As the festive season approaches, the search for the perfect chocolate Advent calendar begins. To help navigate the overwhelming choice, Advent enthusiast Georgina Hayden and her family, spanning three generations, conducted a comprehensive taste test of this year's leading offerings.
The family panel sought variety, Christmas sparkle, a touch of nostalgia, and packaging attractive enough for the mantelpiece. Despite differing age groups, their preferences aligned remarkably, revealing that a sense of fun and a little extra surprise behind each door were universally appreciated.
The Top-Rated Chocolate Advent Calendars
After rigorous testing, two calendars emerged as clear champions, each excelling in different areas.
Best Overall: Hotel Chocolat Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar
Priced at £13.95 for 125g, this calendar was the undisputed winner. The testers loved its compact and stylish design, but the real delight was inside. It was the only calendar tested to feature a message behind each door, adding a nostalgic touch. Breaking through a foil layer to discover different Christmas-themed chocolates made the daily ritual feel special. The verdict: delicious, classy, and utterly festive.
Best Bargain: Baci Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Available for £15 for 278g at Ocado, this calendar offers incredible value. While the upfront cost seems higher, the price per 100g is a very competitive £5.40. Its festive and opulent packaging isn't heavily branded, making it a sophisticated choice. Best of all, each door reveals a full-size, differently flavoured Baci chocolate, making it a calendar worthy of gifting.
Other Noteworthy Contenders
The test also highlighted several other strong performers that cater to different tastes.
Butlers Chocolate Advent Calendar (£19.99 for 350g) was the most generous offering by weight. It opens to reveal a calm design and contains a variety of chocolates, including flavours like Himalayan sea salt, and date and almond. It's essentially a full chocolate box in calendar form, perfect for adults.
Tony's Chocolonely Advent Calendar (£12.50 for 216g) is a great Fairtrade, eco-conscious option. The cracker-shaped doors are satisfying to open, and the chocolate is a good size, though the branding was considered a bit loud.
Ferrero Rocher Advent Calendar (£15 for 258g) comes in a huge, Christmassy gold box. It offers a nice mixture of chocolates that will thrill anyone who loves the brand's signature festive treats.
Calendars That Disappointed
Not every calendar lived up to expectations. The Lindt Lindor Assorted Mini Calendar was deemed a bit stingy, with shrunken versions of the classic Lindor balls, though the larger chocolate for Christmas Eve was a nice touch.
The Divine Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar (£5.56 for 85g) is an ethically sound choice, being vegan and supporting farmers directly. However, its design wasn't particularly festive.
Montezuma's Organic Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar (£15.75 for 150g) offers quality dark chocolate but lacks variety and style, making it feel overpriced.
The Cadbury Dairy Milk Mixed Chunk Advent Calendar provides a lot of chocolate for your money but was criticised for being boring and prioritising branding over festivity.
Perhaps the biggest letdown was the Kinder 24 Minis Advent Calendar. Despite the tester's confessed love for Kinder chocolate, this particular calendar was deemed too basic, offering the same chocolate behind every door when other Kinder options provide more variety.
The ultimate conclusion from this family taste test is clear: whether young or old, we are all big kids at heart when it comes to Christmas, and the best Advent calendars are those that make the daily countdown a moment of genuine, chocolatey joy.
