....but there’s some serious history behind the hamper!
Our Great British Afternoon Tea Hamper celebrates all things British; a quintessentially English Hamper that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home. But did you know that hampers haven’t always been used as gifts? They also had a far more practical aspect to their existence and they go back further than you would imagine in English history even as far back as 1066!
Hampers as we know them today were introduced to Britain by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. These were used as charitable offerings full of food, drinks and clothing, given to provide poorer families in need of sustenance, which would often last for several weeks.
In the 1200s there was a slight change in use of the hampers or “hanapers” as they were also called as they were used to store important documents detailing fees and fines related to the Chancery.
1706 saw the introduction of the first stage company, making travel by stage coach easier and more popular. Alongside this new innovation, hampers became a popular choice for travellers to enjoy food and drinks enroute.
The railway expansion of the 1800s meant that it was easier to send hampers much further afield, subsequently marking the start of gift hampers being given to family and loved ones as presents across the miles.
The 1800s also saw the growing tradition of gifting Christmas hampers courtesy of the Victorians. Our wealthier forebears started presenting them to maids and servants as gestures of goodwill to reward them with a feast over the Christmas period. These hampers would have been laden with a variety of meats and poultry, as well as pies and fruit cakes. For picnic hampers, lobsters were also a popular staple.
In the 1900s, motor travel increased in popularity and with the advantage of being able to take larger items on long journeys, tea kettles and burners would be included to allow motorists to stop for hot refreshments.
It wasn’t really until the 21st Century, that gift hampers progressed much further than charitable offerings or food for long journeys. They have evolved to encapsulate fine ingredients from around the world and are a gift good enough for royalty. In fact, HRH Queen Elizabeth II presented Pope Francis with a hamper of British produce to mark their first meeting at the Vatican, in 2014.
Today, hampers come in all shapes and sizes but always include a mix of quality products, the packaging showing high quality, detailed decoration and has an element of uniqueness by catering for particular palates or interests as well as that unrivalled surprise element in the gifting process.
Why not wow your mum this Mother’s Day with our luxury afternoon tea hamper so she can really enjoy her special day by tucking into a slice of delicious cherry and almond cake, or some superbly sweet, strawberry jam, lumpy chocolate and strawberries & cream biscuits. The Cartwright & Butler English Afternoon Tea bags create the perfect cuppa to combine with the vanilla shortbread. Full of edible luxuries for just for her, this Mothering Sunday she can have her cake and eat it!
Take a look at our Great British Afternoon Tea Hamper here:
https://keepthingspersonal.com/products/great-british-afternoon-tea-hamper
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One lump or two?