Christmas Hamper Planning: When to Order and What to Expect

Why it's worth planning Christmas hampers early

Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for hampers, both for personal gifts and corporate gifting, and it's also when small independent makers are at their busiest producing seasonal stock, and when postal services slow down. Planning ahead gives you more choice, more time to personalise, and less risk of a favourite product selling out.

Christmas 2026 key dates

• Christmas dispatch weeks: week commencing 30th November, 7th December or 14th December. Choose yours in the basket when you order.
• From 1st December: we recommend choosing First Class delivery.
• 19th December: last Christmas posting date.
• Week commencing 21st December: collection only, from our offices at 21 Ballinlea Road, Ballycastle.
• Too late to post? Our e-gift voucher is delivered instantly by email.

A rough timeline to work from

Early autumn

A good time to start thinking about who you're buying for and roughly how many hampers you'll need, particularly if you're organising gifts for a team or a wider group of clients.

Mid to late autumn

A sensible time to start building hampers if you want to spread the cost, or to place larger orders for a team or several clients, especially where multiple addresses are involved.

Order early, choose your dispatch week

Found what you want but don't want it arriving just yet? When you open your basket, choose "In time for Christmas" under "When would you like your order ready?" and pick the week that suits you. You can order now, and we'll have your order ready in the week you've chosen.

The last posting date

We don't post Christmas orders after 19th December. Postal services slow down in December, so the earlier your parcel goes, the better its chance of arriving in good time, and from 1st December we recommend choosing First Class delivery. After 19th December, orders can still be collected from Ballycastle. Ordering early also gives you the widest choice of products and avoids disappointment if popular items sell out.

Building a Christmas hamper

You can choose from our ready-made hampers for a straightforward option, or use our build your own hamper option to choose your box, add your own selection of Northern Ireland food and drink products, and include a handwritten message at checkout. If you know your budget but would rather not choose individual products yourself, our Seasons of the Glens Foodie Hamper lets you select a price point and we'll put together a custom hamper of popular products to suit it, built within 3-5 working days of ordering.

A few practical Christmas-specific things to check

• Choose your Christmas dispatch week in the basket. If there's anything else we should know, add a note at checkout.
• Orders to multiple addresses need to be placed separately; one address can go on a single order.
• Sending a gift? Add a message at checkout and it will be handwritten on a card. No prices are shown to the recipient.

FAQ

When should I order a Christmas hamper by?

For posted orders, choose a dispatch week no later than the week commencing 14th December, as we don't post Christmas orders after 19th December. Collection from our office in Ballycastle is available after this date. Ordering as early as possible gives you the widest choice and the least risk of items selling out.

Can I request a specific delivery date for Christmas?

You can choose the week your order will be ready in the basket. For orders sent by Royal Mail, a specific delivery day can't be guaranteed, but a note at checkout with your preferred window is always useful. For free local delivery within 10 miles of Ballycastle, a specific day and time can usually be arranged.

What if I don't know exactly what to include in a Christmas hamper?

Our Seasons of the Glens Foodie Hamper is built for this: choose a budget and leave a note about the recipient's tastes, and a hamper of popular products will be put together to suit.

Is it too late to post?

After 19th December, you can still order for collection from our office in Ballycastle, or send an e-gift voucher, which is delivered instantly by email.