Best cheese hampers, at a glance:
More often than not, simple is best when it comes to gifting for loved ones. We have a tendency to overthink what to buy, especially when it comes to particularly discerning (read: fussy) family members. In which case, when Christmas comes around, and you're searching high and low for that perfect present for a hard to please dad, sometimes it's simplest and easiest to fall back on good old fashioned staples like wine, chocolate, and of course, cheese.
Should you be buying for a cheese lover this festive season, there’s one failsafe route to go down: the cheese hamper. Whether its focus is wine pairings, the region its cheeses come from, whether it comes with accompanying crackers and charcuterie, or even if it's paired, slightly more unconventionally, with chocolate, who could be disappointed opening up a gift box filled with fromage?
Best Christmas cheese hamper overall: Christmas Cheese Selection & Wine Wicker Hamper
House & Garden's verdict:
They impressed us last year with their Luxury Cheese & Wine Hamper, and this year is no different from Snowdonia Cheese Company. At a slightly higher price point than last year's pick, the Christmas Cheese Selection & Wine Wicker Hamper offers more variety, and more cheese, even bringing chocolate into the fold courtesy of artisanal chocolatiers Willie's Cacao. This year the red wine is a fruity Quinta da Fonte Souto, Florao Red 2021 from Portugal. It's the perfect hamper to take along to a festive dinner party, or could be an effortless cheeseboard, readymade for Boxing Day snacking.
Give this hamper to… cheese & wine lovers.
Full list of items included:
- Black Bomber Extra mature Cheddar
- Red Storm Vintage Red Leicester
- Truffle Trove Cheddar with Italian truffles
- Rock Star Cave-aged Cheddar
- Balsamic Caramelised Onion Chutney - Sweet caramelised onions and aged balsamic vinegar
- Fig & Apple Chutney - Rich figs with chunks of Bramley apple
- Rhubarb & Gin Chutney - Sweet, zingy rhubarb with aromatic London dry gin
- Fig & Cranberry Crackers - Delectably sweet and fruity crackers for your cheeseboard
- Black Bomber® Welsh Rarebit Cheese Bake - A rich and velvety Cheddar and ale dip, served hot from the oven
- Willie’s Cacao Chocolate Bar Duo - Two single-estate chocolate bars by Willie’s Cacao
- Quinta da Fonte Souto, Florao Red 2021 - A vibrant, vegan-friendly Portuguese red
- Duo Slate Board
- Large Wicker Hamper - W41.5cm x H19cm x D26cm
Commerce writer's notes:
The wicker hamper is really smart, and made from really sturdy feeling wicker. This makes it ideal for reusing, especially as the fabric lining can be removed, because the prominent branding on the front may put off some from displaying it in their home. Delivery was free, fast and easy, with all the items securely packaged inside with cooling bags to keep the cheeses fresh. Though we did note that the weight of the cheeses had slightly bashed the cracker boxes, though the crackers inside remained intact.
While it's most apt for those searching for the perfect savoury hamper, we love the addition of chocolate to this selection, making it truly the best of both worlds and pleasing those with a sweet tooth too. When testing, we heated the Black Bomber cheese fondue bake in the microwave. However, we would definitely recommend finishing it off under the grill, to achieve a golden, bubbling finish on top. The fig and cranberry crackers are very sweet, and one thing I would say is there aren't really enough in one box for all four cheeses, so you are best off adding some bread or extra crackers to the table if serving it all at once. At team House & Garden, we are particular fans of the Black Bomber and Truffle Trove, though all the cheeses are delicious and each have something subtly different to offer.
For £95 (only £15 more than our top Snowdonia pick last year), we think this premium offering from the cheese company is well worth the money, and is still much more affordable than many of its competitors.
Best luxury cheese hamper: The Newt Grazing Hamper
Best for: beautifully presented cheese and charcuterie from the West Country.
Alcohol: Yes
Number of items: 13
With 13 items, including three local cheeses and three different cured meats, this luxurious selection box would make a crowd-pleasing gift for any cheese lover to share with friends or family. The Newt never disappoints when it comes to quality and curation, and as there are no sweet treats included in this hamper, we'd recommend adding on a box of their unbelievably delicious homemade crumble-topped mince pies - you'll never want to go back to generic supermarket ones after trying them.
Best cheese hamper for gifting: Daylesford Cheese & Crackers Gift Set
Best for: affordable gifting.
Alcohol: No
Number of items: 5
More gift box than hamper, Daylesford's affordable offering is an ideal present for any cheese lover. It includes two wax truckle cheeses, two packs of oatcakes as well as fig, balsamic and apple chutney, all packaged up neatly in a smart reusable tin. Everything you could you need for a splendid cheeseboard for one!
Best cheese hamper for families: Snowdonia Luxury Cheese & Wine Hamper
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Best for: luxury
Alcohol: Yes
Number of items: 10
The best in the business when it comes to cheese, Snowdonia's £70 hamper has everything you could possibly need for the ultimate cheese board. With four different cheeses, crackers, a selection of chutneys (the balsamic caramelised onion is a particularly winning formula), and a bottle of Portuguese red wine to wash it down with, we were left wanting for nothing with this hamper. A particular highlight is the fondue cheese bake, a ready to melt cheddar dip. Apart from the wine, which should of course be reserved for parents only, we felt that the flavoured cheddars and melted bake and sweet chutneys would be easy to please even the fussiest of children.
Best budget cheese hamper: Virginia Hayward Cheese & Wine Tray
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Best for: Variety
Alcohol: Yes
Number of items: 8
A brilliant gift for any cheese lover and one of the best value cheese hampers we've seen, this sweet wooden tray (apt for reuse) is full to the brim with stilton, cheddar, a range of crackers, and wine. Alongside them you'll find a classic caramelised onion chutney.
Best hamper for Italian cheese: La Fromagerie Northern Italian Cheese & Wine Board
Best for: Italian cheese
Alcohol: Yes
Number of items: 9
With a focus on Italian cheese, La Fromagerie delivers four delicious picks in a stylish canvas bag, accompanied by biscuits, truffle honey and two bottles of wine. This is the hamper to opt for if you're after an edit of excellent regional cheeses, from a cheesemonger.
For a comprehensive guide to more covetable hampers that go beyond cheese and wine, head over to our round-up of the nine best Christmas hampers for 2025.
