'Even my husband who is a vegan sceptic thought this Christmas cheese hamper was excellent'

Festive Baileys, mulled wine and berry gin hampers fly off the shelves at this time of year as people start to prep for , and one thing that pairs well with it is cheese. For those who avoid dairy be it for allergy reasons or a preference, finding a tasty alternative can often be a tricky task.

Hampers are often go-to gifts or a frugal way to try a little bit of everything without buying full-sized items and new may catch the eye of vegans. Its new range of festive-themed cheeseboards even has 'vegan sceptics' converted to dairy alternatives.

Pretenslydale (a nod to Wensleydale), its smoked 'Good-a' Gouda alternative, and a Ched and Chilli Ched Spread are delicately arranged on the board, along with previous fan favourites; Blue, Shamembert, Bree, and Garlic and Herb will likely go down with Boursin fans.

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There's a choice of '', and , which include the cheesy favourites and seasonal specials. Spreads, relishes, crackers, and even vegan charcuterie from Faux Butcher come bundled with the cheeses.

The number of people who've switched to vegan diets has skyrocketed in recent years, according to the 2022 UK Free-From Foods Market Report, about 26% of UK households avoid dairy products for whatever reason. "As someone who has become allergic to dairy, I missed real cheese," said one Honestly Tasty customer in a review.

"I picked as it contained a wide range of different cheeses, vegan deli ‘meats’, crackers and pickles. Everything in the range impressed - even my husband who is a vegan sceptic thought the Shamembert and blue cheeses were excellent. They are expensive but, given the quality of ingredients and the final product, are worth it for the times I feel I can justify spending the money."

Meanwhile another shopper said: "I loved some of the cheeses, especially love Bri and Ched spread. But there were some I wasn’t keen on. The smoked Gouda was a bit tasteless. Although I like herby, I do find it needs a lot more garlic.

"I tried the Christmas collection for a change, but wished I’d just bought the ones I really like individually. It may have worked out more expensive, but at least I would have had the ones I really liked." As this shoppers pointed out, there is always the choice to buy your favourite cheeses individually if you don't like all the flavours like that customer.

If aren't your thing then there are a range of other vegan options on the market. may be perfect if you have a sweet tooth, it's Luxury Vegan Christmas Hamper £69.99 is filled gingerbread cake, dark chocolate, and pan au chocolat cookie bites (to name a few). is another one to look at for vegan gifts ideas, as it has a range of dark chocolate and fully vegan treats, although be wary while its actual products don't have dairy in they are made in the same factory as milk products.