How to Make an Elegant Christmas Basket and Festive Wreath This Season Wine News

Premium tea and coffee are a must, and now you can choose ethical brands. The Rare Tea Company, founded by former banker Henrietta Lovell, sources premium tea directly from growers and ships it in clever reusable tins. Earl Gray connoisseurs will love the Rare Tea version, made with real bergamot oil (Earl Gray tea €6.49 for 50g). Yallah Coffee in Cornwall buys its Sail Ship Coffee at a premium from Colombian growers and transports it here by wind power on sailboats, reducing the carbon footprint to near zero. The coffee has the balance and slight acidity of the best ‘hipster’ barista versions (£9.50 for 250g).

Also try: the herbal teas in elegant boxes from Nemi.

Crackers

Good crackers are great for making impromptu canapes as well as with cheese – try them with a dollop of tapenade and crème fraîche. The Fine Cheese Co cracker selection comes in a box, which means they won’t stale between pantry raids, and it can be refilled long after the first batch of crackers is finished (selection box of flavored crackers, £13.95, finecheese.co. UK).

Also try: Peter’s Yard has a terrific range, including sourdough round crispbreads with a hole.

Cheese

Stilton is the classic, but the huge slabs tend to linger after Christmas, when there’s always plenty to do with leftover Cheddar. A full turn also looks great, but the wax-wrapped versions tend to be oddly soft textures. Instead, opt for a whole cheddar cheese wrapped in cloth. Paxton and Whitfield Royal Cheesemakers have a dinky Cheddar Pounder (usually £15.50 for 550g or a 1.8kg Cheddar Truckle, £40)

Also try: a red Devonshire truck from cheesemaker Quicke.

Jam