How to create a Valentine’s Day hamper for the one you love

25 Jan 2024

Gift Ideas Gifts Valentines

Show your love with the help of something delicious this Valentine’s Day. Create a romantic hamper in a few simple steps using our guide.

With February comes Valentine’s Day. And what follows is time to celebrate the things we love most. It comes as no surprise that we love chocolate — we adore all the good it does for our taste buds and the way it shows giftees just how much we care. So, why not combine the two with a spectacular Valentine’s Day hamper? Hampers are a brilliant Valentine’s Day gift because you can tailor the contents to your loved one, ensuring that they love each little thing within it.

If you’ve never created a hamper before — don’t worry. We’re here to guide you through the basics and discuss a bit more about what makes our chocolate hampers so special.

Valentine's Day hamper graphic.

Why are hampers so special?

Gift-giving is a love language in itself — and luxury hampers embody this to the highest degree. From their grand appearance to the excitement of variety within the hamper, there’s no surprise why they’re a go-to Valentine’s gift. But, why else would you consider creating a hamper?

Personalisation

The main benefit of a gift hamper is the ability to personalise its contents. From irresistible chocolate truffles and Prosecco to moreish biscuits and cute mugs, you have the freedom to select what you think your loved one will like most.

Variety and surprise

Gift hampers bring an excitable element of surprise. Imagine your loved one opening their hamper, revealing a variety of thoughtful gifts. You could even hide a main hamper gift — such as The Velvetiser — near the bottom of the hamper for a big reveal!

Aesthetic appeal

A gift hamper is, of course, mostly about what’s inside it — but the way it’s presented can also have a big impact. After all, you want your loved one to be impressed by your thoughtfulness and choice of presentation. At Hotel Chocolat, we can take on the hard work for you with our gift hamper delivery service. Choose your hamper and we’ll take care of the rest — delivering it straight to you or your loved one’s doorstep.

Memorable

Because of their personalised nature, the experience of unpacking a hamper is second to none. Especially when it’s been designed and assembled with the giftee in mind. This means gift hampers are great at elevating a memorable gifting experience, standing out from more conventional Valentine’s Day gifts.

Practicality

Hampers are an extremely practical way of gifting for Valentine’s Day. If you’re struggling to find a main present for your loved one, a gift hamper gives you the chance to offer them a variety of thoughtful, smaller gifts. However, with that being said, your hamper can include anything you want — small or large. That’s the beauty of it.

What’s more, the gifts within your hamper are made to last. From hot chocolate sachets to luxury biscuit collections, your giftee can experience the gifts even after Valentine’s Day is over.

Couple with a chocolate box

How to create a gift hamper for Valentine’s Day

Ready to assemble your gift hamper? If you’re making your own, here’s a handy guide to get you started.

Step 1: Select your hamper contents

Ultimately, you want your gift hamper to be full of things your loved one can enjoy. Some popular hamper gifts include boxes of chocolates in their favourite flavours such as patisserie-inspired treats and fruity chocolate, an assortment of luxury biscuits, a set of hot chocolate sachets in flavours like Hazelnut Praline and Black Forest Gateau, and maybe a few extras like marshmallows and sauce toppings.

Why not bring a real sense of celebration to the occasion with a tipple? A bottle of our Velvetised Cream, Cacao Gin, or Salted Caramel Vodka should go down a treat.

To add to the experience of luxury, place a few self-care gifts into the hamper as an extra. Think candles, bath bombs and hand creams — anything that’s comforting and smells nice. You could also add your own handwritten note for a sentimental touch.

Step 2: Choose the right basket and filling

Most importantly, you want to select a hamper box that is big enough for all of your gifts. At Hotel Chocolat, we have two wicker baskets available for your convenience – one large wicker basket, and one medium wicker basket.

Next, you’ll need to pad out the bottom of your basket to protect your items and to add to the whole aesthetic. You can opt for straw, shredded paper, or tissue paper to line the bottom of your basket — whichever you prefer.

Step 3: Arrange your hamper

Now the time has come to arrange your hamper. It’s important to remember that there’s an art to hamper presentation. Start layering by placing taller items at the back of your basket, and gradually work your way forward with smaller items. Next, it’s time to make sure that all your gifts are visible. Finally, distribute your gifts by weight and colour to create a visually appealing arrangement.

Step 4: Decorate and add final touches

You should finally see your gift hamper coming together nicely at this point. For a professional finish, consider wrapping it in clear cellophane for a professional finish, and add decorative elements like ribbons, bows, and ornaments.

Finally, to make your gift hamper as personalised as possible, add a personal card or message to the front of the hamper when making your final checks. And that’s it — you’re ready to present your luxury hamper to the one you love most.

Show your partner how much you care with a romantic chocolate selection box

Luxury gift hampers from Hotel Chocolat

If you’ve decided to create a hamper for your loved one, then you’ll know that there are a few logistics involved. From choosing a suitable box or basket for your hamper to buying wrapping and decorations — as well as the gifts themselves — you may find that the process is a bit more strenuous than you expected.

We’ve been assembling and delivering our customer’s hampers for as long as we can remember, so we’re well-prepared for the task.

Take a look at a few of our pre-assembled gift hampers, ready to be sent directly to you or your partner.

Valentine’s gift hampers on a budget

Celebrate your Valentine’s Day in style — and on a budget. For just £39.95, our Chocolate & Fizz collection contains a box of Chocolate Macarons, Pink Champagne Truffles, and the Everything H-Box. Indulge in our 20cl of Classic Prosecco, a sachet of our Milky 50% hot chocolate and Classic 70% hot chocolate — finished off with our 70% Dark Chocolate Shortbread. Luxury for a bargain, if you ask us.

Chocolate hampers with flavoured chocolate

If your loved one has a specific type or flavour of chocolate that they love, we have a few hamper gift sets available to suit every taste preference.

For dark chocolate lovers, we have the All Dark Collection and our High Cocoa Curated Collection for an authentic and genuine taste experience. As for bigger budgets, we also have The Dark Cabinet — a jaw-dropping collection of 59 delectable chocolates and macarons.

For those who appreciate their chocolate on the creamy side, we have the Mellow Curated Collection, which is brimming with milk and caramel chocolates.To add to this, we also offer the Mug & a Hug Collection, including a new mug and some of our best-loved chocolate treats.

Our ultimate chocolate gift hampers for Valentine’s Day

Going above and beyond for Valentine’s Day? These are our biggest Valentine’s Day hampers, filled to the brim with chocolate treats, hot chocolate selections, and a few special surprises.

At the top of the list, we have The Chocolate Adventurer’s Hamper where your loved one can experience the best of our chocolate profiles, from mellow milk to punchy fruit flavours. In total, you’ll receive 19 full-sized items all decadently presented in a keepsake wicker hamper. Looking to give the most on a smaller budget? The Chocolatier’s Table is a great alternative. Open the lid to reveal an extensive assortment of 69 pralines, tipples, truffles, and more.

Next, we have The Velvetiser Experience Chocolate Hamper. It’s the gift hamper that does it all if you’re looking for a complete drinking chocolate experience. With your very own Velvetiser and a selection of hot chocolate flavours, biscuits, and batons in tow — you’re sure to be a hot chocolate expert in no time.

Still not sure which one to choose? Take a look at all of the pre-assembled hampers we have to offer. Simply click on any product to see its detailed description.

Select a hamper from Hotel Chocolat this Valentine’s Day

At Hotel Chocolat, we adore any type of celebration. And what could be more joyous than a celebration of love and connection?

Let us be a part of your Valentine’s Day by selecting one of our luxury chocolate hampers — the perfect Valentine’s gift for your loved one.