Tag: 2021

best beer advent calendars

The best beer advent calendars for 2021

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For the beer lover in your life, here’s a guide to the best beer advent calendars for 2021 to ensure they have a hoppy Christmas! While many people believe that advent calendars are for children, this is now a growing trend for adults to enjoy a little tipple in the countdown to the festivities. And for beer lovers, there are some great beer advent calendars available that will help them look forward to the big day and discover great new brews. There are some great craft beer advent calendars available from some well-known providers including BrewDog and Tiny Rebel. They tend to contain 24 unusual or award-winning beers, and sometimes breweries will brew a beer specifically for their calendar, so drinkers get to enjoy a limited edition offering. However, this also means that the beer lover in your life will have to restrict their enjoyment of these beers to just one day! It’s also great that some 2021 advent calendars are available with popular snacks, some also come with a free drinking glass, while others offer access to events, including online tastings. So, if you’d like to enjoy a lovely beer every night during December, then beer advent calendars are for you.   London Beer Lab Advent Calendar First up for our guide to the best beer advent calendars for 2021, is this offering from London Beer Lab. In a specially created box, each of the beers has been gift wrapped individually for the recipient to enjoy. One of the big attractions for this creation is that the team behind it are supporting #drinklocal and are using beers from other London-based breweries. Part of this is to reduce ‘beer miles’ but also support other independent producers in the capital. It costs £89.   Beer Hawk beer advent calendar 2021 One of the most popular beer advent calendars comes from Beer Hawk and there’s a lot to like about the offering for 2021. The calendar costs £85 and contains 25 beers in what is an impeccable curation of tasty offerings. This year’s delights come from the likes of Mikkeller, Omnipollo, Thornbridge, Tiny Rebel and Basqueland, and the well-designed box makes for an attractive feature wherever it is put. The beer in this collection has been brewed exclusively for the Beer Hawk calendar and come from around the world. This is one of the UK’s most popular advent calendars for beer lovers and drinkers get to enjoy a tasty East Coast pale ale from Mikkeller, a Dues Vivant from Belgium’s Bosteels brewery, and a very tasty IPA from Omnipollo brewery – which apparently has a ‘modern touch’.   Beer advent calendar from Brew Cavern We would like to tell you what the Brew Cavern offering is for 2021, but it’s a surprise. Well, that’s what they told us, and they want to maintain the element of surprise with this very popular creation offers 24 great beers for £120. From IPAs to hoppy ales, and a strong Imperial Stout and this is an offering for those who really do like to explore a fresh taste in beers. Each of the brews has been individually wrapped to deliver a very tasty surprise for the calendar’s recipient as they countdown to Christmas. This isn’t an advent in the accepted sense, each brew has been individually numbered but with a range of styles, this is a great addition to any beer lover’s collection.   Low and no alcohol beer advent calendars One of the growing trends is the growing popularity of low and no alcohol beers and here the Dry Drinker website is worth a visit. This year, their advent consists of 12 cans and 12 bottles of surprise beers that have been selected for their great flavours and quality. There’s also a free branded tasting glass and the beers include a lively lager, craft beers and stouts. The total cost of the low alcohol beer advent calendar is £54.99 which includes delivery. The market for low and alcohol-free beverages is growing quickly and owner Stuart Elkington told us: “Advent calendars are an undeniable part of the fun of Christmas and last year we took the leap, and it was so popular we’re doing it again. “However, there’s such an appetite now for alcohol-free and people wanting to be part of Christmas festivities but without having to resort to booze – especially so early in the month!”   The BrewDog advent calendar 2021 A perennial favourite when it comes to the best beer advent calendars is the offering from BrewDog. And this year is no different with a craft beer advent calendar filled with 24 great beers. 14 of these beers are new, four are online exclusives and six have been brewed specifically for Christmas 2021. It’s also possible when ordering online, that if you’re buying the BrewDog beer advent calendar 2021 as a gift, that you can add a message which will be sent as a digital creation. The BrewDog advent costs £49.95 with a range of pale ales and IPAs among the offering. The BrewDog brewery tends to create eye-catching brews and their advent calendar contains a New England IPA which tastes of lavender and fruit. Another new England IPA is Double Hazy which tastes of lime, mango and pineapple with an ABV of 7.2%. Craft beer fans will also find session IPA has a taste of tangerine and there’s an interesting, salted caramel Stout.   The Snaffling Pig Pork Crackling & Beer Advent Calendar 2021 If you like a nice beer with a snack, then about Snaffling Pig pork crackling & beer advent calendar? It is growing in popularity every year and there’s a lot to like. Along with 12 cans of beer, you also get 12 bags of cracking crackling. The beer includes Wild Hog session ale, Mighty Swine lager and Twisted Tail pale ale to whet your appetite. The crackling comes in a range of flavours such as Low and Slow BBQ, Perfectly Salted and Marvellous Maple. The firm says that their packets of crackling are good until March – and this is a great advent calendar for beer lovers.   Beer52 Craft Beer Advent Calendar 2021 Another popular choice as a craft beer advent is the offering from Beer52. Their £59.99 craft beer advent calendar has 24 beers that come from 14 different countries. This is a real treat for beer lovers who really do like to explore other tastes and beer types and the beer comes from 16 breweries. The breweries include Browar Stu Mostow, Fierce Beer, Lervig, North Brewing Co and Peninsula. There’s also a limited-edition tasting glass included. Not only are the Beer52 craft beers super fresh, but the firm also says that the packaging has also been improved to be more robust. And to help make this an even more attractive offering, there’s a scratch card enclosed that will see the winner enjoy a year’s beer subscription with Beer52.   HonestBrew Craft Beer Advent Calendar 2021 Another popular beer advent that we feature on the Christmas.co.uk website is the creation from HonestBrew. One of the big attractions is that the advent calendar is a showcase for independent breweries in Europe and the UK. For the 2021 craft beer advent calendar from HonestBrew, there are 12 new collaborations to underline the calendar’s popularity with beer lovers. The recipient enjoys a full-sized bottle hidden behind each of the 24 doors. And if you’re a member of HonestBrew, then you enjoy a discount. This year, HonestBrew has also added a QR code on the box to explain more about the beers inside, and there are also opportunities to win prizes.   Tiny Rebel craft beer advent calendar 2021 A fast-rising name in the world of craft beer production, are the offerings from Tiny Rebel. The firm’s beer advent calendar contains 25 new and exclusive beers and there’s also a tasting glass included too. Tiny Rebel says that the calendar contains 25 collectable cans and that these will not be available again and will only be enjoyed with their advent calendar. The case also includes Tiny Rebel playing cards and there’s the opportunity of a January discount for 6,000 calendar buyers. The Tiny Rebel craft beer advent calendar costs £87.50 and consists of 10 exclusive 440 ml cans, and 15 exclusive 330 ml cans. Of these, 17 are vegan, five of them have an ABV of 10% plus and the varieties include IPAs, stouts as well as Nordic beers.   Virgin Wines Beer Advent Calendar 2021 Our final recommendation for beer advent calendar in 2021, is this offering from Virgin Wines. While the company has obviously become famous for supplying great wines, it also offers some interesting and very tasty beers. Indeed, their beer advent calendars are growing in popularity and this year there are 24 exclusive beers from some of the country’s top brewers. Drinkers get to enjoy lagers, IPAs and pale ales and all deliver a great flavour. Virgin says that the beers are being made with the best quality ingredients and they are exclusive to their calendar. The Virgin Wines beer advent costs £79.99 but it is one of the best offerings currently available.   Unusual craft beer advent calendars to consider in 2021 Along with the award-winning craft beer advent calendars we’ve mentioned here to consider in 2021, it’s worth noting some of the other intriguing and excellent offerings. For those who love a chocolate advent calendar, then FodaBox has a craft beer and chocolate surprise advent calendar. It costs £74.99 and manages to bring together great tasting beer, including crisp craft lagers, some excellent pale ales with 12 sweet treats including chocolate-drizzle fudge and creamy chocolate bars. We are also big fans of the Beerwulf beer advent calendar which cost £65.99. The brewery says that this year’s creation is ‘bigger and beerier’ than ever before. There are 24 beers from unique brewers and for anybody wanting an unusual and tasty Christmas cheer, then this is the advent calendar for you. We also like the John Lewis beer advent calendar, which is a great start to Christmas. It comes in very attractive packaging and costs £80 with 24 bottles from Curious Brewing, Thornbridge and Toast – and others. The John Lewis beer advent tends to be very popular so if you like the sound of it, you need to act quickly …

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 …

Christmas food hampers

Great Christmas food hampers for 2021

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Whether they are for you, or a treat for a loved one, great Christmas food hampers for 2021 are an indulgent gift packed with festive treats. Here, we look at some of the best Christmas food hampers around containing everything from savoury and sweet delights to alcohol and tea. There’s no doubt that receiving a hamper is a lovely surprise, particularly at Christmas when many of us like to indulge ourselves with treats, and a Christmas hamper is an excellent way to introduce people to new tastes and products. So, while many hampers and gift boxes will have usual Christmas staples such as cheese boards, puddings and biscuits, there are also hampers around offering popular favourites from around the world and lovely items to delight from the UK. Many of these creations come in a wicker basket and there are hampers ranging across various price points to deliver the perfect gift to impress. So, whether you have a sweet tooth, or like sweet and savoury delights including Christmas cake, mince pies or Christmas pudding, a festive hamper is a great way to enjoy Christmas Day. And most luxury hamper creators will create Christmas food hampers that will have enough for the following days including, for example, a tasty Boxing Day chutney to round off the perfect afternoon tea. Here, the Christmas.co.uk team have sampled some of the best offerings to deliver our verdict on which are the great Christmas food hampers for 2021.   Carluccio’s Italian supper hampers If someone in your life really does enjoy cooking, then it’s time to spoil your chef with the Carluccio’s Italian supper hamper. It costs £36 and offers new sources and infused oils along with authentic Italian pastas. It’s a great treat or there’s the Italian larder hamper for £69 which will feed a family of four with three excellent meals. Again, it has a variety of pasta and organic vegetable sources. Carluccio’s is also offering several alcohol hampers including the ‘Merry Spritzmas’ hamper at £59 which includes a new Clemente Panettone which is coated in dark chocolate, two spritz glasses and a bottle of Prosecco and Aperol. Not to be outdone, there’s also the Arancia gin hamper at £69 with various flavoured goodies, stylish glassware as well as a premium wooden chopping board and the Clementine panettone. We were also taken by the Carluccio’s Ciocclatto Chocolate Hamper at £40 which is a real chocoholic street. With various chocolate bars and biscuits, it’s an interesting offering that probably won’t last for long when opened on Christmas Day!   Fine Cheese Co ‘First Impressions’ For the cheese lover in your life, the Fine Cheese Co offers this excellent ‘First Impressions’ of four new kinds of cheese at £35. The hamper consists of four of the firm’s new cheese discoveries over the past year and which have obviously proved popular with customers. They include Culpeper cheese from The Old Cheese Room which is rolled into a ball and has been dusted with a variety of English herbs. There’s also Ashcombe, which is a supple and smooth cheese with a striking line of ash that runs through the middle of it. Cheese lovers also get Old Road Wensleydale which is a buttery and rich offering that has a refreshing acidity. The fourth cheese is Lady Grey which is a refined goat cheese offering from St James Cheese.   British Regional Hampers’ Christmas celebration We think one of the best curated ranges of Christmas hampers comes from British Regional Hampers who are supporting local small businesses. The hampers consist of limited edition and very tasty British produce with lots of environmentally friendly products. As memorable and unique gifts go, the firm offers something for everyone, and we are rather taken by the Christmas Celebration Hamper at £160. The recipient gets to enjoy English ‘bubbles’ to enjoy on its own, or as an English version of a Kir-Royal-with-a-twist – which is paired with Blue Aurora’s Blueberry ‘Eiswein’. There’s also organic Cotswold brie, beechwood-smoked duck breast, handmade spiced plum chutney, beechwood-smoked salmon and seasonal mince pie chocolates. There’s also the tasty Warwickshire hamper at £85 which contains a bottle of liquor from the Ragley Estate, handmade cheese shortbread that is ready-to-bake and an impressive ploughman’s platter with cheese and a cracking pork pie. There are also chocolate bars and fresh coffee beans. We also loved the alcohol-free hamper with spicey tomato juice and a grazing platter that includes cheese, salmon and duck. Social Supermarket Christmas hampers There’s no reason why you can’t do some good when you want to treat someone to a Christmas hamper or even a gift box. If that’s the case, the people at Social Supermarket are worth considering with an impressive range of hampers that have been hand-picked from various social enterprises. And if you buy two of their gifts, they will plant a tree. Essentially, these are ethical hampers that have been packed with sustainable gifts for gin connoisseurs, and craft beer fans or simply those who love chocolate treats. The Christmas.co.uk team really liked the ‘White Oak Christmas’ hamper at £124.99. It’s packed with everything to enjoy a delicious Christmas Day with from pale ale beer, Malbec wine and Prosecco rose wines. There are also tasty coffee beans, English breakfast tea bags, an assortment of Neopolitans, tasty oatcakes and a richly fruited Christmas cake, among other items. The Social Supermarket also do other, lower priced treats including a ‘Festive fare chocolate letterbox gift set’ at £15.99 with some very tasty chocolate bars, milk chocolate coins and Traidcraft chocolate chip biscuits.   Sam’s Larder ‘Santa Baby’ Hamper Among the offbeat offerings this year is a very tasty Christmas hamper from Sam’s Larder – the popular Hammersmith restaurant with a deli attached. While the hamper costs £375, it is packed with quality food and drink including Vallebona traditional panettone, Christmas pudding and a chocolate Father Christmas. The hamper’s recipient will also get to enjoy hazelnut crunch truffles and Melrose and Morgan dark chocolate Florentines.   Other great Christmas food hampers to consider Harvey Nichols ‘Night Before Christmas hamper’ Memorable mentions for Great Christmas food hampers include the Harvey Nichols ‘Night Before Christmas hamper‘ priced at £90. While some people will enjoy Christmas Eve boxes, this offering offers wine, tasty snacks and nibbles – a great way to relax after you have spent the last few hours furiously wrapping Christmas presents.   Marianna Leivaditaki Aegean special box We also love a real foodie delight from Marianna Leivaditaki, the head chef at Morito in Hackney. She’s put together an impressive range of small hampers including the Aegean special box at £45. It contains a homemade chocolate bar with sour cherries, along with red wine and cinnamon biscuits, Cretan mountain tea and Cretan time honey. It’s an unusual but impressive creation.   Oliveology ‘Christmas Showstopper’ hamper Another great outfit to consider is the ‘Christmas Showstopper’ hamper from Oliveology at £105. This is packed with festive delicacies including olive leaf tea, truffle oil and raw pine honey with honeycomb. There are also almond biscuits, dried figs, rusted hazelnuts and chilli vinegar among other items. The hamper is a real treat for anyone who loves a Mediterranean diet or quality items to deliver a tasty distraction.   Biscuiteers’ Christmas offerings We also enjoyed the Christmas offerings from the Biscuiteers – who also impressed us last year. They have brought back their popular biscuit tin Monopoly and these talented craftspeople have also created ‘The Snowman’ biscuit tin. The attractive tin costs £38 and contains The Snowman, a Christmas tree and other characters in biscuit form – which are delicious. There are also letterbox biscuit gifts in the shape of The Snowman, and Santa’s sleigh. The website also has a Nutcracker gift box at £105 which has a Christmas cake, some very impressive handmade biscuits and a bottle of Prosecco. While it’s not strictly speaking a hamper, it does …

Luxury Christmas hampers front

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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14 great Christmas hampers to impress in 2021

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Everyone knows that you need a good supply of food and drink to deliver an enjoyable Christmas and here we reveal 14 great Christmas hampers to impress in 2021. It helps too that for many people, there’s no better way to enjoy the festivities than with a luxury Christmas hamper that is overflowing with treats. And while most of these creations are delivered in a wicker basket, they make an ideal Christmas gift for just about everyone. And should you be feeling indulgent, or simply tempted by some of the hampers we highlight here, you can always buy one for yourself! Choosing Christmas hampers to impress The main aim when choosing Christmas hampers to impress is that you need to appreciate how and when the hamper will be enjoyed. That’s because there’s a wide range of choices available, from afternoon tea selections, Christmas Eve hampers and food hampers for connoisseurs. There are also tea and chocolate hampers, as well as cheese hampers and unusual wine hampers. Essentially, if you want to deliver a festive treat in a wicker basket, whether it’s packed with bottles of wine, mince pies, or even hot chocolate or olive oil, they make a great Christmas gift. Most of the traditional Christmas hampers for 2021 will include Christmas cake and Christmas pudding with traditional favourites from John Lewis impressing, and there are also unusual offerings – such as those from the likes of Hotel Chocolat. There’s no doubt that great Christmas hampers to impress will deliver a festive treat that the recipient will enjoy – and they can use the wicker basket in future months.   Daylesford Organic Notting Hill hamper Every year, we enjoy the tasty festive offerings from Daylesford Organic, a popular farm with a great range to offer. Along with the artisan ham and cheese hamper at £135, and a ‘Night Before Christmas’ hamper at £125, we were taken by the Notting Hill hamper at £150. It has been named after their organic farm shop in Westbourne Grove and is filled with some of Daylesford’s most popular sweet treats, biscuits and popular wines. The lucky recipient gets to enjoy wines, organic ground coffee, as well as organic plum chutney. There’s also an organic Christmas cake that comes in a tin and there’s dark chocolate with golden honeycomb to enjoy too. We also like the Oxfordshire honey and the sparkling organic apple juice. This is an indulgent way to spend a few hours over the festive period and it’s something that will delight the recipient. The offering comes in a white wicker hamper that has been lined with linen. It’s a very impressive creation and will certainly please the recipient. Sir Ian Botham Twelve Days of Christmas Advent Box If there’s a cricket lover in your life, then the Sir Ian Botham Twelve Days of Christmas Advent Box is certainly worth considering. Inside the bespoke wooden wine case, there’s a collection of wines with individually numbered bottles. The hamper includes a signed iconic photo from the cricketer’s 1981 famous game, plus truffle chocolates. The hamper costs £249 and it’s an unusual and intriguing gift for those who like wine and admire Sir Ian Botham. It’s a creation from Wine Delivered and they also offer Christmas gifts from Kylie Minogue wine offerings, plus Gary Barlow’s venture into the world of wine.   Delicario Adventurous Vegan Hamper For that someone in your life who likes traditional Italian cuisine and really wants to enjoy some artisanal offerings, the Delicario Adventurous Vegan Hamper is certainly worth considering. The niche online delicatessen has put together a lovely vegan Christmas hamper that costs £60 and has a range of very tasty plant-based treats, including a pure Mallorcan sea salt and organic spelt spaghetti. There’s also unique Zibibbo grape jam and gluten-free hazelnut cookies from Veneto. Not to be outdone, this is a vegan hamper that also contains ‘the world’s best hazelnuts’ that have been gently roasted. There’s no doubt that this is a very tasty offering and for the vegan recipient, you can add a greeting card with a personal message too.   Melrose and Morgan Festive Gourmand Luxury Christmas Hamper If you really want to push the boat out with a festive treat for someone who loves artisanal food, then the Melrose and Morgan Festive Gourmand Luxury Christmas hamper is worth considering. It costs £295, but this renowned North London kitchen and grocer has put together an impressive Christmas offering. They say that this is a festive hamper for the ultimate foodie and we can’t disagree with an impressive contents list including champagne, artisan crackers, a sourdough panettone, marmalade and Boxing Day chutney. The hamper also includes a traditional Christmas pudding along with a Christmas marzipan cake, plus there’s a mulled wine syrup, a luxury praline and ganache box, plus a jar of apple and fig chutney. For anyone who loves traditional, small batch impressive food, then this hamper from Melrose and Morgan is a winner.   Food Lover’s Gift Box Hamper For something a little unusual for a foodie recipient, how about a smoked food hamper from the Black Mountains Smokery? The food lover’s gift box hamper costs £75 and is packed with delicious meat, fish as well as Welsh artisan chocolate for tastebuds to enjoy. The hamper includes sliced smoked salmon, smoked duck and chicken breast, free range ham plus there is a smoked Welsh cheddar and smoked pumpkin and sunflower seeds. It’s the ideal gift for a discerning food lover and Black Mountains Smokery also offers hampers that fall into three price categories. Along with the gift box hamper, they offer hamper boxes at £49 and gourmet hamper boxes for £95.   John Lewis and Partners the Chelsea hamper One of the most popular retailers at Christmas is John Lewis, and their Chelsea hamper at £100 is impressive. It’s something of a bestseller and consists of English teatime favourites including wine, coffee and peanuts. There are also chocolate bars, olive snacks and crisps. Recipients also get to enjoy an excellent marmalade and there’s some very tasty all-butter milk chocolate millionaire shortbread to enjoy too. Everything is delivered in a willow basket that can be used for future storage purposes – or outdoor eating adventures in the summer. John Lewis and Partners also offers a festive treat hamper for £60, an elegant afternoon tea treats hamper at £100 and a Christmas ladder box also at £100. John Lewis really does push the boat out at Christmas, and all of their Christmas hampers have excellent choices for recipients to enjoy.   Hotel Chocolat Absolute Classics hamper It’s living up to a big claim to satisfy all of your festive chocolate desires, but the Hotel Chocolat Absolute Classics hamper is a real treat. It costs £80 and includes chocolate macarons, chocolate batons and a delicious hot chocolate powder. There’s also a lovely selection box of chocolates and a pink champagne truffles tin. This is an indulgent offering, but for a chocolate-loving recipient, it will hit the target with a tasty selection – though we doubt they will last long! Hotel Chocolat also offers other excellent choccy hampers, plus classic Christmas chocolate boxes, a chocolate Christmas cracker and a winter puddings chocolate box.   Other great Christmas hampers to impress in 2021 Another restaurant offering a very tasty Christmas hamper is Jikoni and we like their ‘Hug in a box’ offering at £85. Along with three jars of chutney, their special block print napkins and a bottle of English sparkling wine, there’s also a paan and cashew fudge and the addictive Jikoni mix. For those who like great flavours for their cooking, then Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil offer various Christmas gifts, including a ‘Yorkshire favourites collection’. There are six delicious products from the firm’s range, plus a recipe sheet to enjoy the offering. It costs £25 and you also get the chance to send a handwritten message to the recipient. If you run a business, or you’ve been handed the responsibility of sourcing corporate hampers, then Peach Hampers is for you. They have a wide range of hampers available at a range of prices, including the ‘Fireside Feast’ corporate hamper at £64.99. You can choose the drink you want, including an alcohol-free choice, with a collection of chocolates and Yorkshire crisps. There are also biscuits and mince pies and it’s all wrapped in a luxury hamper that has double leather straps. We also like the offering from Healthy Nibbles who have put together some Christmas hampers this year packed with healthy snacks that are free from sweeteners and preservatives, artificial colours and hydrated fats. Of the hampers, we like ‘Everything but the Tipple’ hamper at £20 which comes with Budweiser gourmet popcorn, crisps, olives, truffle nuts and crackling. Essentially, the hamper is a great way to enjoy a tipple with a friend while enjoying healthy and sustainable nibbles. For many people, a festive hamper is a real treat and the offering from Honey & Co this year impresses. The restaurant chain dishes up Middle Eastern food, and their Christmas treats hamper at £75 will impress. Along with salt roasted corn nuts, various biscuits and a giant gingerbread cookie, there’s also tasty fig, chocolate and hazelnut Christmas cake to enjoy. For cheese lovers, Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses have a range of Christmas hampers this year including the ‘Cheese Lovers Feast gift bag’ at £60. They say this is the ultimate gift for a cheese lover with some great farmhouse cheeses including a Stratford blue cheese, a soft goat cheese and a Rothbury red Leicester. There’s also a Lancashire cheese and a baby Bluestacks blue cheese included. The gift bag also includes chutney and sourdough flatbread. The last Christmas hampers we should highlight come from Aldi and this popular supermarket really does impress with their offerings. Last year, the Aldi Christmas hamper range sold out quickly and this year is expected to be the same. There’s the chocolate celebration hamper at £29.99, which is packed with various sweet treats including chocolate stirrers, and there’s the vegan hamper, also priced at £29.99 with a bottle of vegan wine, salted caramel truffles and a vegan Christmas pudding. There’s even the ‘Ultimate Decadence’ hamper that costs £149.99 and is new for this year with a range of Christmas puddings and savoury and saucy surprises, it’s packed with 35 items to make Christmas …

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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 …

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