Best food and drink advent calendar for a gourmet-filled Christmas

We always feel like a kid in a candy shop when walking around Fortnum & Mason’s food hall. In what feels like a supermarket sweep of its best bits, it’s covered all the bases in this 25-day beast of an advent calendar. With booze (gin, rum, vodka and champagne), sweet treats, such as earl grey biscuits and lemon curd, as well as the most delightful savoury bites (including the signature Piccadilly piccalilli) – the foodie in your life will be delighted. When only the finest in life will do, this is the crème de la crème of advent calendars.

Forget everything you thought you knew about marshmallows. Handcrafted in small batches, Belinda (who also happens to produce for Fortnum & Mason) makes her grown-up mallows with natural ingredients, coming up with divine flavours such as elderflower, passionfruit and coconut. It really is a beautiful calendar, complete with magnetic closure and 24 mini present boxes which we’ll keep and refill next year. As each little daily box contains two pieces, this would be a lovely one to share as a couple – or keep to yourself, we’re not judging. In total there are nine different flavours to discover (all of which are naturally gluten-free) with a delicious hot chocolate stick on Christmas eve.

This year Joe & Seph is celebrating its 10th anniversary by turning its original popcorn advent calendar into a boozy minibar. Folding out to display 24 doors, you’ll find crowd-pleasing flavours such as espresso martini, prosecco and gin and tonic, alongside the more experimental pale ale popcorn. These really do taste like the real deal, with each one containing a minimum 5 per cent real alcohol. There are 12 flavours in total, so each will repeat once.

If you’re religious about starting the day with jam on toast, this is absolutely the advent calendar for you. Behind the first 23 days, you’ll find a cute 30g glass jar of limited-edition flavours that are not normally available in the UK. With no repeats, you can expect the likes of fig and cardamom jam or the citrus-spiked lemon and yuzu marmalade. We don’t want to give away the big surprise, but you’ll get something extra special on Christmas Eve.

Put the kettle on but make it fashion because this is tea for the ‘gram. Housed in a gorgeous, bold pop art inspired pink calendar, we love the 24 big chunky windows within. There are 12 flavours inside, all encased in no faff pyramid bags. Wake up to a powerful ginger and orange black tea, get through the afternoon slump with a fruity infusion and doze off with chamomile and peach. It’s not style over substance either, five of the flavours have recently picked up Great Taste awards. All can be enjoyed hot, or if we happen to have unseasonably warm weather – iced! Who knew tea could be so cool?

Don’t have room for a tree this year? Arriving like flatpack Ikea furniture (but mercifully with easier to follow instructions), Candy Kittens is leaving it in your capable hands to create a 3D advent tree. Arriving with four bags of sweets destined for your countdown boxes, the vegan-friendly flavours include wild strawberry, sour watermelon, tropical mango and blueberry bliss. Just make sure they actually make it into the boxes or else someone’s going to be pretty disappointed come 1 December.

If you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful option that isn’t your traditional chocolate, this bright orange offering from Reese’s should do the trick. Featuring a very cool DJ Santa on the front, it contains the delicious milk chocolate peanut cup we know and love, as well as white and dark chocolate versions too. The real magic comes on Christmas Eve where you’ll find two full-sized sweet treats. Who are you calling a big kid?

Call us Scrooge but we can’t bear the excess packaging so often associated with Christmas cheer. Munchkings seems to agree so have made its savoury snacking calendar with recyclable cardboard, swapping the plastic insides for a cardboard cross-section. In fact, it’s even gone one better, printing dad jokes behind each door and a word search on the back. In terms of treats, you’ll find the likes of smoked almonds, chilli coated peanuts and a corn combo mix.

While we did put other cheese advent calendars to the test, we found that the original is still by far the most convenient for storing in the fridge (it fits in the door!). Packed with 24 individually wrapped cheeses, with five brand new flavours to 2020’s line-up to keep things interesting. Tuck into vintage PDO cheddar, enjoy the nutty notes in the aged red Leicester and try one of Britain’s oldest cheeses, the derby with sage. There are eight flavours in total so expect some repeats.

Time to get into your cosiest PJs because this stunning art deco inspired box contains 12 decadent hot chocolates. It’s such great quality, it would be a shame to throw away once empty. Each of the 24 beautifully printed drawers contains two servings of flavoured hot chocolate so choose who you’ll share this one with carefully.