The term ‘Hamper‘ (which comes from the French ‘hanapier’, which is a case for goblets) means a wicker basket that is used for the transportation of food. Wicker was chosen for this task due to being inherently sturdy but also as it provides ventilation for the contents. Giving hampers as gifts continues to become more and popular, with people to choosing to treat their loved ones to fantastic foods and beverages.

Hampers were first given at Christmas in Victorian times, when wealthy families would provide their staff with a basket of food and drink for them to consume over the festive season. These hampers typically contained seasonal produce that would allow the staff to enjoy a Christmas feast.

Due to the expansion of the railways in the late 19th Century it became possible for people to send fresh food and drink hampers to their friends and families that lived in large industrial towns and cities. These were gratefully received, as at this time many city-dwellers were surviving on diets of stale or preserved products.

As a result of the ever-increasing popularity of sending hampers as gifts, a popular London department store – Fortnum & Mason – introduced such hampers as products to buy. With the increased accessibility to such hampers, they began to be given not just around Christmas but all year round.

Nowadays hampers are even more popular then ever and often give people the chance to taste and experience products that they would never have thought of to purchase themselves. Furthermore, hampers are now available to suit specific dietary needs and requirements, meaning that no one need miss out on the excitement and joy of receiving such a wonderful present! We create wonderful Gluten-Free and Diabetic hampers.