The best alternative foodie advent calendars to buy this Christmas - including cheese, popcorn and gin
4 October 2019, 16:35 | Updated: 28 November 2019, 15:21
Buying an advent calendar signifies the start of Christmas as the official countdown to the big day begins.
While we rush to the shops to buy our favourite chocolatey treat in the run up to Christmas, sometimes it can get a bit same-ish.
Luckily, we’ve lined up a whole host of non-traditional food and drink calendars to get your teeth into.
Whether you love a biscuit to dunk in your morning tea, or a cube of cheese to nibble on after work - it’s safe to say, there’s something for everyone.
And you’ll even find your favourite tipple of vodka, gin and Prosecco lurking behind those cardboard windows this year.
So, here’s some of the best alternative food and drink advent calendars to help kickstart your Christmas celebrations in the right way.
Shortbread advent calendar
Price: £14.99
Walkers Shortbread have launched a limited edition Christmas advent calendar full of their buttery biscuits.
This includes 24 individually wrapped Walkers Shortbread favourites, including the classic Shortbread Finger, Round shortbread and Chocolate Chip Shortbread.
A limited number of the new advent calendar will be available to buy on the Walkers Shortbread website now.
Read More: Christmas-obsessed mum is mocked for setting up her decorations in September
Popcorn advent calendar
Price: £17.99
Popcorn Shed has created a Gourmet Christmas Advent Calendar perfect for counting down to the big day.
This includes six amazing sweet and savoury flavours including Salted Caramel, Berry-licious, Say Cheese!, Butterly Nuts, Pecan Pie & Pop N Choc.
You can buy the calendar from Amazon!
Spirits advent calendar
Price: £100
A slightly pricier option for the festive period, Wilkin & Sons' calendar is packed full of craft English Gin, Vodka, and Rum for the spirit lovers among us.
Combined with Tiptree fruits and spreads, the flavours include Strawberry, Rasberry and Damson Gin Liqueur as well as Blackcurrant, Marmalade and Caramel Vodka Liqueur and Spiced Rum Liqueur.
The calendar is available to buy now from Tiptree’s website.
Marshmallow advent calendar
Price: £17.50 with £3.75 for marshmallow toaster from The Naked Marshmallow
The Naked Marshmallow Co. Advent Calendar is back with each door revealing festive flavours such as salted caramel, butterscotch, milk & cookies, gingerbread, mint choc chip & S’mores!
This year you can upgrade your advent calendar with a toaster add-on kit, which includes a marshmallow toaster, 24 bamboo skewers and a toasting instruction guide for perfectly toasted and gooey marshmallow.
Vegan advent calendar
Price: £39.99 from Livia's website and other UK retailers
Far from your average chocolate advent calendar, this festive countdown calendar is packed full with irresistibly tasty treats including squidgy Nugglets and gooey Million Squares.
And even better, these treats are made from simple ingredients, are gluten and dairy free, vegan and completely natural.
Cheese advent calendar
Price: £13
Calling all cheese lovers, because Pavé d'Affinois has come up with the ultimate advent calendar for you.
It includes individually wrapped cubes of soft French cheese in flavours Original, Extra Creamy, Washed Rind and Chilli.
Perfect on a cracker or just on it’s own, this calendar gives you a small taste of joy every day in the lead up to the big day.
It will be available in Asda from November 2019.
Customisable alcohol advent calendar
Price: £49.99–£140.00 depending on tree size and drink options
First 4 hampers has come up with a genius way of customising your own advent calendar with their Tipsy Tree range.
They will send you your very own 3D Christmas tree along with 24 mini bottles of either wine, prosecco, beer or spirits. Then it’s up to you to create your very own personalised drink calendar.
You can purchase the range at First 4 hampers now.
Marzipan advent calendar
Price: £35
If chocolate isn’t your thing, Johann Georg Niederegger has launched a calendar which is packed with a selection of classic and flavoured marzipan loaves, truffles, pralines and mini marzipan animal figures.
As well as this sweet Santa design, they will also be stocking the new 300g Winter calendar which has an assortment of classic and flavoured mini loaves.
You can get your hands on one from Selfridges.
Quality Street advent calendar
Price: £5
Something a little different to your classic chocolate version, Quality Street has launched a calendar featuring all your favourite Christmas treats behind the 24 windows.
Just like their classic tin, flavours will include the purple hazelnut and caramel, the green triangle hazelnut, strawberry delight and caramel swirl.
The difficulty will lie in trying not to eat all of them at once.
You will be able to pick up the box towards the end of November from all major supermarkets.
Tea advent calendar
Price: £10
Pukka Herbs has just launched a new edition of their Christmas Calendar, containing 24 specially selected Pukka blends.
The festive design is easy to hang on walls or doors and use as decoration this Christmas and includes flavours Turmeric Active, Turmeric Gold and Peppermint and Liquorice, Original Chai, Revitalise, and Wild Apple and Cinnamon.
The Pukka Christmas Calendar will be available from Waitrose & Partners from October 7.
Coffee advent calendar
Price: £39.95
For the coffee addicts among us, Pact has come up with their very own countdown to Christmas.
The calendar includes 25 ethically sourced coffees in a specially designed box with individual coffee cards holding one 16-18g sachet of coffee each.
Different coffees include those with hints of strawberry, peach sherbet and chocolate milkshake.
The calendar will be available to buy from Pact Coffee from early November.
Protein Ball advent calendar
Price: £19.99
For all those fitness fanatics, The Protein Ball Co. has created a guilt-free advent calendar packed full of 100% natural, no added sugar, bite-size protein balls.
The flavours include Goji + Coconut, Lemon + Pistachio, Raspberry Brownie, Apple + Blueberry, Peanut Butter and a special festive-flavoured Christmas ball behind door no.24.
All flavours are vegan and can be purchased at www.theproteinballco.com.
Biscuit advent calendar
Price: £175
If you want some serious luxury this year, Biscuiteers has partnered with designer Sophie Conran to create their annual handmade cloth calendar.
You can choose to buy the calendar alone to fill with your own surprises, or buy the Biscuiteers luxe advent biscuit tin which includes 24 hand-iced biscuits to fill the pockets in the countdown to Christmas.
The calendar is available to buy now from Biscuiteers.
