Bring one of the following along to a Christmas house party and your host and hostess will sing with thankful joy. Gold, frankincense and myrrh not included.
Arriving with gifts is a given when you’re invited to stay at Christmas. Gifts for the man of the house, the lady and assorted sprogs. (Read our definitive Christmas gift guide here for ideas.)
However a well-chosen present to imbibe or feast upon will see you race straight to the top of the popularity stakes (and may even result in a future invitation).
Deposit any of the below on the hall table, along with a cheery: “Thought this might come in useful” and you’ll earn the moniker of perfect guest.
The Fortnums Classic Christmas Hamper
£200
Pull out all the stops with a classic hamper from Fortnums. Deliciously practical, it contains tipples, truffles, pickles, cognac butter, seasonal biscuits and some fizz. One to delve into throughout the festive season. (Read our full round-up of Christmas hampers here.)
Daylesford Winter Cheese & Port Hamper
£80
Conversation over cheese and port is a feature of Christmas feasting. This sumptuous hamper contains favourite artisan cheese, crackers, chutney and of course, a bottle of port. (Read Jonathan Ray’s guide to port.)
The Fortnums Ultimate Christmas Chocolate Selection
£180
There’s something deliciously decadent about a massive box of chocolates (and this one weighs in at 1.6kg). The perfect accompaniment to jigsaw puzzling, board games, cards or a classic Christmas film. Also ideal for filling in the gaps after lunch. An assortment of 20 different milk, dark and white chocolate truffles, fudges, marzipans and nut clusters. Traditional rose & violet creams, fruit marzipans, ginger & coffee fudge, hazelnut chocolate clusters and even bespoke Fortnum’s liqueur & coffee truffles.
Pol Roger Brut N.V, Magnum, 150cl
£120
Go large with a magnum of champagne for the party. Pol Roger is famous as Winston Churchill’s favourite and features pear, mango and honeysuckle flavours.
The King’s Ginger is a classic warmer
The King’s Ginger Liqueur
£21
A revitalising and warming spirit that brings people together. Has a Royal Warrant and 29.9% ABV Liqueur.
You might also like to read our guide to the the 12 cocktails of Christmas.