Make Use of Your Farm Produce: Create Christmas Hampers!

 

With the festive season hot on our heels, Christmas hampers could be a fantastic seasonal way to sell your delicious farm produce...

 

Every year, Christmas celebrations rake in millions of pounds across the globe. In fact, it’s said that the UK spends around £446,000 on presents alone, every minute! With the average monthly UK spend increasing by around £800 for most households in December, this is a hot market to tap into.

 

These days, traditional farming is becoming more of a struggle, so creating alternative products from your farm produce could be the future. For some Christmas hamper inspiration, and some diversification ideas which would really fit the bill, read on...

What is a Christmas Hamper?

Christmas hampers usually consist of a picnic hamper made of wicker, which has been filled with festive goodies. They’re a great gift choice, as they often contain an array of treats which are fit for the whole family!

 

Most hampers contain non-perishable products, like wine and crackers, which won’t need refrigeration. This is a great idea, especially when the product is purchased ahead of time, to give as a gift.

 

However, there are also chilled hamper options, which contain cheeses and meats, perfect for the savoury food lovers out there! Just remember, if you’re selling a chilled hamper, providing a reusable freezer bag could also be a great addition.

Christmas Hampers Ideas

A Christmas hamper can contain anything you fancy, whether it be alcohol, food, drink, sauces, and more! M&S Christmas hampers, Tesco Christmas hampers, Waitrose Christmas hampers, and John Lewis Christmas hampers are all on the market at the moment, and can be used as great inspiration.

 

Christmas is the time to eat until your heart’s content, so take a look at some of our Christmas hamper ideas to inspire you with some great inclusions:

Drinks

• Champagne or prosecco


• Prosecco and champagne shimmer


• Wine, whether it be red, white, or pink


• Port


• Tea of different flavours


• Flavoured gin, with Christmas spices and fruits


• Different flavours of tonics, to match


• Flavoured vodka, like toffee or salted caramel


• Canned soft drinks


• Fruit juices


• Brandy


• Whiskey


• Fruit infused liqueurs, like cherry or orange


• Cordials, which can be added to water, soft drinks, or even alcohol


• Canned cocktails, like pornstar martinis and espresso martinis


• Shots and cups e.g. coffee shots and chocolate cups


• Madeira


• Kirsch

Sauces

• Raspberry, apricot, or strawberry jam, amongst many other flavours


• Apple and fig chutney


• Marmalade, whether it be orange, or other citrus fruits too


• Mustard


• Horseradish sauce


• Sweet chilli jam


• Black truffle ketchup


• Chestnut chutney


• Infused oils, like chestnut olive oil and chilli oil


• Balsamic vinegar


• Lavender honey

Sweet Treats

• Chocolates


• Biscuits


• Cakes


• Christmas puddings


• Fruit-infused chocolates and cakes


• Shortbread


• Teacakes


• Mince Pies


• Honeycomb


• Panettone

Salty Morsels

• Roasted and salted nuts


• Crackers


• Oatcakes


• Breadsticks


• Cheese Twists


• Crisps


• Pork Scratchings

Perishable Foods

• Smoked salmon


• Duck and truffle parfait


• Pulled ham hock


• Pate


• Cheese, like smoked, cheddar, camembert, brie, and blue, as well as fruity cheeses


• Roast ham


• Flatbread


• Pork pie

Not Just a Christmas Hamper...

Christmas hampers are a really great way to treat a family member or friend. It’ll make a great gift, for example, if you’re buying a present for your partners’ family; something in there for everyone!

 

That said, it’s not just Christmas hampers that make a great gift. Hampers can, most certainly, be sold all year round. Some great examples of hampers for out of the Christmas period include:

• Tea Lovers’ Hamper: containing different and unique tea flavours, and lots of tasty biscuits to dunk in.


• Summer Hamper: could include champagne or prosecco, tasty jams and fruits, Pimms products, and fruity canned cocktails.


• Party Hamper: alcohol is the key here, and would be perfect as a present for a friend’s birthday.

Farm Diversification Ideas Which Would Work Perfectly for a Christmas Hamper…

The Christmas hampers ideas above would work really well if you’ve already got a farm shop going. This way, you can vamp up your sales by providing a lovely collection of products which have a tailored purpose.

 

That said, there are many farmers and landowners who are looking to diversify. With this in mind, there are some amazing diversification options which lend themselves perfectly to a Christmas hamper project. For example...

Alcohol

Wine making is one of the most popular and up-and-coming diversification options for farmers and landowners. This is because English wine has really grown in quality, and is now a big contender against French and Californian grapes. As we’ve seen, a Christmas hamper would be nothing without a delicious red wine, so this is the perfect way to market your vine produce.

 

Alternatively, vodka is also a very viable diversification option, which would work well for a Christmas hamper. From this vodka, gin can then be produced through the infusion of botanicals. By creating christmas flavours to accompany a lovely Christmas hamper, you could really get your alcohol produce out on the market.

Jams and Chutneys

Similarly, creating jams and chutneys out of your farmed fruit is also a great way to make use of your farm produce. Particularly if there’s a surplus of products which you fear may go off, these preserved alternatives are a great way to reduce waste. They’re also an ideal accompaniment to a hamper, as they go very well with crackers and cheese.

Cheese Making

Alongside chutney, cheese making is also a very viable way to use what your farm lends you already. By installing the required machinery, and making sure your cows produce quality milk, you’ll be set to fill thousands of Christmas hampers with cheesy goodness.

Crackers

What goes perfectly with cheese and chutney? Crackers, of course! By using wheat, barley, and rye from the farm, you could create the perfect addition to the delicious salty and sweet flavours of the products above.

Want to Sell Your Own Christmas Hampers?

If you’ve diversified into a farm shop already, or have farm produce which you think could be put to better use, hampers could be the answer! As we’ve seen, Christmas hampers are just the beginning; your produce can be used all year round for inventive hampers across the board!

 

The Farm Business Innovation Show at the NEC, Birmingham, on 11th & 12th November, is the perfect place to meet people who could help you with these diversification ideas. Just grab your FREE tickets to the show, which will be available soon, and get the information you need.

 

Otherwise, perhaps you have a product or service which you think would work with a Christmas hamper? If so, don’t hesitate to get in touch to exhibit at next year’s show. We’d love to meet you there!