Personalisation is worth thinking about early. A printed message, a monogram or the wedding date turns a nice box into a keepsake. Ask what the personalisation actually involves before you commit, since some options print onto the sleeve and others onto a card insert, and the two photograph very differently across a long table.

A word of care on this occasion above others. Questions about ingredients and dietary suitability come up often around new families, so point people to the published product information rather than offering assurances yourself. It is the honest and accurate way to handle it, and it matters more here than most places.

Provenance gives a retirement gift the weight it should have. Lily O'Brien's has handcrafted its chocolates in Newbridge, Co. Kildare since 1992, and holds BRC Grade A+ accreditation for its production, so the hamper arrives as something made with genuine care rather than assembled for the sake of it. For a gift meant to say a career mattered, that kind of detail does real work.

You can find out more via lilyobriens.co.uk.

Personalised chocolate has quietly become one of the easier ways to give a gift that feels specific to the person receiving it. Two formats do most of the work: the photo box, which prints an image onto the lid or sleeve, and the message box, which carries a short line of text. Knowing how each behaves helps you pick the right one.

One honest note. If the leaver or anyone sharing the hamper asks about ingredients or dietary suitability, point them to the published product information rather than vouching for it yourself.