The best advent calendars to buy for Christmas 2023

Are you barmy for cheese? Practically a living embodiment of Gromit? The kind of person who eats cheese to give you sweet dreams about eating more cheese? Behold, the droolworthy calendar of legendary West End artisan cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield. This is the third year in a row that P&W has rolled out this monster, which comes in three batches and contains 24 different, sizeable (75g) chunks of cheeses old and new. Make sure you’ve got a big enough fridge. Oh, and beware – it does carry a bit of a pong. Obviously.

Price: £150

Fortnum & Mason’s advent calendars are pretty all precious, delightful-looking things – and this mini gramophone might just be the daintiest and cutest of ‘em all. Made by Alison Gardiner, it contains 24 mini vinyl records, each of which has on it a different Christmas tune that can be played on the central tiny, battery-powered turntable. Every disc has its own illustration, while each tune is tasteful and mood-setting (they’re classic, instrumental sort of festive tunes, not pop radio hits). The whole thing is just so dinky and twee. Plus, you can reuse it and relive it all again every year.

Price: £49.95

Boozy advent calendars aren’t quite as novel as they used to be, but there are some out there still managing to stay head-and-shoulders above the rest. Like this one from the Craft Gin Club, which has a different double measure (50ml) of gin behind every door. The gins hail from both the UK and further afield, while included are seven brand-new gins that are exclusive to the Craft Gin Club – including a Mince Pie Gin from Tarquin’s that already has us smacking our lips. If you’re worried you’ll run dry of mixer, fear not: you can get an accompanying set of pairings, too.

Price: £94.95

Millions of choc calendars will be stacked high in London supermarkets this festive season, but none of them will taste even slightly as sensational as this ‘decadent’ one from Bond Street chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker. Open the front of this one and the smell of cocoa seeps out as a hint of just how rich each choc is. Each of the truffles, milk chocolates and dark chocolates in here is different and cased in its own cardboard box – and each one’ll have you hankering for the next day’s treat.

Price: £80

This addy cal from Whittards, purveyors of fine, very English tea, features such rich, wintry and festive flavours as ‘Christmas tea’, ‘Very Berry Crush’ and ‘Mulled Wine’. Each day gives you two bags, too – so you don’t have to do it on your ones.

Price: £25

Each of London’s legendary department stores has its own beauty advent calendar that proudly advertises what it’s worth compared to its RRP. This year’s Selfridges calendar is apparently worth more than £1,094 but only costs £220. A steal, huh. 

Price: £220

Portobello Road is one of London’s most picture-perfect streets, so why wouldn’t you want an illustration of it on your shelf all month? And a Wes Anderson-inspired one, at that. Filled with Melt’s delish hand-made milk chocs, too.

Price: £39.99

Hooked on Grind’s home-compostable, Nespresso-compatible coffee pods? There’s an advent calendar for you. The Shoreditch coffee company’s 2023 offering features 25 pods, two of which contain a special Christmas blend.

Price: £28

Few things are more Christmassy in London than ice skating at Somerset House, so plonk this one on yer mantle as a reminder to sign up for an evening of mulled wine and falling over.

Price: £7.99

Variety is the spice of life, but a variety of spices? Well, that sounds very nice indeed. This addy cal from legendary chef school Le Cordon Bleu features a new spice every day, ensuring that your cooking throughout the month shall be anything but bland.

Price: £35

Pay £250, get over £1,300’s worth of stuff – including 45 products from candles and face masks to pillow sprays and perfumes. Spoil yourself, go on.

Price: £250

For whatever the opposite of someone with a nut allergy is; heavenly bakers Birley Bakery’s calendar features homemade chocolates that come in such flavours as peanut, pistachio, coconut, hazelnut and almond. All the nuts, basically.

Price: £30

Each of the 24 windows of this one comes with an organic, vegan and totally scrumptious  chocolate and a really, really cute festive, eco-friendly animal toy. Enchanting and good for the planet.

Price: £49.95

Advent calendars that give you little things that you can use and eat are nice, but not everyone wants all that fuss. If you’re art-inclined, this could be the ideal alternative: a calendar that reveals a National Gallery masterpiece every day, while the main doors open out to reveal Duccio’s ‘The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Aurea’.

Price: £8.50