For Secret Santa, individually wrapped chocolates hit the brief without the guesswork. They read as considered rather than grabbed from a garage on the way in, they suit almost anyone, and they sit comfortably inside a modest budget. A small boxed selection of hand-finished pralines does more for a colleague than another novelty mug.

For more detail, see chocolate gift delivery.

The first week of November is for the list. Write down every person who is getting chocolate hampers this year, split into those you will hand the gift over to in person and those it has to reach by post. The postal list is the one that dictates your deadlines, so mark it clearly. This is also the week to note anyone with dietary questions, so you can point them to product information later rather than guessing on their behalf.

More information is available at personalised chocolate photo box.

See more on this at dessert-inspired chocolate collection.

Knowing the date is only half the job. The other half is working backwards from it so a gift arrives in good time rather than the Saturday morning after. A short countdown makes that easier.