Founded in the heart of cheese-making West Country, Illchester Cheese is known for their innovative flavours and high-quality locally-sourced ingredients.

Not that long ago, there would have been no point drawing up a guide to the best chocolate advent calendars, since that was the only kind. But these days there are beauty advent calendars, beer and wine advent calendars, book, toy and candle advent calendars and food advent calendars of every kind imaginable, from cheese to marshmallows. It’s almost too much choice. What if next door are opening a far better advent calendar than you?It’s the high cacao content that gives it this delicious taste. This means less sugar is required to get the desired taste. In fact, Happi says they use 35% less sugar compared to other leading brands. Each window in the advent calendars offers a 10g mini-chocolate bar, a 3D puzzle toy made from 100% recycled board, 3 stencils to use for creative drawing, and a fun facts educational info-card. The calendar sleeve also easily reverses into a play mat, offering hours of extra fun. i thought this was a chocolate advent calendar when it arrived! It really looks like a nice box of chocolates with a sturdy box around what you assume is going to be a delicious set of chocs. But no! It’s beauty. It includes some great cosmetics including Blueberry powder blusher, Chocolate Cream Bronzer, Candy cane eyeliner and gold shimmer shadow pot. A really fun and useful present for the make-up fan in your life! In terms of ethics, Montezuma’s works with its suppliers to ensure that all its chocolate meets stringent ethical criteria and certifications. This includes Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, Soil Association and Cocoa Horizons. Choose Fairtrade this Christmas with the Divine Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar, with a delicious milk chocolate treat behind each of the 24 windows and supporting cocoa farmers in the Fairtrade cooperative in Ghana.

It’s amazing what brands have come up with for Advent. There are photo advent calendars, beauty advent calendars, chocolate advent calendars, toy advent calendars and more. For those that prefer milk chocolate, Montezuma’s cleverly named Like No Udder calendar, offers a dairy-free alternative to conventional milk chocolate.The Godiva Chocolatier Holiday Gourmet Chocolate Advent Calendar is our top choice because of its wide selection of treats and premium Belgian chocolate created by artisans in small batches. For a budget option that won't disappoint, we recommend the Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calendar... What to Look for in an Advent Calendar Number of Pieces Ingredients:Fairtrade Sugar, Fairtrade Cocoa Butter, Dried Cream (Milk), Fairtrade Cocoa Mass, Whole Milk Powder, Emulsifier: Sunflower Lecithin, Fairtrade Vanilla This clever wheeze for kids is rather good value. It includes all the elements you need to make your own slot machine. Different aspects of the machine are in the boxes for different days so by the time it comes to Christmas you have built your own slot machine that you can play with. Load your swirly glass marbles into the spring-loaded launcher and let the game begin! Made from 100% sustainable card, it’s also fully recyclable. Ingredients: Fairtrade sugar, Fairtrade cocoa butter, Dried cream, Fairtrade cocoa mass, Whole milk powder, Emulsifier: Soya lecithin, (non GM) Fairtrade vanilla

At Divine we are proud to be the only Fairtrade and B-Corp Certified chocolate company in the world that's co-owned by farmers. This means that the 100,000 farmers who nurture and grow the cocoa are the ones who directly benefit when you buy our chocolate. Traditionally, Advent calendars were 24 pieces. As they have gained popularity, they have morphed to a number of days leading up to the winter holidays. If you want a traditional model, be sure to look for 24 days of chocolate. If you are open to something less traditional, there are options that come in different increments. If you plan to share with the family, you may want to opt for a shareable model that has more than 24 pieces. Divine is committed to preserving the environment and making improvements to reduce our impact on the planet. Buy Fairtrade, which is committed to helping farmers adapt to climate change and invest in sustainable farming methods.

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Who wouldn’t want a chocolate advent calendar with a photo of their children, their dog or their favourite holiday destination on the front? It’s a great idea and this year at least two companies are doing it. Behind each chocolate heart, find out the national flag and learn 'Merry Christmas' in the language of each country where Divine is sold, made or sources its Fairtrade ingredients from. Find out more at www.divinechocolate.com Created using cocoa grown in Ghana by Kuapa Kokoo, a co-operative of cocoa farmers, this Fairtrade and palm oil free chocolate bar is great tasting but also great for the planet and the people who produce them. A win for eco-friendly chocolate lovers everywhere.