The Ultimate Christmas Hamper

Hampers are having their moment, and the modern iteration of the artisan Irish Xmas food hamper is a long, long way from the blessed trinity of the bottle of Paddy, the jar of Little Chip marmalade and the bag of Tayto crisps, flogged at a scarily inflated price.

Today, there are amazing hampers, collated by amazing people. It’s been an unlikely pandemic plus that Ireland’s food community has mastered just how they can put the world in your hamper and then post it to you.

At Christmas, a hamper takes on a dual task, serving as both a holiday larder, and a loving gift.

So what makes a perfect hamper? Here are some of the things we think constitute that bounteous box of good things…

Preserves 

Let’s give it up for Ireland’s artisan A-Team. These are the goodies that have broken out of the niche, and made it big by flooding the mainstream. First there was White Masu, followed by Nutshed, then Harry’s Nut butter and Goatsbridge Trout Caviar. Coming up fast on their flanks we have those sexy Chimac sauces and – the breakout hit of ‘22 – Builin Blasta’s incredible smoked onion mayo. So remember: Ireland, the home of smoked onion mayonnaise.

Here are some others, worth of your ultimate hamper choice:

Mayonnaise —

We know a good mayonnaise when we buy it six jars at a time. This has been the way with Builin Blasta onion mayo, but now you will also find it in supermarkets.

Your post-Christmas sambo just upped its game, thanks to Mag and Ger of Goatsbridge. Welcome to Kilkenny’s Mayonnaising group -  the Cranberry Mayo. 

Meanwhile, their Irish Wasabi Mayo is also a total winner - with the wasabi grown by neighbour Pat Fitzgerald – and vitally it has no horseradish, just wasabi. “Keep it real and clean” says Mag. Buy from their website and get some gin cured smoked trout and Trout Caviar (see below for recipe idea) 

Too Savage for plant based mayo. Range includes Smoked Garlic Mayo and Curry Sauce. Bring on the chips.

Relishes —

Katsu Ketchup from Conbini Condiments, these are Japanese-inspired pantry essentials, founded by chef Holly Dalton. Others in the range are Sunday Sauce and Onsen Hot Sauce.

Gran Grans - Peer into the back kitchen at Gran Grans, at Kilcolgan, just south of Galway, and you will see the enormous open pans of preserves and jams being stirred by Nigel Murray, and let your olfactory system absorb the celestial aromas of the fruit. Nigel and Magally’s shop, deli and food store in Kilcolgan is, in fact, just like one big hamper in itself. Order online, but also worth a detour to visit.

Ballymaloe Relish - Ballymaloe think like chefs. They will anticipate the additions you want to make to any sort of festive sandwich, whether it be a baguette, wrap, nachos, breakfast roll, croque, taco or bagel, all of them superannuated by Ballymaloe Original or Pepper Relish. Their limited edition Cranberry and Spice relish is made to partner turkey, ham or brie.

The Sweet Stuff

Highbank Orchards - the guys at Highbank are so innovative, creative and productive that you could – and indeed you can – simply buy a hamper composed of Highbank foods alone. At the moment we’re loving the Orchard Treacle, and saving ourselves for the Dark Doyle, an Irish organic apple rum.

Clare Jam Co – This tiny tabernacle of a store makes superlative jams and preserves in the smallest shop and jam factory in Ireland.

G’s Gourmet Preserves Brandy Butter. Don’t even think of having a mince pie without a dollop. We’re sure there’s a law against it, anyhows.

Sea Salt

Achill Seasalt have made a whole cottage industry by riffing on ideas and concepts that can include their sublime sea salt. There are pots of salt, handmade ceramic pinch pots, Salted Caramel Fudge, Sea Salt nougat, and the new cooking-on-the-go sea salt sliding tin for those 2023 camping and cooking forays. The Achill sea salt camping tin will be the accessory for 2023 picnics.

Crisps

What are the best crisps?

Believe it or not, crisps were always the staple of the traditional hamper, and that was in the days when there was just Tayto.

Spanish crisps - Torres (we like the plain, but many feel the black truffle is perfect for a luxury hamper). If you’re in the North, and find yourself in Sainsburys - buy Pipers. O’Donnells for snacking, and if you’re putting crisps in your Christmas sandwich, it’s got to be Keogh’s Shamrock and Sour Cream.

Chilli Sauce

Most chilli sauces taste cheap,and deliver the culinary equivalent of a Glasgow Kiss. Small batch Irish chilli sauces, however, fondly embrace your food with depths of flavour, and a curlicue of chilli rounding out the lotion. Personally, we can’t get enough of Scarlet Fer Yer Ma.

Chimac Korean Hot Sauce from Restaurateurs on Aungier St, and Terenure.

Frothing Ferments from respected artisan Norbert Thul uses lacto fermentation to bring out those lovely chilli flavours in his Sriracha. And another Fermented Sriricha from the small batch operation that is Savage Sauces.

Something Smoked

The natural preservative of smoke makes smoked food the ideal hamper component - the very best are Sally Barnes’ Woodcock Smokery cult smoked Tuna.

There is a limited edition special Burren Smokehouse Christmas Whiskey and Salmon Special, where the salmon is cured with Waterford Whisky

Cheese

It’s got to be Sheridans Cheesemongers for Farmhouse cheese, excellent biscuits & crackers.

A Christmas cheeseboard ideally has a mixture of soft bloomy rind cheese (left whole); a blue cheese; a hard cheese and you can platter up with fruit, a dip or chutney. Make it a grazing board by adding some Irish charcuterie and olives (also available from Sheridans)

A cheeseboard treat is Sliabh Aughty Hot Honey whenever you see it, and also available online with some delightful other bee treats - great for a cheeseboard or on pizza.

Hot off the Press! Sheridan’s now actually have the rarest of all Irish cheeses, Carrignamuc, from West Cork’s Lost Valley Dairy, available at their Dublin, Galway and Meath shops. 

Chocolates 

Bean and Goose - The Bean and Goose “Seascape” box has a QR code which – get this, people – plays you the sound of the sea. The chocolate itself is shaped like a crenelated rock of pure deliciousness.

The luxurious Gra Chocolates have produced a Mince Pie flavoured chocolate heart.

An Irish breakfast Hamper

The O’Neill’s Bacon Lovers Hamper includes dry cured rashers, pork sausages, mixed puddings, streaky rashers, cured ham fillet, bacon jam, Wexford Home Preserves Ham Glaze, smoked rashers, cocktail sausages and dry cured lardons. Delivery throughout Ireland. All you have to do is add egg and toast. And, perhaps have the ingredients for a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary. Remember: the Irish diaspora crave nothing so much as an Irish breakfast, so get the pan on!

Cook’s Larder Provisions

A good hamper functions as a holiday larder, so some kitchen basics and treats could include Stock from Carol’s Stock Market; Pastry from Rollit (both now in Dunnes); Taco shells from Picado Mexican; Lolo’s Picklery pickled onions to put on those tacos. Something exotic from the Asia Market - try their Burdock noodles. Newgrange Gold have a new naturally Smoked Oil, smoked by Ger Kelleher at Olives West Cork. A jar of serious butterbeans or chickpeas is a holiday staple must: Fallon & Byrne are your go-to here.

Tinned Fish is the most sustainable way to eat fish so: Shines Seafood of Donegal are your fishy friends here. Gannett Fish in Galway - and online - have everything from anchovies to monkfish liver, pickled mussels to sliced octopus, and their delivery is swift.

Trout Caviar - A real Christmas treat - we make a Trout Roe Salsa inspired by Alex Stupak: diced tomato, sliced fresh chili, minced white onion, fresh lime juice and the caviar.

A bottle of good olive oil and good balsamic vinegar. Sheridans do a specific oil and vinegar hamper.

Drinks

The explosion in craft brewing and distilling means Buying Irish is simple, and offers a kaleidoscope of good things. Most of the breweries operate delivery, and you can also use outfits like Beercloud to put together a selection of beers.

The extremely limited edition Cocktail Bitters from Caitlin Ruth, using Clonakilty distillery new make spirit and West Cork organic ingredients - raspberry and dillisk; cucumber and black pepper; chilli. These sell out fast, so you might have to wait for the next batch.

If you want the beer but not the beastly sore head, then Kinnegar Brewery of Donegal make a terrific low alcohol beer: Low Tide comes in at 1% ABV and, like all their range, it’s a beaut.

The best alcohol-free wine we know is the eye-opening Kolonne Null Riesling, imported by Dublin’s Winemason merchants. Banish any memories of alcohol-free wines of old: the Kolonne Null is outstanding, a lean thoroughbred, that lets you drive the car and gadabout the place with a clear head. You will find it in the good Dublin wine shops, and for online sales at The Allotment.

Fire and 5th - Mary Sheahan and Aonghus Maguire concoct a very fine alcohol-free spirit, with a nice bite of chilli, and no hangover. Available in selected SuperValus.

Sundries

The best hampers have small gifts included. Our ultimate hamper might be collected in a baby wok from the Asia Market, might have a packet of wild flower seeds, or an unusual piece of kitchen equipment: why not a small double headed rolling pin for making pizza and flatbreads? A temperature probe makes a nice small gift too.

A winter candle is a lovely edition. Lately we’re burning a candle from Donegal’s Folklor

Where to Buy a Great Hamper

From a Specialist Shop

From a Supermarket

From a Restaurant

From an Artisan

From a Hamper Market

From a Castle

From a Butcher