The Best Food & Drink Advent Calendars for Christmas 2022

The New Confectionery Countdown: Confectionery brands are banking on the growth of the advent calendar category ­– in the UK, one in four households plan to use chocolate to count down to Christmas this year (Nielsen, 2022).

With a nod to portion control, British company Cadbury has launched its Dairy Milk Advent Bar. Encouraging consumers to join the ‘one chunk a day’ challenge, the chocolate bar is divided into 25 numbered pieces that can be broken off daily.

Meanwhile, UK vegan brand H!P (Happiness in Plants) has released an advent calendar featuring individually wrapped chocolate squares in Original, Salted Caramel, Gingerbread and White flavours. And fellow British confectioner Happi’s oat-milk-based advent bars are wrapped in plastic-free packaging.

Other clever examples include British supermarket Marks & Spencer’s 24 Biscuits ‘Til Christmas Advent Calendar with vanilla, honeycomb and clementine varieties. There’s also UK brand JB Treat Carts’ Candyfloss Advent Calendar, which contains tubs of candyfloss in festive flavours like Christmas pudding and Irish cream.

A Daily Brew: British tea and coffee retailer Whittard of Chelsea’s Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar for Two contains double servings of its powder sachets in indulgent flavours like Raspberry Ripple and Crème Brûlée. Also offering brews is UK-based Bird & Blend Tea Co. with its 24-tin Matcha Tea Advent Calendar. With 5g of matcha per portion (enough for two cups), blends include Gingerbread Chai and Piña Colada.

Elsewhere, German brand Mein Genuss’s Tea Advent Calendar elegantly houses 24 resealable (and therefore refillable) jars with blends from around the world. And Australian specialty tea brand T2’s limited-edition World of T2 Luxury Advent Calendar contains a range of brews like gingerbread-flavoured Christmas Breakfast and blueberry-, dragonfruit- and kiwi-flavoured Fruitalicious. It also has collectible equipment (think infusers and Moroccan-inspired gold spoons), a fine bone china mug, and three tea-scented candles.

Meanwhile, Swiss coffee giant Nespresso has collaborated with French pastry chef and chocolatier Pierre Hermé to create a limited-edition advent calendar featuring confectionery-inspired capsules for its espresso machines. Offerings include hazelnut-scented Infiniment Gourmand Saveur Noisettes and raspberry-flavoured Infiniment Fruité Saveur Framboise.

Alcohol-Infused Advent: Scottish brewery BrewDog’s Craft Beer Advent Calendar contains a variety of 24 330ml cans and a Christmas-themed glass. Similarly, UK beer and snack brand Bier Company has unveiled its 90cm-tall Ultimate Craft Beer Advent Calendar, which comprises nuts, a glass, and a pair of festive socks, alongside 25 cans of microbrews (each from a different brewery).

Available in two designs, US brand Direct Wines, Inc.’s countdown calendars contain a range of wines in 187ml bottles, with a larger 375ml bottle of Prosecco to celebrate Christmas Eve. Likewise, German supermarket chain Aldi’s alcoholic advent calendar features a variety of mini wine bottles.

In Australia, gin brand Gintonica has released the sixth edition of its Perfect Pour Advent Calendar, which contains 24 50ml bottles of local gin, along with serving suggestions. The company is also offering a version with 30ml portions of the spirits – perfect for the flex-sober cohort. Elsewhere, New York-based online spirits club Flaviar’s Whiskey Advent Calendar features a curated collection of 24 50ml samples, plus a collectible glass, a concrete coaster, and a tasting journal.