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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Bethan Shufflebotham

I unboxed an £80 Mother’s Day gin hamper and it was like a lucky dip for adults

I had to take the photos of this hamper not once, not twice, but three times. Why? Because every time I thought I’d unboxed every last item, I’d go on to uncover another luxury treat hiding beneath the shredded paper nest.

The For the Love of Gin Gift box, from Cartwright and Butler, comes in at £80 and is a luxury alcohol hamper that will make for a fantastic Mother’s Day gift this Sunday.

Packed to the rafters with goodies - including a full sized bottle of gin - it felt like the gift that kept on giving as more and more biscuits and sweets were revealed the deeper I dug into the box.

READ MORE: I tried a bakery Mother's Day hamper - and I need one product on repeat order

The delightful pink hamper is filled with an array of even more pink products - and more than what might first appear, so it seems. Upon opening my Cartwright and Butler luxury hamper, I was quick to spot the bottle of Finders Fruits of the Forest gin, which retails for £29 alone.

I could also see a box of C&B Rhubarb and Custard sweets, a pretty pink tin of C&B butter fudge and a packet of strawberry and white chocolate biscuits.

By this point I was already thrilled with the gift, the presentation and the products, knowing my mum would be able to put each one to good use. But when I went to place them back in the box, I noticed a box of C&B butter oat crumble biscuits that I’d clearly missed on my first unboxing.

About to go ahead and put the box out of the way, I heard something slide around, and digging through the masses of shredded paper, there were two more products waiting to be discovered. It felt like a lucky dip for adults where every prize is even better than the last.

The almost-forgotten goodies came in the form of C&B chocolate wafer crispies and a packet of seeded beetroot flatbread crackers, meaning there were a whopping seven products in the hamper, as opposed to the originally assumed four!

With the bottle of fruity pink gin costing just shy of £30, it meant that every other item was priced around £8.30, arriving in a lovely, floral decorated box that you could keep, or reuse.

I love how cohesive and Instagrammable this hamper is, the millennial pink packaging is very sweet and makes it feel very luxurious, rivalling the likes of Fortnum and Mason, who have similar treat hampers on their site priced at £100 without a bottle of gin, making C&B’s feel like decent value for money in comparison.

The brand said: “At Cartwright & Butler we remain committed to delivering the exceptional. Everything we make is created to bring real pleasure and a sense of occasion whenever and wherever it is enjoyed. These aren't just any Mother's Day gift baskets, they're Mother's Day Luxury Hampers.”

Their gift boxes come in all shapes, sizes and price brackets, so if £80 seems a little steep, there are gifting options from £10 on their website which are equally as lovely.

For me, the best product in the box was the bottle of fruity gin, which is a glorious spring tipple served with ice, lemonade and fresh fruit. But I equally adored the butter fudge tin, because the pink resealable container can be reused and looks very cute on the kitchen counter.

In terms of flavour though, the strawberry and white chocolate biscuits were dangerously addictive. Baked in small batches at a family run bakery, these Cartwright and Butler treats are incredibly moreish - they’re almost too good to share. You can shop the Cartwright and Butler hamper here.

Alternatively, though, there’s this treat hamper from London-based Cutter and Squidge that we reviewed last week, which includes the most incredibly New York inspired vegan cookies. Or, if you wanted to take mum out somewhere, Morrisons have just launched a £10 afternoon tea for two, which is served on a three tier cake stand filled with sandwiches, scones and cakes for £5 per head.

Manchester bars and restaurants are also helping mums save money this Mother’s Day with a range of deals and offers, from free drinks and desserts to ‘mums eat free’ - you can find our top picks in this article.

Maybe you’ll keep it classic with flowers? Time is running out to order for Mother’s Day delivery, but we’ve found some fabulous last minute offers that should arrive in time for Sunday, including a huge bouquet of tulips that come in a luxury planter.

Whatever you choose for mum this Mother’s Day, we’re certain she’ll love it either way.

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