NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Hampers make a wonderful gift… and an ever better treat for yourself.

Filled with tasty sweets, cakes, savoury snacks and sometimes bubbly, it’s little wonder that hampers are being created with The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in mind.

Some are extremely pricey, arriving with all the trimmings, while others are catered with smaller budgets in mind.

Many also arrive in a picnic basket, picnic bag or even in one case a stylish old-school suitcase, which you can reuse once all of the edibles (and drink-ables) have been devoured.

Thinking of buying one for the June bank holiday weekend? Here are a few of your options.

This London-made hamper makes for a luxe picnic, including brownies, lemon drizzle cakes, cheese swirls, veggie sausage rolls, scones with clotted cream – along with chutney, jam, crackers and tea.

There’s also an option to add some mini Prosecco bottles, if you fancy a glass of fizz to wash it down.

At the time of writing, their website says that if you take a survey before you buy, you can get 15% off a purchase, which would bring your total down to around £39.

Price: £45.99 Where to buy: Cutter & Squidge

Though not specifically Jubilee-themed, Marks & Spencer’s take on afternoon tea is a nice option for those on a budget.

Inside, you’ll get a Victoria sandwich cake, a jam sponge roll, a tub of brownie bites, packets of shortbread and chocolate-dipped Viennese fingers, Cherry Bakewell tarts, ground coffee and tea.

With so many sweets (some with a decent shelf life), you’ll surely have some nibbles to spare. And you get a total of 80 tea bags.

Price: £20 Where to buy: Marks & Spencer

Tucked in a wicker hunstman basket, Fortnum & Mason’s Celebration Hamper (one of many options they have) is certainly decadent.

There are 11 items total in this basket, including chocolates, pistachio and clotted cream biscuits, shortbread, tea, coffee, marmalade and honey, along with a bottle of champagne.

Price: £230 Where to buy: Fortnum & Mason

A bottle of Malbec and one of Chardonnay kick off John Lewis’ offering, along with a range of unusual bites – including cheddar and onion Popti snacks, chutney and chunks of malted fudge.

Caramelised sesame peanuts, milk chocolate millionaires shortbread, a bag of Savoursmiths serrano chilli crisps and Mr Filbert’s olives are can also be found inside the basket.

Price: £100 Where to buy: John Lewis

If you’re planning to party this Jubilee weekend, then this cool bag of cocktails might be more your kind of hamper.

Expect a can of mojito, G&T, cosmopolitan, blackberry bramble and pina colada, along with a bottle of Prosecco, strawberry and elderflower presse, and a bottle of Platinum Jubilee ale.

Also included are some Jubilee-themed paper straws and napkins. Cheers!

Price: £50 Where to buy: Marks & Spencer

If you’re already a cheese connoisseur, you probably know the best place to buy the best locally.

But this box from Cheshire & Co does the trick, providing a 160g wedge of Royal Blue, 160g of Hartington Platinum Blue and 400g of Platinum Waves Truckle in a cardboard box.

You’ll need to shell out extra for any crackers and chutney – or opt for the £25+ box to have them included.

Price: £17.99 Where to buy: Cheshire & Co

Another lovely picnic-themed hamper, this time stuffed with Cartwright & Butler’s own-brand products.

The curated selection includes acacia honey, mixed nuts, onion chutney, salted caramel shortbread, chocolate wafer rounds, rum and raisin fudge, and sherbet pip sweets.

In a nice change from tea and coffee, instead you’ll get bottles of apple and orange juice, plus a tin of salted caramel-flavoured hot chocolate powder.

Price: £105 Where to buy: Cartwright & Butler

An assortment of chocolates, chilli and lime peanuts, plenty of dark chocolate biscuits and tea are listed with this option from hamper company Regency Hampers.

You do get a rather delicious-looking cherry and almond slab cake, from The Cotswold Gourmet, with this one – and it all arrives wrapped in a bow, in a nice wicker tray.

Price: £39.60 Where to buy: Regency Hampers

Selfridges’ Jubilee Hamper clearly has The Queen front and centre – as it contains a tin of Walkers shortbread with Her Majesty’s picture on the lid.

Also inside the wicker basket are tea, salted caramel chocolate crowns, a trio of preserves and milk chocolate from the House of Dorchester. Perhaps not quite as much as some of the others, but by lovely brands.

Price: £80 Where to buy: Selfridges

Inside, Liberty London’s Jubilee offering contains a cake selection, shortbread, a tin of breakfast tea and a commemorative mug.

Keeping it all in, however, is a Liberty suitcase rather than a bag or basket. It is a vintage-style case, decorated in Windsor Ribbon print – featuring jewels and crowns, and rather in-keeping with the regal occasion.

Price: £110 Where to buy: Liberty London

MORE : Best Platinum Jubilee merchandise and where to buy – from china and mugs to coins and corgi decorations

MORE : Sunshine and warm weather forecast for Queen’s Jubilee weekend

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