Christmas is fast approaching, and let’s be honest – it wouldn’t be Christmas without a few sweet treats in the house! From candy canes hung on the tree to a big pile of gold-wrapped chocolate coins and advent calendars, if you’re planning to buy sweets online this holiday season, then here are five top tips to make sure that your sweet-toothed recipients are delighted with their gift:
1. Sweet Jars
Think back to your grandparent’s day – and the jars of sticky yumminess that used to line the local confectioners! Why not revive that memory? Sweet jars are a classic gift option that ticks plenty of boxes when it comes to giving edible goodies as a Christmas gift.
They allow you to give enough sweets to make a decent gift’s worth – after all, you probably want to look generous – while benefiting from buying them in bulk at a lower cost. Sweet jars also hark back to the days of Victorian sweet shops, tapping into the nostalgic side of Christmas in a way that makes them an even better present.
2. Chocolate Bars
From jars to bars; chocolate is always a favourite, and rectangular bars are easy to gift-wrap, making them a good choice if you’re buying for several people (just make sure you don’t get the labels mixed up!).
Stack multiple bars together to make a bigger gift with plenty of variety of flavours, or mix white, milk and dark bars if you’re not certain of your intended recipient’s preference.
3. Confectioners’ Creations
These days, the confectionery market has gone way beyond penny sweets and chocolate bars, so consider some of the more innovative options if you’re giving to somebody adventurous.
Candy sprays eject bursts of sweet-tasting mist into your mouth, while there are all manner of dusts and gums that offer a unique mouthfeel experience when eaten.
Ingredients you might never expect to see together are increasingly being tried and tested on the open market, so explore what’s out there and you could find a creation you only ever expected to see in Willy Wonka’s factory.
4. A Matter of Choice
Chocolate is not the only type of confectionery that allows you to group together several different types to make a thoughtful gift. Jellies and gums are often a firm favourite with people who have less of a sweet tooth, but still enjoy the occasional treat.
You don’t have to buy a pre-made selection box, either – just combine jelly babies with American hard gums for a variety of gummy treats, or throw together some liquorice allsorts with some dolly mixtures for a twist on two classic favourites.
Alternatively, you might want to buy a sweet jar and pick out all of one particular colour to give as a fun and thoughtful gift to somebody who especially likes that colour!
Blackcurrant fruit pastilles are probably the most famous example of this, and are so popular that they have been sold separately in the past.
5. Pick and Mix
You don’t have to give full sweet jars; just a single portion will sometimes do the trick. Use individual bags of pick and mix as stocking fillers, or to add to another gift that is almost (but not quite) enough to give on its own.
For not a lot of money, you add a whole new dimension to your present – and after all, most of us are happy to receive sweets or chocolates for Christmas, no matter how many we get.
About the Author – Bob Bardsley is a sweet-toothed freelance blogger who writes on a variety of topics for retail sites including Hoskings Sweets
Comments are closed.