With this week’s cold snap taking over the UK, winter seems to have well and truly arrived.
It also seems like the perfect time for a little retail therapy.
And what could be more fitting than an festive treat?
To help you start December right, we’ve put together a list of the best advent calendars in 2024, with a little something for everyone.
From popcorn to whisky, tea to chocolate – here are our top picks for this year.
Signature Gourmet Advent Calendar, Popcorn Shed, £25
We love a chocolate treat as much as the next person but sometimes you need to mix things up a bit.
This popcorn advent calendar is so popular it sold out earlier this month.
Thankfully for you – and us – it’s now back in stock with 24 windows.
Each one hides a miniature bag of popcorn in one of six flavours; Salted Caramel, Berry-licious, Peanut Butter, Pop N Choc, Cookies & Cream and our favourite, Pecan Pie.
The advent calendar is suitable for vegetarians but Popcorn Shed also has an alternative product for vegans, so it’s popcorn all around.
Coffee Advent Calendar, Rave, £29.95
This advent calendar doesn’t actually contain any ground or whole beans.
Behind each door you’ll instead find the most delicious coffee-infused chocolates.
There are two things you must know; firstly, this is a limited-edition with Rave producing just 1,000 of them this year.
Secondly; run, don’t walk to get one for yourself – because this calendar is truly excellent.
We were admittedly a bit sceptical about how well a coffee brand would produce chocolates, but there was no need for concern – Rave know what they’re doing.
As a nice extra treat, the chocolates are wrapped in jewel colours like gold, silver and and copper.
A top contender for 2024.
Ground Coffee Advent Calendar, Contact Coffee Co, £30
While we’re on the topic of coffee, for anyone who wants their calendar to contain actual beans, there’s another option available.
We’ll admit that we haven’t tried this particular one but felt it deserved a mention for anyone who is fed up with sweet treats and just needs that caffeine hit.
Contact Coffee Co, was actually founded by UK Royal Marines veterans – which is likely why the brand has opted for a ‘soldier Santa’ on the front of the box.
Inside, you’ll find 25 sachets (18g) of ground filter coffee from all over the world, such as Costa Rica, Rwanda, Brazil and Colombia.
At £30, it’s one of the more expensive advent calendars on our list but then again, the average coffee price in London is £3.40 per cup… so you’re still winning.
Flapjackery Advent Calendar, £65
When you think of Christmas, flapjacks probably don’t immediately come to mind.
But perhaps it’s time to think outside the box.
This calendar has made its way onto our list because it is packed with flavours that gluten-free gals and guys can’t always enjoy: like Mince Pie and Florentine.
The flapjacks are handmade in Devon with “locally-sourced West Country ingredients”.
World Whisky Advent Calendar, Drinks by The Dram, £129.95
If whisky is your tipple of choice, you will struggle to find a better advent calendar this year.
We had the difficult task of trying some of the flavours – we do this for you, dear reader – and our verdict is simple: it’s a yes.
As to not spoil the surprise, we won’t tell you what to expect behind each of the 25 doors but prepare to take a trip across the globe.
Each bottle contains 30ml and is finished with a black wax lid.
Our tip? Call your mates round for a pre-Christmas bash and sample the tipples together – neat, over ice or with a dash of water.
But please, no juice or fizzy drink mixers. This whisky deserves to shine alone.
Drinks by The Dram have two alternatives as well for those who peaty or sherry cask flavours, as well as a gin advent calendar and more.
Divine Chocolate Advent Calendars, £5.50
Chocolate is a classic for a reason and we’re not here to Scrooge over your dreams.
Divine has two, er, divine, options to choose from this year: milk chocolate or dark chocolate (70%).
And at £5.50, they are very affordable, which is perhaps also why they are both sold out on the brand’s website.
Not to worry, there is more stock “due soon”, apparently. Phew.
Flavour-wise, both are tasty but the real pleasure derived from this treat isn’t its sugary content.
Divine advent calendars are Fairtrade, palm oil free and come in FSC certified packaging. The milk chocolate version is vegetarian, the dark chocolate is vegan.
This is a purchase Santa would approve of.
Classic Christmas Countdown Advent Selection Box, Chococo, £29
Another chocolate contender is the countdown box from Chococo.
While we haven’t sampled this one ourselves (yet…), we have it on good authority that this is an option worthy of featuring on our list.
It contains two Gold Great Taste award-winning flavours: Chai Spiced Gem and Timmy’s Chocolate Orange.
Other flavours include the aptly-named Chilli Con Choc (no Carne here) and the Toffee Apple Caramel, plus oat milk chocolates.
The company is also running a deal where you can get two calendars for £55, meaning you could try the plant-based box, too.
Triple Flavour, Happy Choc, £15
We’re all for an affordable advent calendar.
Happy Choc’s £15 option can best be described with three P’s: price, plastic-free and plant-based.
There are 24 doors inside with oat milk chocolate made of single-origin Colombian cocoa in three flavours: Plain M!lk, Salted Caramel and Orange.
If you want something other than an advent calendar, we also recommend the hot chocolate spoons – the little ones will love them.
Tea Advent Calendar, Bird & Blend, £38
It wouldn’t really be a true British winter without a great cup of tea to enjoy in December.
With 4.7 out of 5 stars online, the Bird & Blend advent calendar is a big hit.
And, having sampled the hand-blended flavours ourselves, we can say that it also gets the NeedToKnow stamp of approval.
Most of us Brits are pretty strict about our tea choices but if you’re open to experimentation, there’s lots to enjoy; from herbal teas to Rooibos, green and oolong, plenty of black tea and a Yerba mate.
It has the cutest packaging of any calendar we’ve opened so far – each door comes in the shape of a tiny Christmas gift, that you can remove from the packaging.
The real selling point, though?
The brand will plant a tree for every advent calendar sold.
Personalised Advent Calendar, Vistaprint, from £15.99
Ever thought about making your own advent calendar?
We’re not talking about getting a piece of cardboard and cutting out doors before chucking random chocolates inside – that’s too much effort (unless you really love hobby crafting).
For the lazy among us who want to add a personalised twist to the festivities this year, there’s a better alternative: Vistaprint.
Ordering your advent calendar from a printing company might seem a tad odd but it is actually very fun.
You can choose your own chocolates – Lindt, Kinder, Celebrations or non-branded – and the design.
Choose from readily-available patterns or pick a nice photo from your phone and simply upload it to the site.
Easy, peasy and surprisingly cheap, too.
Our order, which included a personalised calendar, a mug with the same image (we couldn’t resist, okay?) and delivery came to just under £35.
12 Days of Craft Rum, Craft Gin Club, £49.99
Craft Gin Club is already known for its gin but the brand is expanding into new areas this Christmas, with its first-ever rum calendar.
Introducing 12 Days of Craft Rum.
The box does pretty much what it says on the tin with a dozen rums from independent distillers so you can expand your palate.
It’s quite a hefty box with plenty to explore inside.
We won’t spoil the surprise by telling you what hides behind each door but if you’re a spirit connoisseur, you definitely won’t be disappointed with new, premium and spiced products.
