If I could do one thing all my life, it's scrolling through my Instagram feed (@mostlyconsuming cause why not?) for food and puppy videos. One such scrolling trip landed me near hampers as a Diwali concept that bakeries and eateries across Delhi indulge in!
These hampers, planned months in advance and manufactured with utmost care with personalized and customised boxes, pack some of the best goodies these places have to offer. The boxes are beautiful enough, like your traditional Diwali dry fruit dabbas, to be recycled for other purposes later on.
They are a beautiful gift for people you visit and to explore as a family instead of bursting crackers (#nopollutiondiwali please) or alone because I wouldn't want to share these desserts with anyone really (but Diwali means family and sharing, dang it)
I wanted to buy one as an outstation student heading home for the festival and came across some pretty cool ones I felt I should share. So here is a catalogue of Diwali Hampers you could be buying based on your hamper budget (yes, it's a thing - let's, adult)
P.S. Even if you couldn't make their Diwali deadlines, they cater throughout the year with their amazing gifting options!
1. Sugarama Patisserie
Sugarama has a huge range of products you could indulge in. Their cheapest starts from Rs.200 (plus taxes) for their delicious crumbly almond biscotti and their most expensive is their 2500 hamper which has their cookies, truffles, macarons, brownies - all in one big box!
#SpoonRecommends: I love their Colourful motif tins, the small one is for Rs.550 and has their delicious brownies! Their soft-centred chocolates box (beginning at only Rs.300) is something else you could indulge in for yourself (don't share this if you ask me, sorry mum).
2. Demould
The best part about Demould, besides it being a student startup, is the effort they put into their handmade products. Their cheapest hamper, the one in the picture has a jar of Dark Chocolate cake and Belgian milk chocolate covered almonds for Rs.450 and their most expensive one, for Rs.1500, has these two jars, brownies and other goodies in a customized box (they can customise it for other occasions too!).
#SpoonRecommends: Go for the pretty bag with the jars, their quality of chocolate is good, a box of their brownies on the side will only add to this festival of flavours.
3. The Bombaykery
They have some of the finest desserts which range from croissants to Nutella sea salt cookies and they bring this goodness in their hampers this year. Their cheapest is for Rs.850 and has Biscotti, brownies, cheese sticks and granola. Their most expensive one has some wicked products in festive packings, like Nutella Sea salt cookies, chocolate chunk cookies, chocolate covered butterscotch and much more.
#SpoonRecommends: Try their Medium box for Rs.1200 which has Cheese Sticks, Granola, Chocolate Bar, Almond Florentine and brownies.
4. Mystical Bundle
If you haven't already, please check out her Instagram page because it's fabulous. Legit. They have a range of festival specials with the cheapest beginning at Rs.250. The cheapest festival special is a box of six truffles dipped in white, dark and milk chocolate. The most expensive one is for Rs.1499 which has artisanal loaf, jars, chocolates, brownies and truffles - which basically takes care of your whole day, if you are staying in or if you are going out, it packs a party in a basket!
#Spoonrecommends: Try their box of 9 brownies for Rs.800. It has fudgy walnut, Nutella, Red velvet cheesecake. Yum!
5. L'Opera India
L' Opera promises the finest french pastry possible. I have tried their cakes and they are...sublime. Hence, even though they are the most expensive entry in this list (and otherwise really), trust me, their products are worth it.
For this festive season, they took out multiple products which range from coffee beans, tea leaves, dry fruits and their popular cookies n beautiful jars and boxes. Their hampers pack all these goodies in one. Their cheapest (not really) hamper is for Rs.2999 and their most expensive is for Rs.15000 (Wow!). Even though the hampers and the pastry is quite expensive, especially with festival pricing, L'Opera is a bakery that will not let you down when it comes to taste, finesse and quality ( tried and tested by yours truly).
#SpoonRecommends: Try one of their Petite gift boxes for Rs.785 which has chocolate cashew nut cookies, strawberry white pepper preserve and their signature tea.
This is my list of hampers I found impressive and by some of my favourite bakeries because cakes and cookies just make it all the more special. Even if you miss their Diwali deadline, you can just drop in (or order) for some Nutella Brownies on not so festive days. Happy Diwali folks!