We wanted to build a hamper that avoided everything we dislike about hampers: the straw, the miniatures, the sachet of something nobody asked for.
So we started with one rule. Every item had to be something a person would genuinely eat, and every item had to be certified organic. Not "natural". Not "wholesome". Certified.
We ended up with five. Here's what they are, why each one made the cut, and who we think the hamper suits, as well as who it doesn't.
The five items
1. Chocolate & Love Organic 55% Chocolate with Sea Salt & Caramel, 80g
The one to open first. Crunchy caramel pieces through a smooth 55% chocolate, with a pinch of sea salt at the end that keeps it from being too sweet.
Why it's here. It's won a Great Taste Award, the food awards run by the Guild of Fine Food, where judges taste every entry blind. They described it as "well balanced and delicious" and said the salty finish "left us craving more". The cacao is bought directly from Fairtrade cooperatives in Peru and the Dominican Republic.
Worth knowing. The caramel is made with whole milk powder and butter, so this bar isn't vegan.
2. Bennetto Organic Toasted Hazelnut Dark Chocolate, 80g
A 60% dark chocolate with 12% toasted hazelnuts, made in Switzerland from certified organic, Fairtrade ingredients.
Why it's here. It's the counterpoint to the first bar: darker, less sweet, and properly nutty. Bennetto is also a certified B Corporation, which means the company has been independently assessed on how it treats its workers, suppliers and the environment.
Worth knowing. This bar is vegan and gluten free.
If you've ever wondered why a bar like this costs more than a supermarket multipack, we explain it in why real chocolate is so expensive.
3. Stock & Bite Organic Whole Cashew Nuts, 1kg
A full kilo. One ingredient, nothing added, with 17 g of protein per 100 g.
Why it's here. Because a hamper should outlast the evening it's opened. The chocolate will be gone within days. The cashews will still be in the cupboard weeks later, going into stir-fries and curries, blended into cashew cream, or eaten by the handful.
How to keep them fresh. Decant them into an airtight jar once opened and keep them somewhere cool and dark. There's more in our guide to storing nuts so they never go rancid.
4. Whole Food Earth Organic Cacao Nibs, 250g
Crushed cacao beans from Peru. This is chocolate before anything has been added to it: no sugar, no milk, nothing but the bean.
Why it's here. They're the surprise in the box. Cacao nibs are crunchy and properly bitter, with a flavour somewhere between dark chocolate and roasted coffee. Most people haven't cooked with them, and once they have, they tend to keep a bag in the cupboard.
How to use them. Scatter over porridge, yoghurt or a smoothie bowl. Stir through cookie dough or banana bread in place of chocolate chips. Or add a spoonful to granola.
5. Whole Food Earth Organic Dried Mango Slices, 250g
Chewy, intensely sweet slices of mango from Burkina Faso, with no added sugar.
Why it's here. Something sweet that isn't chocolate. Dried mango sits happily next to the cashews for an afternoon snack, and chopped into flapjacks or muffins it adds sweetness without extra sugar.
Why these five work together
Something now, something later. Two chocolate bars to open straight away, and three store-cupboard items that keep for months. The gift doesn't end on the first night.
Sweet, bitter, salty, nutty. Salted caramel, dark hazelnut, bitter cacao, sweet mango and plain cashews. There's no single flavour repeated.
Full-size products. Nothing here is a sample. The cashews alone are a kilo.
Certified all the way through. All five items are certified organic, and both chocolate bars are Fairtrade.
Who it's for
People who care where their food comes from. Someone who reads labels, buys organic and would notice the difference between a Fairtrade bar and a supermarket gift box.
Chocolate lovers who've outgrown milk chocolate. Both bars are grown-up chocolate, and the cacao nibs will interest anyone curious about where chocolate starts.
Anyone hard to buy for. A hamper of good food is a safe gift that doesn't feel like a safe gift.
Someone who cooks. The cashews, cacao nibs and mango are all ingredients as much as snacks.
As a thank you. For a teacher, a neighbour, a colleague or a host. It's generous without being extravagant.
Who it isn't for
We'd rather say this plainly than have a hamper go to the wrong person.
Vegans. The Chocolate & Love bar contains milk powder and butter, so the hamper as a whole is vegetarian, not vegan. The Bennetto bar on its own is vegan.
Anyone with a nut allergy. The hamper contains cashews and hazelnuts. Some items may also contain traces of almonds and peanuts, and the cashews, cacao nibs and mango are packed in an environment that handles nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, celery, soya and gluten.
Anyone with a milk allergy. The salted caramel bar contains milk, and the Bennetto bar may contain traces of it.
Someone who'd rather have savoury. This hamper leans sweet. For someone who prefers nuts, seeds and something to pick at, the Healthy Grazing Hamper is a better fit.
For more on matching a hamper to the person, see how to choose a food hamper someone will actually eat.
Storing everything
Keep the cashews, cacao nibs and mango in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. The bags aren't resealable, so transfer them to airtight containers once they're open.
Keep the chocolate away from sunlight and heat, ideally between 15 and 18°C. The fridge isn't a good place for it: chocolate picks up moisture and other flavours there, and can develop a white bloom on the surface. It's still safe to eat, but it loses its snap.
Full allergy information
Contains cashew nuts, hazelnuts and milk. May also contain almonds, peanuts and soya. Suitable for vegetarians. Full ingredients for every item are listed on the product page. Always read the label on each product when it arrives.
