What’s the best thing about gift baskets, do you think? I’m quite sure that several things will immediately have sprung to mind for you, and that in itself will give you the answer – gift baskets are one of the most delightful and exciting gifts you could hope to receive.

But perhaps the best benefit they have is that they are extremely versatile and are suitable for giving at any time of the year. It’s obvious that we will think of them more when we have a huge list of gifts to buy people at Christmas, and also when Easter and birthdays roll around, but why wait until then to show someone how you feel about them?

And as time goes on, gift baskets are becoming more intriguing as well. Let’s suppose you have an English friend staying with you and they are feeling a little homesick. Why not surprise them with a Best of British gift basket to make them feel a whole lot better? Any Brit will tell you that life without Cadbury’s chocolate or Branston pickle is virtually unthinkable, so they will love being treated in such a thoughtful way.

But of course gift baskets are often the best choice for other reasons as well. If you know a foodie who loves trying out products from different countries, you could treat them to a basket which is packed with items they won’t have tried before.

A great example is the culinary tastes offered by South Africa. And now you can treat that adventurous person in your family with a basket packed with Black Cat products, dry wors and biltong as well, not to mention plenty of other delicacies unique to that country.

As you can see, gift baskets are among the most unusual and interesting gifts you could give someone – something that really appeals to their tastes and sends a message to them that you have obviously thought long and hard about what should be tucked inside it. That’s one of the greatest benefits of a basket – people really appreciate them and they last a long time too, as the lucky recipient explores the contents and tries them out one by one.

These baskets also have a natural ability to bring people together. In fact, you could even order one for yourself and plan a get together around it. Have it delivered on the day of your party and then get everyone trying out the contents! This works best if you order something really unusual, like a gift basket packed with Dutch products for example. If you choose something no one will have come across before, it can lead to a lot of fun as everyone digs in!

But there is still no beating the effect of someone opening their front door to receive a well packed gift hamper when they least expect it. And that’s why you should put this option at the top of your list the next time you think of someone you need to buy a present for.