There's no better way to get the Christmas season started than with a festive Advent calendar. Count down to the big day with a classic chocolate version, or discover one of our favourite alternatives.

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Advent calendars are becoming more inventive than ever, and we tested more than 60 alternative buys for foodies to find our favourites. We tested the calendars based on taste, look, innovation, practicality and cost.

We've split our round up into categories: classic chocolate picks (with everything from budget-friendly options to luxurious truffles), tea, coffee and hot chocolate, sweet alternatives (think marshmallows, jam and more), savoury calendars (daily pork scratchings anyone?), alcohol calendars and a luxury selection of up to £220 for anyone wanting to push the boat out this festive season. New this year, we also have a selection of calendars for under £10, to prove you don't always have to break the bank to get 24 days of chocolate.

For more than 400 buyer's guides, visit our reviews section to find our best Christmas sandwich taste test plus the ultimate foodie gift guide, our 5o budget Christmas gifts and the results of our 2022 Christmas Taste Awards. Discover more Christmas gifting inspiration with our best Christmas hampers, gin gifts or best baking gifts.

Best alternative and unusual Advent calendars for foodies 2022

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Advent calendars under £10

Cadbury Dairy Milk advent calendar

Kicking off with a classic, this simple Cadbury's calendar is surely what comes to mind when thinking of a chocolate advent calendar? It's a bargain, it's simple and it's a challenge to not tear open more than one day at a time. This year Cadbury have also launched a wider range of calendars including a Heroes calendar and Chunk Calendar for a bit more variety.

Available from:
Tesco (£1.50)
Cadbury Gifts Direct (£2.19)
Ocado (£2)

Marks & Spencer House of Whips Advent calendar

  • Available from Marks & Spencer in-store (£10), Ocado (£10)

We love this unique idea. A whole calendar fill of chocolate whips, with a festive department store-style design. There are only two flavours – plain mallow whip or chocolate orange – but these are generously sized and coated in thick chocolate, plus on Christmas Day you get a giant size.

More like this

Available from:
Marks & Spencer in-store (£10)
Ocado (£10)

Marks & Spencer 24 Biscuits ‘til Christmas Advent calendar

  • Available from Marks & Spencer in-store (£8), Ocado (£8)

This smart double-door calendar is filled with M&S chocolate biscuit creams, with a smart dark green design. There are only three flavours of biscuit (plain, honeycomb and clementine) but we loved them all (in their festive shiny foil packaging) so didn’t mind the repeats. It’s a simple, classic calendar that grandparents might love.

Available from:
Marks & Spencer in-store (£8)
Ocado (£8)

Galaxy advent calendar

Simple but classic: this is your standard chocolate calendar for a Galaxy fan. Different shapes of creamy Galaxy chocolate lie behind each door (which have illustrations within), with a mini slab for Christmas Eve.

Available from:
Ocado (£2.80)
Amazon (£2)
Asda (£2)

Thorntons milk chocolate Santa Advent calendar

Perfect for kids with its sweet Santa, reindeer and sleigh design, this is a lovely wallet-friendly option. There’s a milk chocolate shape hiding behind each door and it goes all the way up to Christmas Day itself. A classic chocolate winner.

Available from:
Thorntons (£4)

Marks & Spencer Dachshund Through the Snow Advent calendar

This adorable calendar is almost too cute to tear open. Decorated with a giant Walter the dachshund, each door hides an either milk or white sausage dog-shaped chocolate. There are also word searches and mini quizzes on the back to keep kids entertained.

Available from:
Marks & Spencer in-store (£8)
Ocado (£10)

NOMO Advent calendar

A brilliant vegan and dairy-free chocolate option at a super affordable price. This is a simple, no frills chocolate advent calendar but affordable dairy-free chocolate ones can be hard to find and this fits the bill, ideal for anyone with intolerances and allergies.

Available from:
Nomo (£5)
Ocado (£5)

Marks & Spencer Percy Pig Advent calendar

  • Available from Marks & Spencer in-store (£5), Ocado (£5)

Percy Pig has a cult following these days, so this is the calendar for the mega fan. Controversially, it isn’t Percy sweets hidden behind each door – 24 Percy-shaped chocolates are behind each door instead. However, day 25 holds a whole full-size bag of Percy’s for the classic sweet fix.

Available from:
Marks & Spencer in-store (£5)
Ocado (£5)

Tea, coffee and hot chocolate Advent calendars

Bird & Blend tea Advent calendar

Make a tea break more interesting for December with this festive red calendar packed with fun unusual teas – plus, every colourful drawer contains two teabags, so you can share the fun. We loved that there were a whopping 24 flavours of tea within the calendar, so no repeats, with quirky flavours ranging from chocolate digestives to piña colada. The calendar is 100% plastic-free and there’s a caffeine-free option, too.

Available from:
Bird and Blend, £38

Friends Nespresso-compatible coffee calendar

A collaboration of two well-loved things: coffee and Friends. Considering it is filled with 24 Nespresso-compatible pods, this is a brilliant price and fun coffee calendar option in an area that can often be expensive. The coffees include classic espresso and dark roast as well as fun flavours such as crème brûlée and English toffee.

Available from:
Amazon (£14.50)

English Tea Shop Christmas Night organic teabag Advent calendar

A tea advent calendar doesn’t have to break the bank. This compact version has minimal packaging and is great value at under £15. We liked the sweet ribbon on the door. You get one teabag a day but there’s an impressive range of styles in here, from seasonal Gingerbread Treat to classic rooibos, fruit and mint teas.

Available from:
Harvey Nichols (£14.95)

Artisan Coffee Co. coffee bag Advent calendar

This coffee calendar has an unusual fold out design that divided opinion – there’s no doors to open or hidden mystery. However, we love the quality of the coffee itself inside this calendar with six different styles of coffee to try from The Genius, which was rich and fruity, to The Heroine, with notes of caramel and hazelnut. Hang on the back of the kitchen door ready for your morning caffeine fix.

Available from:
Artisan Coffee Co. (£24.99)

T2 Sip the Future Hello teabag Advent calendar

This pretty teabag calendar makes a break from festive red and green for a lilac design instead. It wins points for impressively having 24 different flavours – not a single repeat. Discover Green Rose, Pumping Pomegranate, Turmeric Ginger Ninja and many more. We also liked the motivational quotes on the outside of each day.

Available from:
T2 (£22)
Amazon (£22)

Artisan Coffee Co. The Ultimate Coffee Pod calendar

This luxury advent calendar is undoubtedly one for the connoisseur, or one for someone wanting to expand their coffee horizons. The luxury packaging is super smart and you could reuse the drawers another year. The calendar is packed with tasting notes on the different coffees inside, and each day you get a generous two coffee pods and two matched chocolates per day, so it’s ideal for couples to share. This is one to take your time over enjoying each day.

Available from:
Artisan Coffee Co. (£69.95)

Bird & Blend matcha tea Advent calendar

A twist on a classic tea calendar, this is dedicated to all things matcha. We love the vibrant green design (of course, it’s matcha) and the compact shape, containing over £60 worth of matcha. It’s not just plain matcha either – there’s peaches and cream matcha, toffee apple or Nordic berry. There’s enough for two cups in each mini tin and it’s all plastic-free.

Available from:
Bird & Blend (£52)

Yawn coffee Advent calendar

This calendar stands out to us for its customisation ability. You can pick between five different grinds of coffee: beans, espresso, filter, mokapot/AeroPress, and cafetière, plus you can add a cup or cafetière your order. It also wins eco points: the box, divide and sachets are all fully recyclable and with every purchase of the calendar, a tree is planted.

Available from:
Yawn (£39.99)

Yawn tea Advent calendar

Another customisable Yawn option. Choose between Christmas or breakfast blend teabags, or go loose-leaf and choose between Christmas, single origin or caffeine-free loose leaf. If you can think of a friend who would also love this, you save 15% when buying two. We liked the simple compact design and the fun Christmas blends – Toffee Apple, Eggnog, Sleigh Ride Toddy and more, with no repeats across the 24 days.

Available from:
Yawn (£22)

Sweet alternative Advent calendars

Tiptree Jam advent calendar

Breakfast just got more interesting for December with this calendar full of jam. The affectionately named ‘Jam Bus’ has a fun design and contains eight different classic jams (including two marmalades). We love the Little Scarlet strawberry and sweet Morello cherry. The 42g jar sizes are also pleasingly bigger than we thought.

Available from:
Amazon (£29.90)
Harvey Nichols (£39.95)

Candy Kittens Advent calendar tree

An Advent calendar and a mini DIY project in one: the Candy Kittens calendar comes flat-packed, ready for assembly. While folding and filling 25 individual boxes is a tad fiddly, the Candy Kittens sweets are as good as always, plus you get at least two per day and a selection of 5 different flavours – the wild strawberry is our favourite.

Available from:
Amazon (£12)
WHSmith (£12)
Ocado (£12)

Pip & Nut Advent calendar

This large calendar is covered in gold embossed illustrations in a fun and chic festive scene. There are a mixture of individually wrapped peanut butter and almond cups behind each door, all coated in dark chocolate and all an impressively large size – no tiny doors here.

Available from:
Ocado (£20)
Amazon (£19.36)

Bonne Maman Advent calendar

Make breakfast extra special throughout December with the Bonne Maman calendar, filled with 23 mini glass jars of jam and marmalade, plus two secret gifts for day one and day 24. The flavours go beyond what you’ll usually find in stores, from cherry & elderflower to Mirabelle plum with linden blossom.

Available from:
Fenwick (£26)

Walker's shortbread Advent calendar

Open a door of this shortbread-stuffed calendar every afternoon to accompany a tea break. The double door calendar, decorated with classic Scottish tartan, is filled with different buttery shortbread shapes plus including chocolate chip and salted caramel flavours.

Available from:
Walker's (£17.99)
Selfridges (£22.99)

Naked Marshmallow boozy gourmet marshmallow Advent calendar

For the person who can’t get enough of s’mores on the barbecue all summer – this Naked Marshmallow calendar is sure to please. We tried both the classic and boozy marshmallow calendars, but the boozy option was our clear favourite. The doors explain what the flavour is as you open each day and we enjoyed each of the 6 flavours, with a balanced level of booze that wasn't too strong. The raspberry and prosecco was our favourite. For £3.95 extra, you can get either calendar complete with a mini marshmallow toaster so you can get building s’mores every day – this little extra also makes it a great gift.

Available from:
Naked Marshmallow (from £20)
Not on the High Street (£20)

JB Treat Carts candyfloss Advent calendar

One of the quirkiest advent calendars we’ve seen – the UK’s first candyfloss calendar. Definitely niche and definitely novelty, but there’s sure to be someone out there who can’t resist. This huge calendar gives you 25 tubs of candyfloss – all generous sizes and different flavours. The flavours are illustrated each day and vary from vanilla, cookies and cream and pistachio to fruit punch, ice cream and Irish cream (with no alcohol in). We enjoyed the sweet strawberry cheesecake and sheer novelty factor. Our one complaint was that each individual tub adds up to a lot of plastic packaging, plus we couldn’t decide how best to display the giant box.

Available from:
JB Treat Carts (£39.99)

Harry Potter jelly bean Advent calendar

10 classic fruity flavours of jelly beans are hidden inside this calendar, with a mini triangular bag of each day. There’s no real Harry Potter link beyond the packaging so you’re paying for the branding, but it’s sure to please a dedicated Hogwarts fan.

Available from:
Harvey Nichols (£21.95)

MyProtein Advent calendar

For the health fanatic, this MyProtein calendar could really appeal. It is packed with 24 of MyProtein’s best selling products – from protein cookies and bars to collagen powder and multivitamin gummies. On day one, you get a full size shaker ready for protein shakes in the morning. The design is divided into 3 drawers with each item in a cardboard box, all printed with mini exercise or wellness ideas for the day. For a dedicated health and wellness fan, there’s plenty to enjoy. We also think this would be particularly brilliant used in January instead of December – after all the Christmas indulgence, it would be useful motivation for a healthy January.

Available from:
MyProtein (£74.99)

SugarSin 24 Days of Assorted Sugarsin Treats

This compact sweets calendar was a surprise hit during our testing. The pretty double-door teal design opens for 24 drawers of different sweets and confectionery. There was a wide variety of pick n mix, fudge, truffles and sweets, with lots of unusual ones we hadn’t seen before from across the world. It is expensive for sweets but perfect for someone with a super sweet tooth that doesn’t want chocolate.

Available from:
SugarSin (£30)

Selfridges Festive mini mince pie Advent calendar

This is the perfect Advent calendar for the person who starts buying mince pies in September. This luxurious red chest is filled with drawers (with signature Selfridges yellow ribbon) hiding four different types of adorably miniature mince pies, from classic to chocolate or citrus. As an extra treat, day 25 is a miniature Christmas cake, so the treats don’t stop on Christmas Eve.

Available from:
Selfridges, £39.99

Savoury alternative Advent calendars

Snaffling Pig classic pork crackling Advent calendar

Satisfy a salt craving with this calendar filled with 6 different flavours of Snaffling Pig’s traditional pork crackling, including tangy salt and vinegar and festive pigs-in-blankets. We loved the packaging of this super tall (54cm), colourful calendar – plus it is entirely plastic-free and recyclable.

Available from:
Snaffling Pig (£21.95)
Amazon (£24.99)
Selfridges (£19.99)
John Lewis (£20)
Not on the High Street (£22.50)

Pringles Advent calendar

Our first crisp Advent calendar! If you know someone who craves salt over sugar, this is ideal. Inside are 24 mini tubs of Pringles in four classic flavours – sour cream & onion, ready salted, salt & vinegar and Texas BBQ. Only four means a lot of repeats, but they’re the failsafe flavours. Even if you might not be able to eat a tub every day in December, they’re handy for Christmas snacking, road trips and even adding to a cheeseboard.

Available from:
Amazon, £39.99

Abel & Cole The 12 Days of Organic Christmas calendar

Another new calendar to us this year. From Abel & Cole, this lifestyle calendar contains a real mixture of food, drink and homeware pieces. We loved the vibrant yellow design, and despite the generously sized fillings, it still feels compact so won’t take over your whole kitchen. Contents include a Neals Yard Remedies hand cream, a tote bag, lager, teabags, chutney and shortbread. It is a more expensive option (for just 12 days, not 24) but felt good value for money, plus the price includes a £5 charity donation.

Available from:
Abel & Cole (£45)

Just Spices large Advent calendar

Swap all the sweet calendars and enjoy some cooking over the Christmas period instead with this quirky calendar filled with tins of Just Spices. We tested the large calendar where a full-size tin is hidden behind each door. There are fun ideas such as Bolognese seasoning, pizza topping and banana bread seasoning, with a QR code on each door of the calendar for recipe inspiration. The large size comes with a full cookbook too. This would admittedly be a lot to store 24 new tins of spice mix, but a fun way to inspire a novice cook or new homeowner as a housewarming gift.

Available from:
Just Spices (£99.99)

Pipers crisp advent calendar

Our second crisps advent calendar this year (and £10 cheaper than the Pringles offering), ideal if you like an ever so slightly more gourmet crisp offering, comes from Pipers. Their first ever advent calendar, this won bonus points for having a varied 6 flavours inside (although we did find the flavours weren't very mixed throughout the days!). Chorizo, beef and sweet chilli flavours accompany the classic salted, salt and vinegar and cheese and onion. There's an unexpected non-crisp surprise on day 25 too...

Available from:
Amazon (£29.99)

Alcohol Advent calendars

That Boutique-y Gin Company Advent calendar

The colourful Christmas dinner design on this gin-filled calendar hides a whole range of gins for someone to find a new favourite tipple. The calendar contains 24 different flavoured gins, in 30ml wax-sealed drams. Our highlights were the novelty flavours that That Boutique-y Gin Company is known for, with 13 new recipes this year including blood orange, bakewell tart and Christmas pudding gin. There are also plenty of plain gins from a variety of distilleries around the world, so there’s something for everyone.

Available from:
Master of Malt (£69.95)
Amazon (£84.95)
Drinks by the Dram (£69.95)
Not on the High Street (£74.95)

Laithwaites wine Advent calendar

Get ready for Christmas party season with this hefty calendar filled with 24 different wines. The generous 187ml bottles feel great value for money, and we loved the ornate Christmas mansion design. You can choose between calendars just of red or white wine, while the mixed calendar comes with a half bottle of champagne for Christmas Eve.

Available from:
Laithwaites, £79.99

Sparkle prosecco Advent calendar

Undeniably huge, this prosecco-filled calendar makes for a fun, decadent Christmas. The bold cracker design could sit under your Christmas tree all month, ready for a festive tipple. There are a few different styles of fizz hidden in the doors (definitely hidden, we struggled to pull a few out!) with a 50cl bottle every day.

Available from:
Prezzybox (£125)

Nio Cocktails 12-day Advent calendar box

Hosting Christmas drinks just got a lot easier with this cocktail-filled calendar. Although just 12 days, there are 2 pouches of ready-made cocktails each day, perfect for sharing. Dried garnishes are included, too, for bar-worthy finish. The cocktails are classics: margarita, cosmopolitan, old fashioned, mai tai and more. They are also strong! But you can shake, mix and dilute as you wish.

Available from:
Nio Cocktails (£115)

Drinks by the Dram The Whisky Advent Calendar – Explorers' Edition

A full bottle of whisky can be a daunting purchase. This calendar lets you explore the whole world in whisky before you commit, trying different styles, brands and ages. The mini Teeling Small Batch is a highlight for us (one of our best Irish whiskies) but there were lots of new discoveries. If giving as a gift, there are also four different designs to choose from – we like the festive Christmas tree made of barrels.

Available from:
Master of Malt (£99.99)

BeerHawk advent calendar

You’ll need some space for this chunky beer advent calendar, but it’s worth it for true beer enthusiasts. In its ninth year now, this is stocked full of 24 exclusive, different beers so you can truly explore different styles all carefully chosen by the BeerHawk team. The focus is on discovering new gems not found in the supermarkets or anywhere else and you’re sure to find a new favourite can or bottle here.

Available from:
BeerHawk (£75)

Funkin Cocktail Advent calendar

This bright, fun calendar would make a great gift for students and flat shares. The large box is filled with seven different canned cocktails including piña colada, espresso martini and strawberry daiquiri. There’s a style for everyone and, although an expensive initial cost, this works out at approximately £2 per cocktail, so still feels good value for money.

Available from:
Funkin Cocktails (£49.99)

Gin in a Tin Twelve Days of Gin in a Tin Advent calendar

Now, it’s controversial whether this truly counts as an advent calendar. The 12 miniature tins of gins are revealed at once within the cardboard box – so there’s no doors to open. We would have loved the mystery for more of a classic Christmas experience, but the gins inside are interesting new flavours for a festive cocktail and we still liked the smart stripy packaging. It would make a great gift for a gin fan, although it is pricey.

Available from:
Sous Chef (£49.99)

Looking for more ideas? See more alcohol Advent calendars from our sister title, olive magazine.

The best chocolate Advent calendars for 2022

Niederegger Café chocolate Advent calendar

This giant calendar had one of our favourite designs – a perfect mantelpiece centrepiece. It’s filled with a wide range of treats from across the Niederegger range, with pralines and chocolates along with different marzipans.

Available from:
John Lewis, £36

Tony's Chocolonely countdown calendar

Tony's Chocolonely Advent calendar

Feel good about your chocolate choice with the towering Tony’s Chocolonely calendar. The ethical principles stack up quickly: Tony’s is committed to reducing slavery in chocolate production, the cocoa used is all Fairtrade, it is free from palm oil and has no plastic packaging. The giant box is filled with ‘Tiny Tonys’ in 10 signature flavours and is printed with tiny missions on the inner door. Just read the missions carefully, as whilst you get an extra chocolate one day, there is one day where you won't get any chocolate...

Available from:
Ocado (£13)
Selfridges (£14.99)
WHSmith (£14.99)

Montezuma milk choc Butter Nutter Advent calendar

Slightly more expensive for a chocolate advent calendar, but good peanut butter often is pricey, and this calendar truly stood out during testing. The chocolate is great quality and the peanut butter is rich and creamy. It’s the same every day all month but we enjoyed it so much we didn’t mind.

Available from:
Ocado (£21)

Hotel Chocolat milk chocolate Advent calendar

A classic chocolate advent calendar filled with mini chocolates in fun festive shapes. There’s a calendar for you whatever your chocolate preference: choose from milk, dark, white or even unique caramel chocolate or nutmilk (made with hazelnuts) for vegans.

Available from:
Hotel Chocolat, £13

Best of Thorntons Advent calendar

Another box of chocolates in Advent calendar form. Rather than just truffles or just chocolate discs, this combines familiar Thorntons bestsellers for a little bit of everything – including caramel filled chocolate pearls, classic truffles and the dessert-inspired continental range. A budget option for an interesting chocolate calendar.

Available from:
Thorntons (£14)

Valrhona 24 Days of Treats Chocolate Advent Calendar

Some advent calendars can get supersized, so we liked the compact design of this chic calendar and it’s elegant snow scene design. Inside is a good variety of six different chocolates, from pralines to dark and milk chocolate squares.

Available from:
Harvey Nichols (£24.95)

Wickedly Welsh Chocolate advent calendar

This simple calendar feels more like a box of chocolates than a calendar. Each door tells you what chocolate is, with a wide variety of flavours to keep the intrigue going all month.

Available from:
Wickedly Welsh (£19.99)

Love Cocoa truffle Advent calendar

This colourful A3 calendar would make a cheery display on the mantelpiece throughout December. There is fun trivia on the back of the doors and four decadent truffles to find, although 3 out of 4 are hazelnut varieties. On Christmas Eve you get a mini bar instead. You’re also doing your bit for the environment with this calendar due to its ‘One calendar = one tree’ policy.

Available from:
Love Cocoa (£25), John Lewis (£25)

Love Cocoa classic chocolate calendar

For a smaller alternative to the truffle calendar above, but just as packed with chocolate, try the Love Cocoa classic chocolate calendar instead. A classic chocolate calendar but with upmarket chocolate inside. At a smaller A4 size, it contains four different chocolates (milk, gingerbread dark, sea salt and salted caramel) and still supports the ‘One calendar = one tree’ policy.

Available from:
Love Cocoa (£12)

Monty Bojangles Curiously Moreish truffle Advent calendar

We rate this calendar for being a bargain compared to other truffle calendars we tried. The fun colourful packaging contains 6 different truffles in fun flavours, including the Great Taste Awards winners Cookie Moon, Popcorn Carousel and Pistachio Marooned varieties.

Available from:
Amazon (£13.49)

Monty Bojangles MAGnificent Advent calendar

You don’t have to pick just truffles, pralines or plain chocolates with this mega chocolate calendar – it contains them all. There’s caramels, ganaches and fruit chocolates in here too, with eight different chocolates total. The inside of the doors have a fun countdown to the big day and we particularly loved the generous four chocolates on Christmas Eve.

Available from:
Amazon (£20.99)

Hotel Chocolat The Advent Calendar For Two

One for the romantics: every door of this calendar contains two Hotel Chocolat truffles, so it’s made for sharing. The double-door design opens up wide and contains a range of flavours to try, from festive gingerbread praline to salted caramel cream or fruity raspberry rush.

Available from:
Hotel Chocolat, £27.50

Vegan Advent calendars

PLAYinCHOC Advent calendar

Play in Choc advent calendar

This might seem pricey for an Advent calendar, but it has certain extras to justify the price tag. The chocolate is organic and vegan, perfect for kids with any allergies. As well as a piece of chocolate each day, each pretty drawer comes with a fun fact card and 3D puzzle cardboard toy to build. Once each drawer is opened, turn it round to reveal a hidden picture.

Available from:
PLAYinCHOC (£49.95)

MyVegan Advent calendar

Think of this as a sister to the MyProtein calendar above – dedicated to vegans. It’s full of plant-based bestsellers that still feel like treats. Think vegan brownies, cookies and vegan protein powders in a simple box and drawer design. Another option for fitness fans to treat themselves to – or treat the gym-goer you know.

Available from:
MyProtein (£74.99)

NOMO Premium caramel Advent calendar

At first sceptical, then seriously impressed – that’s our journey with this winning calendar. Vegan and gluten-free feels a big ask for chocolate and caramel, but Nomo pulls it off with these gooey caramel chocolate drops. We love the quirky chocolate drop design that follows through from packaging, to doors, to the chocolate drop itself.

Available from:
Ocado (£10)
Nomo (£10)

Ombar Oat M'lk Advent calendar

Ombar’s oat milk chocolate calendar offers another dairy-free option, in an understated design that suits grown ups. The chocolates behind each door are wrapped like tiny chocolate bars and come in four flavours – original, fruit and nut, salted caramel and hazelnut.

Available from:
Planet Organic (£11.99)

Discover more vegan Advent calendars from our sister title, olive magazine.

Luxury Advent calendars

The Cartwright and Butler Advent calendar

Instead of a Christmas hamper, splash out on this truly decadent Advent calendar to make all of December feel special. You’ll need plenty of space for this extra-large festive red box (54 x 43 x 23cm), with double doors opening to reveal 24 sliding drawers filled with indulgent full-size treats from across the Cartwright & Butler range. There are plenty of biscuits – think cranberry crumbles and demerara shortbread – but there’s lots more to discover too, with hot chocolate, sweets, jam, cheesy crackers, prosecco and fudge all involved. An exceptional gift for someone who deserves a treat, or just enjoy with your family all month long. The struggle will be resisting opening all the drawers on day one.

Available from:
Cartwright and Butler, £220

Hotel Chocolat The Grand Advent calendar

For the chocoholic wanting to go all out this Christmas, Hotel Chocolat has you sorted. £75 may seem a lot to pay for a chocolate advent calendar, but this huge one offers a lot more than just a daily truffle. From mini bottles of cacao gin and chocolate liqueur to plenty of different flavours of chocolate batons, truffles, mini chocolate crackers and even a lip balm, this is a tour de force of the entire Hotel Chocolat range, where everything has been supersized for festive decadence.

Available from:
Hotel Chocolat, £75

Carluccio's Luxury Advent calendar

It’s a splurge, but we couldn’t help but love this luxury calendar from Carluccio's (with goods worth £150). Bring a taste of Italy to Christmas with a wide range of gourmet treats tucked in each drawer, with some in impressive sizes as well – not all tiny miniatures. We loved the smoked olive oil, maraschino cherries, adorable miniature Malfy gin, pistachio truffles and much more. A great combination of favourite brands we love and new Carluccio's discoveries.

Available from:
Carluccio's (£95)

Paxton & Whitfield artisan cheese Advent calendar

Blow the budget with this ultimate Advent calendar for cheese lovers. If all the sweet calendars don’t appeal, try this for a 75g wedge of artisan cheese every day throughout December. Arriving in three separate deliveries throughout December for maximum freshness, the cheese is sent fully insulated via a carbon-neutral delivery service. From classic festive stilton and gruyère to unique British and European finds, make December the ultimate cheese discovery journey.

Available from:
Paxton & Whitfield, £150

Honeywell Biscuit Co jar of Advent biscuits

A baked alternative to a classic Advent calendar, this jar is filled with buttery biscuits that are each intricately iced and numbered in festive designs, including penguins and baubles. Pricey, but a sweet Christmas gift.

Available from:
Honeywell Bakes (£42)
Not on the High Street (£45)

More Christmas gift guides

Our ultimate Christmas gift guide 2022
50 best budget gifts 2022
The best whisky to buy as a gift
The best gifts for bakers
The best chocolate subscriptions and clubs
The best letterbox gifts
The best gifts for coffee lovers
The best gins to give as gifts

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This review was last updated in October 2022. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

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