   Jo Loves Advent Calendar 2021 While it’s not the cheapest beauty advent on the market, there’s no doubt that the offering from Jo Malone is an impressive creation. The Jo Loves advent calendar uses a lovely star design that has been crafted to be an eye-catching addition to every home. It’s styled around a luxury candle which is a great centrepiece, or the Jo Loves red ribbon can be hung from a door. There are 24 deluxe travel size products and there’s a full-sized surprise for Christmas Day. Recipients get to enjoy shampoos, conditioners, body lotions and hand washes, plus a Christmas tree room spray, a snowflake room spray and a mulled wine votive.   Cult Beauty Advent Calendar 2021 It’s an outlet that is growing quickly in popularity, and the Cult Beauty Advent Calendar 2021 is worth checking out. The previous two advent calendars sold out quickly and this year it’s a 38-piece calendar that features various Cult Beauty icons. They include favourites including Victoria Beckham Beauty and Skindie heroes. It costs £215 but has a curated collection that’s worth more than £960 – and the firm says it will donate £40,000 to plant a tree with every advent they sell – they are working with the Beauty Backed Trust to do this. There’s also a lucky calendar being sold that has a golden ticket inside that will deliver £1,000 worth of Cult Beauty points. Again, this is another popular advent calendar with a waiting list that begins in August.   Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar The Body Shop beauty advent calendars are always a popular choice and this year they have several to choose from. They include the ‘Share the joy’ that costs £55 with contents worth more than £77. Recipients get to enjoy body butters, bath bubbles and a sheet mask. There’s also the ‘Share the love’ advent calendar that costs £80 with contents worth more than £119. It comes with facemasks, shea shampoo and avocado body butter among the 25 surprises. There’s also the ‘Share the love and joy ultimate advent calendar’ which also has 25 surprises for beauty lovers including a vitamin C glow boosting moisturiser, a ‘Drop of Youth’ concentrate and a Himalayan charcoal purifying glow mask. The calendar costs £140 and is worth more than £200.   Dr. Hauschka 2021 Advent Calendar The Dr. Hauschka 2021 Advent Calendar promises ‘moments of pure joy’ and costs £85 with goodies worth more than £150. The advent is packed with small drawstring cotton sacks with each containing a trial size treasure. Once the windows have been opened, not only does the recipient get to enjoy quality beauty products but they can keep the lovely small bags for their own beauty items. The advent calendar from Dr. Hauschka is an eye-catching and impressive offering with a hydrating cream mask, regenerating serum and lavender sandalwood calming body cream among the treasure trove.   BeautyPro 12 Days of Christmask The BeautyPro 12 days of Christmas advent calendar is a popular offering with 12 of the firm’s bestselling and award-winning sheet masks. Indeed, there’s a pamper behind every door of the calendar and the recipient will wake up to a full-size BeautyPro product every day to offer the perfect treat for their face, hands, eyes and feet. The advent costs £39 but is full of goodies worth £59. The sheet masks promise to leave the skin feeling replenished and energised – and get the recipient Christmas party ready! Along with sheet masks, the calendar contains an under-eye therapy mask, a retinal patch and collagen-infused booties and gloves. BeautyPro also offers their Barber Pro 12 days of grooming essentials advent calendar. This is the second year it has appeared, and there’s a range of great grooming gifts to moisturise, hydrate and energise the …

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The best luxury Christmas hampers for 2021

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One of the great things about sourcing the best luxury Christmas hampers for 2021, is that just about everyone loves to receive this festive treat. Firstly, you get the joy of opening the wicker basket and then surprise after surprise when the recipient uncovers the treats inside. Christmas hampers also make great gifts for those who are tricky to buy for, whether they are friends and colleagues or family members. And with luxury Christmas hampers, you will be able to deliver a Christmas present that impresses. Luxury Christmas hampers from John Lewis and Fortnum & Mason Here, we look at some of the luxury Christmas hampers for 2021 from popular outlets such as John Lewis and Fortnum & Mason and widen our search to include great hampers from Hotel Chocolat and Daylesford organic. Luxury Christmas hampers will offer sweet treats for the sweet tooth recipient, but also smoked salmon, Christmas puddings, mince pies and mulled wine. Essentially, a hamper offers a classic Christmas for those who love food and wine and great treats, and the price range of hampers do vary but here we look at some of the excellent offerings available. And don’t forget that the wicker basket that the festive treats will arrive in, can also be used in future months, including going on picnics or to use as storage but you will still be remembered whenever it is used. So, here’s the Christmas.co.uk guide to the best luxury Christmas hampers for 2021 that you should consider.   The Daylesford Estate hamper There’s one great way to impress someone at Christmas, or to indulge yourself, and that’s a Daylesford Organic Christmas hamper. Along with a drinks party hamper at £265, and a chocolate hamper at £95, we thought the Daylesford Estate hamper at £1,500 was certainly an impressive way to delight the recipient – or yourself! Daylesford Organic has established itself as a premier supplier of the best artisan food and drinks with their luxury hampers that certainly make for the perfect festive present. If you think someone deserves a treat, the Daylesford Estate hamper is one way to reward a loved one. This hamper is packed with luxurious drink and food to create a memorable festive celebration with recipients enjoying an organic smoked black ham joint, wholegrain mustard in a ceramic pot and an organic fig balsamic chutney. There’s also a savoury biscuit selection in a tin, duck liver pate and Exmoor Cornish salted caviar. The list goes on but includes a bottle of port, English sparkling wine, champagne as well as cloudy lemonade and an organic sparkling elderflower. The hamper also contains organic Clementine curd, a Christmas pudding and a fruit and nut Christmas cake. For those who love artisanal food, it has just about everything, and Daylesford has added a ‘doodle donkey’ Christmas tree decoration, a kindling candle that burns for 52 hours, a navy cool bag and six handmade Christmas crackers. The creation is so large, it takes two white wicker hampers to carry everything in and the hampers are lined with linen. Even with the price tag, this showstopper really is one of the best Christmas hampers available this year.   Graham Norton’s Christmas Hamper For an unusual festive gift, how about Graham Norton’s Christmas Hamper? This creation from Wine Delivered is a popular choice with the hamper being beautifully wrapped and packed with delicious wines and food. The package includes Graham Norton Prosecco and a sauvignon blanc along with truffle crisps, candied ginger and English Farmhouse Cheddar. The recipient also gets to enjoy truffle breadsticks, apple crisps and a milk chocolate bar. The hamper costs £125 and Wine Delivered also has offerings from Kylie Minogue, Sir Ian Botham and Gary Barlow.   Delicario Afternoon Tea Hamper Not everyone wants to enjoy a massive hamper which is why the Delicario Afternoon Tea Hamper at £60 caught our eye. This increasingly popular niche online delicatessen offering fine artisan food from around Europe, has really hit the right note. It’s an indulgent and sweet selection of goodies including a unique Zibibbo grape must elixir, Panfrutto with rose petal preserve and a delicious Darjeeling tea with an attractive gift caddy. All of the items are carefully wrapped and there’s a delicious single source 55% chocolate bar to enjoy too. If you like the sound of this – and who doesn’t like an afternoon tea? – then there’s the potential of adding a greeting card with a personal message for the recipient.   John Lewis and Partners Festive Fireside Christmas hamper As one of the UK’s most popular destinations for Christmas shoppers, John Lewis really does pull out all the stops to deliver great products so customers can enjoy the festivities. And with Christmas hampers, they have a wide selection available, and we like their ‘Festive Fireside Christmas hamper’ at £125. Along with wine, jams, coffee and chocolate bars, the John Lewis offering also includes Christmas crackers, mince pies and hot chocolate bombs. The hamper itself is a solid basket with woven handles that can be used for future picnics or storage purposes. John Lewis also offers a Spirit of Christmas hamper at £100, a Christmas Eve basket at £90 consisting of Prosecco, mulled wine, mince pies and various tasty snacks to suit young and old alike.   Hotel Chocolat Festive Feast Hamper One great way to impress a chocolate lover at Christmas is to offer them the Hotel Chocolat Festive Feast hamper. It costs £300 and is packed with choccy delights including a bottle of Prosecco as the recipient makes their way through the selection. They will get to enjoy 21 tasty goodies including strawberries and cream chocolate puddles, a milk chocolate lolly stick, orange macarons, various chocolate boxes, hot chocolate powder and a bottle of chocolate gin plus a salted caramel chocolate vodka liqueur. This is an impressive offering, but the chocolatier also offers lower-priced gifts, including a grand wreath box, an advent for two and various chocolate collections.   Melrose and Morgan Festive Aperitif Deluxe Christmas hamper One of the best things about the festivities is to enjoy a nice aperitif with friends or family and this Melrose and Morgan Festive Aperitif Deluxe Christmas hamper hits the right note. It costs £110 and along with a bottle of Ancestral Montonega Pet-Nat 2018 Can Sumoi, includes a luxury tin of artisan crackers, Harrissa spiced nuts, dark chocolate candied oranges and mince pies. Everything comes in a luxury cane hamper and Melrose and Morgan are a popular modern grocer and kitchen based in North London who put together some great hampers from the finest artisan producers around. This year’s collection also includes a festive artisan tea hamper at £50, with a deluxe tea hamper at £125, while a festive aperitif Christmas hamper at £75 is focused on mince pies and spiced nuts and biscuits. There’s also a continental hamper at £45 that includes black truffle crisps and olives, spiced nuts and a mixed charcuterie pack. Cheese lovers also get the excellent festive cheeseboard at £75 with a range of tasty cheeses including Brillat Savarin, Vacherin, Wigmore and Keen’s Cheddar. The cheese-loving recipients also get to enjoy a jar of port and red onion marmalade.   Black Mountains Smokery Taste for Two gift hamper For an unusual offering for the foodie in your life, then the Black Mountains Smokery will have something for you. We rather like their ‘Taste for Two’ gift hamper which is an ultimate foodie box and highly rated by The Guardian. It costs £49 and includes oak roasted salmon, sliced smoked salmon plus smoked duck and chicken breast. There’s also a smoked Welsh Cheddar, dill source and hedgerow jelly. It’s a tasty creation and the Black Mountains Smokery offers hampers that fall into three price categories. Along with the gift hamper boxes, they offer gift box hampers at £75 and gourmet hamper boxes £95. There are some interesting and very tasty collections that are worth checking out.   Other choices for best luxury Christmas hampers for 2021 to consider Among the restaurants offering festive hampers is the Middle Eastern outfit, Honey & Co. They have a range of hampers this year and we like their Christmas Deluxe hamper at £160 which is a great treat including a bottle of Prosecco, chutney, seasonal jams, smoked almonds and sumac and vanilla shortbread. The recipient also gets to enjoy an excellent fig, chocolate and hazelnut Christmas cake and two bars of Ocelot chocolate, among other goodies. There’s also the Jikoni restaurant offering a Luxury Tea-Total hamper at £160. It contains paan and cashew fudge, a tote bag and block print table napkins. Recipients also get to enjoy the Jikoni cookbook, a single batch of tea, four jars of chutney and the restaurant’s popular mixed nut mix. For keen cooks, then the ‘Taste of Yorkshire hamper’ from the Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil company is worth considering. It costs £68 with various rapeseed oils, including a rapeseed oil with chilli and spices, and an oak smoked Yorkshire rapeseed oil. There are dressings and Yorkshire mayonnaise, along with a recipe book to get the most out of your Yorkshire rapeseed oil. Corporate hampers are growing in popularity and the Christmas Feast corporate hamper from Peach Hampers is worth considering if you need to reward staff or clients. It costs £99.99 with the opportunity of free branding with a hamper including a choice of drinks, including alcohol-free options, chocolate, fudge, Christmas pudding and jams and chutneys. The hamper is an antique wash style basket with leather straps and it’s an effective way to impress. For those who want something healthy, then the Christmas hampers from Healthy Nibbles are worth considering. We quite like their ‘Holiday Bliss’ hamper at £30 that delivers some ‘me time’ pampering with bath salts, chocolate, a facial pack and two witchwood tealights. Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses are offering a range of Christmas hampers this year but we were rather taken by their ‘Mature your own Blacksticks Blue’. It cost £20 and weighs in at 500g but for any blue cheese lover this is an interesting prospect to place the cheese in a fridge and watch the blue veins grow in the cheese. The recipient will need to decide how long they will mature their cheese and it includes a birth certificate so they can record progress. The Blacksticks Blue has won a gold star at the Great Taste Awards so will be a good choice for a cheese lover. Perhaps the Christmas hampers from Aldi may not be at the forefront of your mind when thinking about a festive treat, but there’s a lot to like about their festive hampers. The range sold out quickly last year, so you need to be quick if you like the sound of the Sommelier’s six wine hamper at £99.99 with vintage champagne, Prosecco and other tasty wine delights. There’s also the Ultimate Celebration hamper, also priced at £99.99, with lots of specially selected treats from chocolates to cakes and savoury delights. The cheapest hamper this year is their Christmas Favourites which costs £19.99 and comes with chocolate bars, wine, a conserve and a salted …

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The best pet Christmas treats in 2021

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Apart from receiving presents, one of the big highlights to enjoy Christmas is for the food, but which are the best pet Christmas treats in 2021? Since most of us enjoy a great roast Christmas dinner with pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes, there’s no reason why the pet in your life must miss out. And food manufacturers are becoming ever more creative with their pet food offerings to tempt pet owners to part with their cash so they can enjoy the festivities with a four-legged friend. Here, the Christmas.co.uk team look at some of the best festive pet food products that are available this year.   A three-bird feast for dogs One of the most eye-catching offerings this Christmas comes from Lily’s Kitchen and their three-bird feast with all the trimmings for dogs. This really is the Christmas dinner of the year that pooches everywhere will enjoy. Using freshly prepared goose, duck and turkey, along with cranberries and parsnips, Lily’s Kitchen has really created an impressive feast. So, if you’re preparing a showstopping Christmas dinner for your family and/or guests, then you can also create an impression by delivering this slap-up meal for your dogs. The main ingredient is turkey, followed by goose and duck but there are lots of parsnips, carrots, cranberries along with apples, broccoli and various herbs and botanicals to keep your pooch healthy. The Lily’s Kitchen three bird feast is available from a range of outlets, and also online from the pet food manufacturer. Not to be outdone, Lily’s Kitchen also offers a turkey feast with ham and cranberries for your favourite feline. This Christmas turkey and ham feast for cats is a festive party packed with delicious natural ingredients. This means your cat will be able to enjoy a Christmas dinner of its own. It’s made with freshly prepared turkey, ham and cranberries and is nutritionally complete for cats. Again, it is available from a wide range of retailers, and the Lily’s Kitchen website. Lily’s Kitchen is also offering, alongside their much-loved advent calendars and complete Christmas dinners, a new gift that’s perfect for dogs: The Cracking Festive Treats tin that comes in a reusable tin for woofers to enjoy all year round.   Best pet Christmas treats – a Christmas leftover sandwich Another inspirational festive dish comes from Bella & Duke for their special pet treat this year – a Christmas leftover sandwich suitable for dogs. It’s a turkey and cranberry limited-edition meal which means that your pooch can have something to eat alongside its owners. This tasty canine treat is a festive wonder. The firm’s Matt Scott said: “Christmas isn’t just a holiday for humans anymore but our pets too. We wanted to ensure pets across the country have something to enjoy on the countdown to the big day and are waking up to something special under the tree this season.” Bella & Duke also have an advent calendar filled with turkey stars, duck snowdrops and chicken coins behind every door. The firm is also offering a festive doggy treat in the form of turkey and venison strips that will please most pooches.   oooooooooooo Pets at Home pet treats When it comes to sourcing Christmas pet treats, you don’t just have to scour online for providers, some of our best-known retailers have great ranges in for the festivities. Among them is Pets at Home with an impressive stock of Christmas stockings, pigs in blankets and a Christmas tree selection box for your furry and four-legged friends. They also offer rawhide alternatives and offerings from some of the best-known dog food makers including Pedigree, and Lily’s Kitchen. For those who want to really make a fuss of their pooch, there are sausage dog-shaped treats, candy cane shape treats, as well as venison and thyme dog treat sausages. However, the Christmas.co.uk team were rather taken by the Christmas bone-shaped cookie wreath dog treats which will be eagerly enjoyed when it is opened. Pets at Home also offer an interesting range of Christmas treats for cats including stockings and freeze-dried cheese cube treats and lickable turkey tubes. Both cats and dogs get some great advent calendars to enjoy too. Enjoy this promo from Pets at Home about how they will be helping animal shelters this Christmas. ooooooooooo   Doggy yule logs Merry woofmas! We also love the doggy yule logs from Fred and Ginger which offer a tasty treat for every pooch. Not only dog safe but look like tempting Christmas treats, these are available in lots of outlets including The Range and Pets at Home. The treats are made from dog-friendly carob and there’s a pack of six. As an alternative to chocolate, these logs are a great treat for rewarding a well-behaved pooch. They are also wheat and gluten free, and the logs can be broken into bite-sized chunks as part of a dog’s balanced diet. Fred and Ginger also make the intriguing doggy mince pies which look very tempting. These are a great idea if you are having a mince pie festive break and can’t deal with a pet dog using big eyes for a sample!   oooooooooooooooooo It’s not just about the food! For those who are looking for Christmas treats for pets that are edible, then the team at Yappy have something for you. That’s because they have a wide range of gifts and cards for the pet in your life. These include personalised books and Christmas cards, along with tote bags and a personalised Santa sack. The gifts are for cats and dogs and include mugs and cushions too. If you’re looking for something unusual for the festivities, then the Yappy team will have something of interest. oooooooooooooooooo   Christmas pudding for dogs Yes, you read that right, you can buy Christmas puddings for dogs with Ocado doing the honours. This biscuit-laden yoghurt topped treat is a great way for dogs to enter the festive spirit. Made by Laughing Dog Food, the treats come in boxes of six mini puddings which have been oven-baked and have a crunchy biscuit to help keep your dog’s teeth clean. They have been topped with mouth-watering yoghurt to keep a doggy tail wagging all day.   oooooooooooo Now your dog can meet Santa Paws One of the best treats we’ve come across this year is the opportunity for your pooch to meet Santa Paws. Yes, for £6.99 your furry friend can meet Santa in his grotto, enjoy a selfie and have a special treat to take away. You can combine this with a children’s ticket, so it becomes a complete family experience. You can select your preferred date and time and the present from Santa is suitable for a range of dog sizes. You can even preselect your dog’s gift before arrival. And who is offering the chance for pooches to meet Santa Paws? It’s Dobbies Garden Centres with a range of venues dotted around the country where Santa will be ready and waiting from Boston, Aberdeen, Dundee and York – and lots of places …

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25% of Brits have already started Christmas shopping

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More than a quarter of Brits have already begun their Christmas shopping over fears of supply chain snags and pandemic shortages, a survey reveals. But another survey says that more than 50% of us have decided to start buying for Christmas already. The festive shoppers fear that shelves will be empty of toys leaving them with nothing to give children on Christmas Day. According to Sitecore, 28% of Brits have already begun their Christmas shopping, and 48% say they planning to start Christmas shopping by October. Stock levels affected this Christmas This comes after retailers from supermarkets to toy chains have been warning that there are supply chain issues, including a chronic shortage of lorry drivers, that may lead to stock levels being affected this Christmas. The survey also reveals that there is a move from relying on online shopping because of the pandemic, and 31% of respondents say they will be window shopping to find gifts on the High Street. Also, 23% say they will visit independent small retailers and 21% will be visiting local Christmas markets. The big retailers may worry that 45% of consumers say they are planning to avoid big online retailers, and 43% say they ‘feel lazy’ if they did their Christmas shopping purely online. Despite this, 59% of Brits say they would buy from Amazon for their last-minute purchases. ‘Retailers and brands will face supply chain disruption’ A spokesman said: “Retailers and brands will face supply chain disruption undoubtedly this year for reasons that are out of their control. “This could lead to frustrated customers, as well as negative reviews and a tarnished reputation.” The site says that the retailers and brands that will win Christmas shoppers over this year will deliver high levels of service and manage their supply chain risk. But that’s not all, a survey from offeroftheday.co.uk has found that: 50% of Brits have started Christmas shopping already 14% claim to have finished buying their Christmas gifts already. Planning to make Christmas more special in 2021 The money-saving website found that 63% of respondents say they are planning to make Christmas more special in 2021 to make up for the lost memories and experiences of the pandemic lockdown last year. In addition, of those who haven’t started their Christmas shopping yet, 79% say they are making lists already so they can buy gifts ahead of the festive season and 84% say they are now bookmarking items to buy on their electronic devices. The site found that 76% of UK consumers say that though they are setting more money aside for enjoying Christmas this year, they will stick to previous years’ budgets – because the pandemic has shown the importance of budgeting. The average Christmas 2021 budget for people in the UK, is …