Christmas 2026 | Food & Drink Gifts
Forget the cheap chocolate calendars. Online food shop Sous Chef has released its range of foodie advent calendars for 2026, with many new arrivals you won’t find anywhere else. Here are five of the best for the food lover in your life.
1. Roy René Windmill Advent Calendar, £39.99
Roy René, the historic Aix-en-Provence confectioner famous for its almond calisson sweets, has made a calendar shaped like a windmill, inspired by Alphonse Daudet’s Lettres de mon moulin. Inside are 24 Provençal treats, including calissons and nougat. It’s a lovely, affordable pick.
2. Babbi Prestige Wafer & Praline Advent Calendar, £49.99
Babbi has been making its delicate wafers in Emilia-Romagna since 1952. This calendar has 24 crispy wafers wrapped in silky chocolate, in hazelnut, dark, milk and white varieties. Perfect for anyone who loves Italian sweets.
3. Majani Cubic Chocolate Advent Calendar, £85
From Bologna’s historic Majani chocolate house, this one is filled with the brand’s famous gianduja “Fiat” pralines and filled chocolate squares in pistachio, hazelnut and caramel. It even comes with a Morellato jewellery gift.
4. Mill & Mortar Organic Spice Advent Calendar, £250
The ultimate gift for keen cooks. This wooden chest holds 24 full-size tins of organic spices and blends, including triple lemon pepper, a shawarma blend, Murcia paprika, PDO saffron and Kandyan curry. Unlike a sweet calendar, the contents will last well beyond Christmas.
5. Lakrids Liquorice Advent Calendar, from £45
For liquorice fans, Lakrids’ calendar comes in two sizes: 345g for £45 or a larger 690g version for £75. Other options at Sous Chef include the Baci calendar (£25), a La Perla di Torino truffle calendar (£39.99), a Lebkuchen-Schmidt gingerbread calendar (£59.99) and a big Neuhaus sharing calendar (£159.50).
Where to buy
All of these calendars are available now from Sous Chef, with more arriving every day. Advent calendars tend to sell out as December gets closer, so it’s worth ordering early.